Oilfield in Oman to get solar power to extract crude

GlassPoint Solar headquartered in California has signed an agreement with Occidental of Oman, which could lead the development of thermal energy plant of more than two GW.

In a statement on Tuesday, GlassPoint said The prospective plant would be located at Mukhaizna oilfield in Sultanate of Oman.

GlassPoint develops solar steam generators which makes use of large mirrors to concentrate sunlight and boil oilfield water into steam.

As lead developer of the facility, GlassPoint stated It would deploy its technology at the sute to produce as many as 100,000 barrels of solar steam every day.

According to the U.S. Department of Energys National Energy Technology Laboratory, would Occidental an independent oil producer in Oman, buy the solar steam and use it to aid production of heavy oil. The high viscous nature of heavy oil makes it difficult to produce and refine.

The solar steam would be used as an substitute to steam produced from natural gas. GlassPoint states This project could help to save over 800,000 tons of carbon dioxide emission annually.

AS we continue to diversify Omans economy and develop the renewable energy sector, we are identifying ways to save our natural gas resources,Mohammed bin Hamad Al Rumhi, the Omani minister of oil and gas, said in a statement.

Omans vast heavy oilfields present one of the largest opportunities to deploy solar energy and conserve gas, which can instead be used to fuel industries and generate power, Al Rumhi added.