IIT Kharagpur researchers develop synthetic molecules for oil extraction
Hindustan Times (July 28, 2021)
IIT Kharagpur researchers indigenously develop synthetic molecules for oil extraction
A group of researchers at IIT-Kharagpur has indigenously developed large synthetic molecules that can help in the extraction of oil or gas from underground wells, an official said on Wednesday.
These large synthetic molecules, ‘specialty friction-reducer polymers’, are in high demand globally but unfortunately, India was not a part of the global supply chain for the product, Prof Sandeep D Kulkarni, the lead researcher said.
“Since last decade, the global oil and gas industry has been increasingly relying on newer methods such as fracking for extracting the oil and gas from the underground wells.
“Our team, under a sponsored project, has indigenously developed methods and testing equipment that were applied to develop these tailor-made large synthetic molecules,“ Prof Kulkarni said.
As a result, these products are being manufactured in India for the first time at a cost-effective price for the international oil and gas industry, he said. Fracking is the process of injecting liquid at high pressure into subterranean rocks, boreholes, to force open existing fissures and extract oil or gas. The collaborative work at the institute has led to the export of 18 tons of this product, for the first time by an Indian manufacturer, to the global oil and gas industry recently, a spokesperson of IIT-KGP said. (Read More)