GlassPoint Solar is a private company founded in 2009 that designs and manufactures solar steam generators that use solar thermal technology to generate steam for enhanced oil recovery (EOR).
Video GlassPoint Solar
Overview
GlassPoint's enclosed trough technology encloses lightweight mirrors in a standard agricultural greenhouse, concentrating the sun's energy to heat water and create steam. The steam is then injected in an oil reservoir to aid the extraction of heavy crude. The company's solar thermal technology uses trough-shaped mirrors, standard piping and a greenhouse structure. By using the enclosed trough architecture, GlassPoint claims it can produce emission-free steam for two to three times less than competing concentrated solar power technologies, such as the power tower and linear fresnel. The company is based in Fremont, California, with offices in Bakersfield, California, Muscat, Oman, Kuwait City, Kuwait and Shenzhen, China.
In December 2012, GlassPoint announced $26 million in Series B financing. Investors in the round included Royal Dutch Shell, RockPort Capital, Nth Power and Chrysalix Energy Venture Capital.
In September 2014, GlassPoint announced $53 million in Series C financing. Investors in the round included Royal Dutch Shell, State General Reserve Fund of Oman, RockPort Capital, Nth Power and Chrysalix Energy Venture Capital.
To date, GlassPoint has a total of $86.7 million in funding.
Maps GlassPoint Solar
Projects
Berry Petroleum
In 2011, GlassPoint deployed the world's first commercial solar EOR project at an oil field operated by Berry Petroleum in Kern County, Calif., USA. Built in less than six weeks, the system uses the sun's radiant heat to produce approximately 1 million British Thermal Units (Btus) per hour of solar heat. GlassPoint partnered with local firms TJ Cross Engineers and PCL Industrial Services to construct the system, which spans 7,000 square feet of land on the 100-year-old oilfield. The enclosed trough system preheats water to 190 °F used as feedwater for Berry Petroleum's gas-fired steam generators.
Petroleum Development Oman
In May 2013, GlassPoint commissioned the Middle East's first solar EOR project, a 7MWth system developed in partnership with Petroleum Development Oman (PDO), the largest oil company in the Sultanate of Oman. The system produces an average of 50 tons of emissions-free steam daily. This system is now in daily operation generating an average of 50 tons of emissions-free steam per day that feeds directly into existing thermal EOR operations at PDO's Amal West oilfield.
The system was completed on time, on budget, and with no Lost Time Injuries demonstrating GlassPoint and PDO's shared commitment to health, safety, security and the environment (HSSE). During the first 12 months of operations, actual performance of the GlassPoint system matched output models within a few percent and steam production continues to exceed contracted performance targets. The system recorded 98.6% uptime and maintained regular operations during severe dust and sand storms. The automated roof-washing unit proved particularly effective in all weather events, restoring system performance overnight. The project is serving as a performance and operational baseline for larger steam generators in Oman and is providing PDO with valuable information for planning potential large-scale projects in the future.
In July 2015, Petroleum Development Oman and GlassPoint Solar announced that they signed an agreement to build a 1 GWth solar field. The total solar field will be 1.8KM and the total project will be 3KM. The project, named Miraah, will be the world's largest solar field measured by peak thermal capacity.
In August 2017, GlassPoint and its contractors crossed the threshold of 1.5 million man-hours worked without lost time injury (LTI) at Miraah.
In November 2017, GlassPoint and Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) completed construction on the first block of the Miraah solar plant safely on schedule and on budget, and successfully delivered steam to the Amal West oilfield.
Belridge Solar
In November 2017, Aera Energy and GlassPoint Solar announced a joint project to create California's largest solar energy field. Located at the South Belridge Oil Field, the project, called Belridge Solar, will be the first in the world to incorporate solar steam generation with solar electricity generation. Belridge Solar, will be the first in the world to incorporate solar steam generation with solar electricity generation.
The Belridge Oil Field resides near Bakersfield, California. Once completed, the facility is projected to produce 12 million barrels of steam annually through a 850MW thermal solar steam generator. It is planned to reduce the natural gas used at the Belridge Oil Field for the production and extraction of heavy oil in its enhanced oil recovery process (EOR).
Additionally, a separate 26.5 MW electricity generating facility using photovoltaic panels is planned to power oilfield operations.
This new facility is predicted to reduce carbon emissions by more than 376,000 metric tons annually. This will offset more than one-third of all the cars driven in Bakersfield. It is also expected to create hundreds of jobs throughout California.
This project highlights a growing trend of oil and gas companies partnering with the solar energy industry.
In-Country Value
GlassPoint claims its technology can help oil operators free natural gas currently burned for EOR by up to 80%. This gas can be redirected to higher value applications, such as desalination, industrial development or export as LNG, thus increasing economic well-being. New supply chains associated with solar EOR industries can generate significant societal value as well.
Awards
- Platts Global Energy Awards 2011. Commercial Technology of the Year Award
- Oil & Gas Middle East Awards 2013. Enhanced Oil Recovery Award
- MEED Quality Awards 2014. Oman Sustainable Project of the Year
- MENASOL CSP Technology Innovation for MENA 2015
- Oil & Gas Middle East 2016. Best EOR Project of the Year
- SolarPACES 2016. Technology Innovation Award
- World Economic Forum 2016. Technology Pioneer
- Shell Upstream International 2016. Impact Award for Safety & Environment
- ADIPEC 2015. Best Oil & Gas Innovation or Technology
- MENASOL 2017. CSP Technology Innovation
See also
- Enhanced oil recovery
- Solar thermal enhanced oil recovery
- Solar thermal energy
- Petroleum Development Oman
- Miraah
- Parabolic Trough
- Concentrated Solar Power
- Low-carbon fuel standard
References
External links
- Official website
Source of article : Wikipedia
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