Conway Irwin

Posts by Conway Irwin

Biocrude Still A Drop In The Barrel

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Biocrude producers are moving closer to providing a cost-competitive substitute for petroleum, but obstacles remain in building scale.

Biocrude is derived from renewable sources like wood waste and algae, but can be converted into near-perfect substitutes for petroleum products, known as “drop-in” fuels. Drop-in fuels “can serve as direct replacements or supplements to existing gasoline, diesel and jet fuels, without any changes to existing fuel distribution networks or engines”, according to the Department of Energy (DOE). Keep reading →

 /  Published August 26, 2011 at 11:00 AM

Exporting Solar Solutions

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Rising demand for energy efficiency solutions abroad may offer new, and expanding, opportunities for US renewable energy firms.

Omani state-owned oil firm Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) has awarded California-based GlassPoint a contract to build a pilot 7MW solar enhanced oil recovery (EOR) system at a an existing thermal EOR project in southern Oman. Keep reading →

 /  Published August 5, 2011 at 6:00 AM

The Geographic Realities Of Abundant Sunlight

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The popular image of oil derricks place them in sunny locales, in deserts and at sea. But with the search for new oil reserves spreading, the ability to use solar power for enhanced oil recovery faces some elemental challenges.

Southern California, where GlassPoint Solar operates a facility, satisfies the two main requirements for solar thermal enhanced oil recovery –abundant sunlight and heavy oil. But these requirements limit the technology’s application in other areas of the country. Within the US, GlassPoint CEO Rod MacGregor mentioned only West Texas as prospective for solar thermal enhanced oil recovery (EOR) use. Keep reading →

 /  Published July 29, 2011 at 6:00 AM

Oil Majors Seek Power Of The Sun

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Using solar-powered facilities in enhanced oil recovery has attracted widespread attention in the industry, and now the sector’s largest firms are moving the technology out of the lab and into the market.

GlassPoint Solar’s successful start-up of the first commercial solar thermal enhanced oil recovery (EOR) system in California has raised questions about the technology’s prospects for widespread use, both in the US and internationally. Keep reading →

 /  Published July 28, 2011 at 10:45 AM

Brazilian Behomoth Targets Top Five Energy Firms

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Brazilian energy giant Petrobras plans to spend almost $107,000 a minute over the next four years as part of its immense and recently expanded $224.7 billion spending plan.

Petrobras will execute its first asset sale program and take on substantial debt to fund its 2011-2015 business plan, which will cost nearly $154 million each day, much of that planned for spending on exploration and production. Keep reading →

 /  Published July 26, 2011 at 3:00 PM

Beyond Incentives: Oil Majors And Renewable Fuel

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Market conditions and resource availability matter more for attracting investment from major oil companies in renewable energy than government incentive programs.

As major oil companies strengthen their renewable energy portfolios, many point to government incentives as critical to advancements in renewable energy and CO2 emissions-reduction. But local market conditions and resource availability, both of which are vital for long-term viability, are also vital for attracting a share of their capital budgets. Keep reading →

 /  Published July 11, 2011 at 6:00 AM
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