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M. Somasekhar

Sequel to NGRI's pilot initiative in Masana region

MR V.P. DIMRI

Hyderabad, March 19

Encouraged by the progress in the experimental oil recovery project in the Masana area, North of Cambay on the West Coast, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) was keen to take it further in fresh wells in the area.

The experiment, piloted by the Hyderabad-based National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI), has shown higher oil recovery rates at 35-50 per cent, from just 10-12 per cent achieved in the Balol region, according to Dr V.P. Dimri, Director of the institute.

Under the Indo-Norwegian collaborative research programme, the two-year project was taken up in February 2005, with the focus of enhancing secondary oil recovery from wells across the country. The Norwegian side is also keen to continue to partnership in the future, Dr Dimri told Business Line.

ONGC, which has supported the pilot initiative, has expressed its readiness to provide NGRI with the data about oil fields in the Masana region to continue research and development work. There are giant oil fields in the Masana region, he said.

In Norway, where the technology is quite widely used, the recovery rates are about 60-65 per cent. By enhancing recovery, huge sums of money are saved and returns on higher yields will earn more. Norwegian scientists associated with the NGRI project said the technology was used in oil wells for Total of France and Pemex of Mexico.

A combination of NGRI-developed Fractal monitoring (a mathematical approach, which helps to find out the location of oil in reservoirs) and the 4-D technique of Norway was being used to pinpoint places where water can be injected to create adequate pressure to push oil upwards in the well for easy recovery.

Norway has provided funds worth 50 million Norwegian kroner (Rs 35 crore) over a five-year period. About 20 scientific projects are expected to be taken up under the Indo-Norwegian Projects on Institutional Cooperation.

Interestingly, a 15-member Parliamentary Committee from Norway, which visited the NGRI in early March, held a detailed discussion with the scientists on the project and assured full support from the Norwegian Government, Dr Dimri said.

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