Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) and GlassPoint Solar, the global leader in solar energy for the oil and gas industry, have completed construction on the first block of the Miraah solar plant safely on schedule and on budget, and has successfully delivered steam to the Amal West oilfield.

Upon completion, Miraah will be among the world’s largest solar plants delivering 1,021 MW of peak thermal energy to generate 6,000 tonnes of steam per day used for heavy oil production, said a top official.

"The safe and successful delivery of solar steam into our network at Amal is a significant milestone for the Miraah project and a major step towards transforming the energy landscape in Oman," remarked Raoul Restucci, the managing director of PDO.

“Solar-powered oil production is a sustainable, long-term solution to meet the sultanate’s future energy demand and utilise its natural resources most efficiently,” he stated.

Restucci said: "GlassPoint, our staff and sub-contractors have worked tirelessly for more than 1.5 million man-hours without a Lost Time Injury, while continuing to drive efficiency across all facets of project construction and commissioning."

"Miraah is a real statement of intent from PDO as we begin the transition away from an exclusive focus on oil and gas to becoming a fully-fledged energy company with a greater focus on renewables," he added.

GlassPoint’s solar technology was specifically designed to harness the sun’s energy to generate the steam required for thermal enhanced oil recovery (EOR), seamlessly integrating into existing oilfield operations.

The natural gas saved by using GlassPoint’s technology can be exported or directed toward higher-value applications such as power generation or industrial development, diversifying the economy.

“We are proud to partner with PDO to build a world-class solar industry out of Oman’s oil and gas industry roots,” remarked Ben Bierman, the chief operating officer and acting CEO of GlassPoint.

“This project is helping put Oman on the global solar energy map, creating new jobs and developing expertise in solar technology innovation, project deployment and manufacturing,” he noted.

Unlike solar panels that generate electricity, GlassPoint’s solution uses large mirrors to concentrate sunlight and boil oilfield water directly into steam. The steam is used for the extraction of viscous or heavy oil as an alternative to steam generated from natural gas, he added.

This milestone is the latest in the collaboration between PDO and GlassPoint that began six years ago when they built the first solar EOR project in the Middle East.

The 7 MWt pilot project proved the effectiveness and cost efficiency of GlassPoint’s technology and lead to significant learnings and design improvements as the technology scales.-TradeArabia News Service