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Solar Powered Technology Enhances Oil Recovery

Posted by samzenpus on from the odd-couple dept.

mdsolar writes with this story of a company that uses solar energy to recover crude oil. Royal Dutch Shell has teamed with a sovereign investment fund from Oman to invest $53 million in a company that manufactures solar power equipment designed for increasing oil production. Glasspoint Solar Inc. installs aluminum mirrors near oil fields that concentrate solar radiation on insulated tubes containing water. The steam generated from heating the water is injected into oil fields to recover heavy crude oil. This concept of enhanced oil recovery. involves high pressure injection of hot fluids to recover heavy crude oil. The use of renewable energy like solar power makes great economic sense, as the fuel cost associated with this enhanced oil recovery technology is practically zero. Shell hopes to employ this technology in its oil fields in Oman. The company hopes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with enhanced oil recovery operations. A large-scale successful implementation of this technology could be a game changer for major consumers like India and the U.S.. Both have substantial oil reserves, but are unable to tap them due to high costs involved in heavy oil recovery.

6 of 82 comments (clear)

  1. I wonder if they could add geothermal. by allaunjsilverfox2 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    It'd be kind of interesting, extremely site specific. But still a interesting use case.

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  2. Renewable by lorinc · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Using renewable energy to tap unrenewable energy... Seems not really enduring. Why not just use directly the renewable energy in first place?

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    1. Re:Renewable by mc6809e · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Using renewable energy to tap unrenewable energy... Seems not really enduring. Why not just use directly the renewable energy in first place?

      Because oil isn't just used as energy, though it often is.

      Petroleum is a miracle substance from the standpoint of its chemistry. It would be hard to imagine modern life without all the chemicals and materials petroleum makes possible.

      Burning such a flexible, important substance as fuel is terribly foolish.

    2. Re:Renewable by Charliemopps · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Using renewable energy to tap unrenewable energy... Seems not really enduring. Why not just use directly the renewable energy in first place?

      This reduces the carbon footprint of the Oil itself. Most people tend to forget that over half the CO2 released by oil is done prior to it ever getting into your gas tank. If we could make it carbon neutral up to that point we'd be making significant progress. This is a good thing no matter how you look at it.

  3. Steam to extract oil that shouldn't be... by mspohr · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This is a good example of greenwashing.
    They're using solar steam generators to extract heavy crude oil and tar sands. This oil is difficult to extract and environmentally costly to refine.
    From Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H...
    "With present technology, the extraction and refining of heavy oils and oil sands generates as much as three times the total CO2 emissions compared to conventional oil."
    This oil should probably be left in the ground.

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  4. Wait until global warming really kicks in by jfdavis668 · · Score: 4, Funny

    I would have just waited for global warming to really kick in. The oil would be warm enough to extract without any added heat.