The Miraah solar project underway in southern Oman has earned Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) and GlassPoint Solar the Shell Upstream International (UI) Impact Award.
Recognised for ‘Safety and Environment’, Miraah will harness the sun’s clean energy to produce steam used to recover Oman’s heavy oil. The project will replace natural gas typically burned to produce steam, resulting in more than 300,000 tonnes of carbon emissions savings each year.
“PDO and GlassPoint have worked relentlessly to move from a successful pilot project to building Miraah, a world leading innovation aimed at reducing environmental impact and conserving valuable gas resources,” commented De la Rey Venter, Shell Executive Vice President.
“The Miraah solar project showcases a concept that can be replicated in other oilfields where a steam-flood is required. Shell is proud about the deployment of this innovative technology, both as a partner and investor, and congratulate our colleagues at PDO and GlassPoint for their part in creating a cleaner energy future.”
The award was received by PDO’s Amal steam project team along with senior representatives from GlassPoint at a special ceremony hosted by Shell Development Oman recently.
The Shell UI Impact Awards recognise companies and teams that are part of the global Shell Group, that demonstrate commitment to find ways to operate more safely, economically and effectively, driving delivery and results and encouraging best practices for others in the Shell Group to follow.
Shell is one of the major shareholders in PDO with a 34% interest in the company. In its latest edition, the judges received 397 entries from over 20 countries.
GlassPoint’s solar EOR solution can reduce an oil field’s gas consumption by up to 80%. Oman can redirect the gas saved to meet rising demand for power generation, desalination, industrial development and liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports.
Following a successful pilot that’s been operating since 2012, PDO and GlassPoint broke ground on Miraah in November 2015. Once complete, Miraah will produce over 1GW of peak thermal energy, making it one of the largest solar plants of any kind in the world.
