Research and Development
Oil India Limited (OIL) has established two knowledge-based R&D Centres - Research & Development Department (R&D) at its Field Headquarters in Duliajan, Assam, India and Centre of Excellence for Energy Studies (CoEES) in Guwahati, Assam, India. These R&D Centres provide specialized & innovative research based and cost-effective solutions to the challenges encountered in the energy industry, specifically catering to the needs of OIL. Both the Centres are recognized by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India. CoEES has also been recognized as a Designated Institute for conducting screening and vetting of Enhanced Recovery projects as per ER Policy, 2018 vide The Gazette of India of MoP&NG dated 24th November 2020.
Objectives
- Develop and implement geochemical methods of exploration and provide geochemical expertise in the exploration and production efforts of the company.
- Provide techno-economic solutions in the areas of hydrocarbon production and transportation related problems.
- Introduction of latest technologies in the field of IOR/EOR, well stimulation, water shut-off, work over & drilling fluids, produced water management, flow assurance and paraffin control.
- Develop oil field chemicals, which are techno-economically viable in the field of hydrocarbon production & transportation, produced water management, well stimulation, IOR/EOR.
- Develop and deploy Petroleum Biotechnology interventions in oil field operations and MEOR.
- Provide latest technologies for environmental pollution control of soil and water bodies and air pollution monitoring.
- Ensuring that the required safety guidelines are followed while working in the laboratory and zero accident rate is achieved.
Mission to provide techno-economically feasible solution
OIL’s R&D Department’s mission is to provide knowledge-based, competent, and techno-economically feasible solution in the areas of Exploration, Drilling, Production, Transportation of Crude oil and Natural Gas, and Alternate source of Energy through laboratory services of highest quality and by adopting state-of-art technology and caring for the environment.
R&D Department is equipped with highly sophisticated and advanced laboratory facilities. It is carrying out studies in the highly specialized areas of Petroleum Geochemistry, Oilfield Chemicals, Flow Assurance, Well Stimulation, Improved Oil Recovery, and Petroleum Biotechnology. Considering the world’s energy transition towards net zero energy system, R&D Department has also initiated research in the areas like Nanotechnology, Green Hydrogen, End-Usage Applications of Blended Hydrogen & Natural Gas, Conversion of CO2 to Green Fuels, Compressed Biogas, etc.
Major Activities
R&D Department has state of the art laboratories manned by experienced personnel. The major research areas are Geochemical exploration, Drilling & workover fluids, Oil & Gas production, Oil field chemicals, Flow assurance studies, IOR/EOR studies, Pollution control and Alternate Source of Energy.
Geochemical Exploration
Geochemical Exploration Group is equipped with state of the art analytical instruments for studies related to source rock evaluation, reservoir fluid identification, crude oil characterization using biomarkers and isotopes, surface geochemical exploration and clay mineralogical studies. The group is also equipped with softwares for carrying out interpretation of geochemical data and its integration with geological and geophysical data through basin modeling. The primary areas of research are - Source Rock Evaluation, Surface Geochemical Prospecting for Hydrocarbons, Basin Modeling, Crude Oil Characterization and Geochemical Correlation Studies, Clay Mineralogical Studies, Hydrocarbon Fluid Type Characterization for Reservoir/Formation Evaluation, Isotopic ratio/Biomarker Studies.
Oil & Gas Production
This section deals with the problems encountered in oil and gas production and has been carrying out extensive research work on Formation water Clarification & Re-injection, Water Quality Measurements & Improvements, Paraffin Deposition Control, Water-Oil Ratio Control, Corrosion and scale control.
Oil Field Chemicals
Necessary infrastructure and capabilities have been established for development of speciality oilfield chemicals used in Oil Production & Transportation operations, Produced & Injection Water management, Drilling & Work over Fluids etc.
Flow Assurance & Pipeline Transportation
This section deals with Rheological studies for flow assurance of waxy crude, Treatment & Dose Optimization, Pipeline design calculations for transportation of oil.
IOR/EOR
Necessary infrastructure and expertise have been created to carry out studies on vaious IOR/EOR techniques including oil production improvement studeis, polymer/ASP studies, tracer studies etc.
Pollution Monitoring & Control
This section deals with Air Pollution Monitoring, Bioremediation and Phytoremediation of Oil contaminated soil and water.
Centre of Excellence for Energy Studies
The vision of CoEES is to be a centre of innovation and development for enabling OIL to match with the global oil majors in terms of technical capability and business performance. To meet the above vision, the Company has established state-of-the-art facilities in terms of software, hardware, laboratory facilities and expertise for building an environment that fosters innovation and creativity. It is equipped with world class technologies encompassing the conventional oil and gas sector, unconventional hydrocarbon, and other energy spectrum.
CoEES activities are aligned to match OIL's vision and strategy. Broadly the areas taken up by the centre are in sedimentological studies, basin analysis & petroleum system modelling, petroleum & exploration geochemistry, static and dynamic reservoir modelling, Field Development Planning, enhanced oil recovery, unconventional hydrocarbon and Geothermal Energy. In the recent times, the centre has also taken various initiatives in the field of CCS (Carbon Capture & Sequestration) and CCUS (Carbon Capture Sequestration and Utilization) studies to decrease the global footprint of CO2 gas for a cleaner environment.
Currently, CoEES operates three highly specialized laboratories viz. Geological Laboratory, Advanced Geochemical Laboratory and Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) Laboratory.
| EOR Laboratory | Geochemical Laboratory | Geological Laboratory |
|---|---|---|
| Core Flooding Experiments for EOR Studies | Detail fingerprint of crude oil (GC) | Organic petrography study |
| Minimum Miscibility Pressure Test for CO2-EOR | High-resolution separation of complex mixtures by 2D-GC | High-resolution imaging and analytical capabilities of Rocks by SEM |
| Capillary Pressure & Resistivity Data (Porous Plate Method) | Biomarker studies | Study and analysis of rocks, minerals, and their microscopic features |
| Live Oil Recombination of Oil & Gas Samples | Source Rock Characterization studies | Analysis of cations and anions present in the formation water |
| Specialized Core Analysis (SCAL) | Determination of CHNS & O content to evaluate potential of Rocks for hydrocarbon generation | Quantifying oil content in water by UV-VIS Spectrometer |
OIL accords utmost importance to up-gradation of technologies and expertise in various area of its activities through both of its R&D Centres. It is determined to further strengthen its R&D efforts towards providing appropriate techno-economical solution of the problems faced in the areas of exploration, drilling, production and transportation of crude oil and natural gas.
Patents and Awards
OIL has filed patent application for 12 innovations in India and abroad. It has so far been granted 16 patents in six (6) different countries - six (6) in India, two (2) in Russia, three (3) in the USA, two (2) in China, two (2) in European Union and one (1) in Japan.
OIL has bagged several awards and recognitions for developing innovative technologies in the field of Research and Development and has a number of publications in International & National Journals / Conferences. OIL has collaborated with reputed academic and research institutes of higher learning in India and abroad for synergy and collaborative R&D.