SOLAR ENERGY USE IN

PRODUCTION OF OIL WELLS.

Evelyn Quintero
INTRODUCTION

It is well known that technology evolves with use, it is then when it becomes
necessary to evolve from the geographic potentialities, in favor of current
needs, without losing sight of high impact goals such as supplying energy
requirements with renewable sources.

This presentation shows how the productivity of heavy crude can be

increased, through a down hole electric heating system, with energy
generated by a solar system.
ADVANTAGES OF USING THE SOLAR ENERGY

• Solar generation produces a clean and environmentally friendly electricity,

which prevents the emission of CO2 and contributes to the fight against
climate change and the greenhouse effect.

• The conversion of solar energy to thermal energy, used directly, is the most
efficient of all current renewable energies.

• Among solar installations, at the same peak power, solar heaters are
cheaper than other solar installations such as the (PV) Photo Voltaic. In the
first case we speak of efficiencies of 70%, while in the case of typical
commercial PV panels they are of the order of 14 to 18%.
MARKET AND PERSPECTIVES

• Experts point out that solar source heat will be the cheapest fuel even
compared to natural gas in the near future.

• It is expected that, the average value of the offer of the Natural Gas price
will increase from 3 dollars per million BTU [MMBTU] to 6 in 2020 (Henry Hub
Natural Gas Spot Price).

• Solar energy during 2016 was reduced by more than 75%, becoming
cheaper even than any other type of energy produced with coal, oil or gas in
some areas of the world.
MARKET AND PERSPECTIVES
• The 2017 UN report on renewable energy demonstrates that the future is
solar energy:

• A record of 98 GW of new solar power was installed in the world in 2017,

more than any other technology.

• Other renewable sources ONLY added 59 GW as a whole, 35 GW coal

plants, 38 GW gas plants, 3 GW oil plants and nuclear power contributed
11 GW of generation capacity.
POTENTIAL OF SOLAR ENERGY IN VENEZUELA
It is reasonable that tropical countries SEARCH to exploit solar radiation as an
energy source, especially for having more than half of the solar day year. In
fact, the entire area between the latitudes 40 ° North and 40 ° South, is
usually called "solar belt" precisely because it receives a lot of solar radiation.
POTENTIAL OF SOLAR ENERGY IN VENEZUELA
Solar thermal energy consists of taking advantage of the Sun's energy to produce heat that generates
mechanical energy and, from it, electrical energy.

For solar thermodynamic systems, the maximum efficiency ᵑ of energy can be calculated considering
that the solar irradiation must first be converted to heat using a solar receiver with an efficiency and
then this heat is converted into work (electricity) with a Carnot efficiency. .

For a solar receiver providing a heat source at temperature and

a heat sink at room temperature , the overall conversion
efficiency can be calculated as follows:
EXAMPLE APPLICATION - SCHEME IN WELL

For a solar thermodynamic systems with the maximum efficiency ᵑ of only 30 % of energy can be produced
a oil well, considering that the solar irradiation must first be converted to heat using a solar receiver with
an efficiency and then this heat is converted into electricity and to guarantee the operational continuity of
the pilot in long periods of rain, a energy accumulator could be used.
HOW MUCH DOES THE SOLAR SOURCE COST?
• According to the data managed by the INTI Renewable Energy Area, the
average price of a domestic thermal solar system (which would serve our
purposes) is of the order of 1,000 USD.
• Said collectors with a catchment area of 2 m2 and a peak power of 1.4 kWp.
(thermal)
• To obtain an estimate of your thermal energy production, suppose a user in
the Belt area, with an annual average of daily radiation of 4.6 kWh / day /
kWp (energy in kWh, per day, per installed peak power), it is simple to
estimate an average energy cost of less than USD 5 / MMBTU in these
conditions.
• If we also go up a bit of latitude, and we go to Lake Maracaibo, with
radiations that easily surpass 5.5 kWh / day / kWp, the same calculation would
give as low as 3.34 USD / MMBTU. Compare these figures with the Gas price
forecasts given in dollars per million BTU [MMBTU] from the present to 2020.
CONCLUSIONS
1. The world is turning to advance in the use of solar energy and the schemes
related to its use are in the process of being the most economical.

2. The Orinoco Oil Belt IN Venezuela has a daily solar radiation potential that
ranges between 4.7 and 6.1 kWh / m2.

3. With these radiation values and the efficiencies of the current solar panels (20
to 30%) it is already possible to operate an electric down hole heating system.

4. A pilot test of a solar system with heating cable in Venezuela, besides being
the first application, would prove its economy quickly because it requires little
investment and its recovery is short-term.

5. To guarantee the operational continuity of the pilot in long periods of rain, a

battery of storage batteries could be used.
THANKS