Solving two problems in one go, a team of Indo-Norwegian scientists has fined-tuned the technology to increase production of oil and reduce carbondioxide pollution in the atmosphere

By Syed Akbar
Hyderabad:  Solving two problems in one go, a team of
Indo-Norwegian scientists has fined-tuned the technology to increase
production of oil and reduce carbondioxide pollution in the atmosphere.

The team is now studying oil and natural gas fields in Andhra Pradesh,
Gujarat and other States to pump in large quantities of carbondioxide
into the earth to flush out oil. The “game-changing” technology will
partly solve the problem of foreign exchange on oil imports and reduce
atmospheric pollution in the country.

Pumping carbondioxide into the earth will push up oil and helps in
enhanced extraction up to 60 per cent. This also solves the problem of
carbondioxide pollution in the atmosphere, caused by automobiles and
industries. Obtaining carbondioxide is not a major issue as huge
quantities of the gas are released during oil extraction.

Experts in earth sciences from different parts of the world including
the USA and Norway are meeting in Hyderabad over a three-day
conference to chalk out strategy for enhanced oil recovery by pumping
in carbondioxide into the oil fields. The conference began at the
National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) here on Monday.

Preliminary studies will be launched at Ankleshar oil field. This will
be followed by KG Basin. Presence of oil will also be studied in
Deccan plateau. Prof Mrinal K Sen, director of NGRI, said they would
carry out numerical modelling and simulation of potential reservoir
models for carbondioxide enhanced oil recovery. Data from Ankleshwar
oil field is also being studied.

Dr Idar Akervoll, senior petroleum researcher from Norway, said
burning of coal and hydrocarbon gas generates carbondioxide and other
exhaust gases that accumulate in the atmosphere. The technology will
help in capturing carbondioxide from the atmosphere for storage inside
the earth. “The captured carbondioxide is an attractive gas for the
petroleum industry for injection into oil reservoirs. The injected gas
could then be locked in and stored in the reservoir,” he said.

The experts will identify the oil fields in the country where
carbondioxide could be pumped in. They will also study if injecting
carbondioxide into the earth will create problems like tremors or
release huge quantities of carbondioxide in case an earthquake strikes
the area.

The life of an oil field can be increased by about 15 years. The daily
extraction rate will also go up to 60 per cent depending on the nature
of the oil field. The minimum increase in oil extraction is about 20
per cent. Norway has been experimenting on this technology for the
last 10 years. It is now being fine-tuned to suit the Indian conditions.