The project was announced recently by Chevron Technology Ventures at Coalinga Field in the California. Over 7,600 mirrors are being utilized to focus on the sun’s energy on a solar container to generate steam that can then be inserted into oil tank to improve oil recovery.
President of Chevron Technology Ventures, Desmond King, said: 'This technology has the prospective to expand gas powered steam creation and which may provide an extra resource in regions of the globe where natural gas is costly or not easily obtainable.'
The intense crude oil generated at Coalinga Field does not flow willingly, so is further difficult to extort than lighter grades of crude. Chevron recently enhances oil manufacture from the field by inserting steam which is created by burning natural gas to warm the crude, thus reducing its thickness and making it easier to get better.
Throughout the trial, the mirrors on the site will track the sun and replicate its rays to a receiver which is located in a solar tower.
Utilizing the heat of intense sunlight, the solar tower system manufactures steams that is spread through the oil field and then bring in underground for better oil recovery. The solar expression reportedly generates about the similar amount of steam as one gas-fired steam maker.
Our region has an extended history of revolutionary innovative technologies," said by vice president of Chevron San business unit of the San Joaquin Valley, Bruce Johnson. "The effort we are doing in Coalinga carry on that tradition, allowing us to study a new technology that could have major implications for the production of heavy oil production.