New Delhi: India’s national oil company Oil India Limited (OIL) signed a ten year MOU today with The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) to broaden the scope of Joint Research Collaboration in areas of Petroleum Biotechnology and New & Renewable Energy Sources. The MOU was singed by Mr. B N Talukdar, Director Exploration and development, OIL and Mr. M M Joshi, Director Technology Dissemination and Enterprise Development, TERI in the presence of Mr. N M Borah, Chairman and Managing Director, OIL and Dr. R K Pachauri, Director General, TERI.

Biotechnology is an emerging field of study for its immense beneficial capability in providing solutions for a sustainable way to conserve energy resources and control environmental degradation. In view of these benefits which can also help the petroleum industry, the mutual collaboration will focus on significant areas of R&D, such as, Microbial Enhancement of Oil Recovery, Removal of paraffin from oil well and oil tubings, Reduction of Viscocity in heady crude, Mitigation of pollution problems, increase efficiency of waste water and concentrate on areas of new and renewable energy.

“Though huge investments for R&D in the petroleum industry are ongoing, the area of biotechnology for sustainable energy production and environment restoration is incomplete and needs impetus”, said,, Mr. Naryan Mani Borah, Chairman and Managing Director, OIL. He further added that, “the interactions between TERI and OIL for various research and development projects in the area of environmental restoration, enhanced oil recovery, biofuel, especially algae biofuel, energy audits runs back to over a decade and its research expertise has helped OIL with solutions that have produced fascinating results in mitigating many environmental issues for the company. I am happy that through this MoU academia and business have come together for joint research collaboration”.

The impressive track record of several successful case histories between TERI and OIL got a further boost today. It will bring in together the expertise and infrastructure in providing sustainable solutions to the current problems faced by petroleum industry

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Dr. Banwari Lal, Director, Environmental & Industrial Biotechnology Microbial Biotechnology, TERI said, “Biotechnology has emerged as a major field of study globally and has direct impacts on all aspects of life including the petroleum industry. Specific to this collaboration our research areas will aim to increase oil production, life of the oil wells, address the issue of renewable energy and biofuels which presently demands attention. This collaboration with Oil India Limited will bring in new methods to help the present situation and after proper field testing both companies will file for a joint patent.”

The following areas are being considered for mutual collaboration at present. However, the scope will be expanded with mutual consent to include other challenges arising in future.

— Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery (MEOR)

— Removal of paraffin from oil well tubings

— Microbial bio-prospecting for oil reservoirs

— Reduction of Viscocity in heavy crude oil

— Mitigation of pollution problems arising due to petroleum hydrocarbon both in onshore and offshore installations though bioremediation

— Increased efficiency of waste water and produced water treatment with integration to novel concepts

— Establishing an state-of-the-art Petroleum Microbial Laboratory in OIL

— Areas of research in new and renewable energy