IIT-Madras Researchers To Develop Indigenous Processes For Oil Recovery From Mature Offshore Wells

A team of researchers from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras is in the process of developing an indigenous process to efficiently recover oil from mature offshore wells, the New Indian Express reports.

According to a statement released from the 60-year-old institute, IIT-M researchers have collaborated with research labs in Australia to study the efficacy of an emerging oil recovery method, known as ‘Low-Salinity Enhanced Oil Recovery’ (LSEOR).

The research is headed by professor Jitendra Sangwai of Department of Ocean Engineering (Petroleum Engineering). The team has published its findings in two journals — 'Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering' and 'Energy and Fuels'.

“Our research aims to develop indigenous methods for recovery of crude oil from geological reservoirs, which is a complex process. There is still much that needs to be understood in the use of LSEOR methods...," Sangwai said.

The statement adds that by leveraging on modern techniques like the LSEOR, India could meet it's expected petroleum output.