The Keshava Deva Malaviya Institute of Petroleum Exploration (KDMIPE), which is the R&D arm of the public sector oil major ONGC, has made some progress in its quest for identifying microbes that can convert ‘residual oil’ in oil wells into methane that can flow to the surface easily.
BB Chhabra, General Manager (Chemistry) at KDMIPE, told BusinessLine that the Institute’s progress is more or less on par with similar efforts elsewhere in the world.
Oil residues
Using bio-methanisation in oil wells is significant because a lot of oil gets left behind in the wells after production through conventional means. When a well is drilled into an oil-bearing sand zone, the oil flows upwards on its own due to well pressure, but when the pressure drops, it has to be coaxed to the surface.
