Rock study will help India’s oil economy
Media Release, Friday 1 September 2006
A collaborative research project between the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) in India and the University of Melbourne will help oil producers further understand oil formation patterns and could lead to predicting oil-rich sites.
School of Earth Sciences PhD student Himansu Sahu is a lead researcher in the collaboration which could significantly influence future oil exploration strategies and further boost the Indian economy.
Himansu is working with other Melbourne experts to analyse uranium-bearing minerals in rock samples from the Krishna-Godavari Basin and its oilfields in Andhra Pradesh.
The researchers are tracking erosion patterns to learn whether organic material could have matured into hydrocarbons over time to form oil, providing clues to identify potential oil sources.
Using fission track dating and uranium, thorium and helium analyses, the researchers are examining rock and mineral samples from onshore sites and offshore boreholes.
“The success of the project is based on the fruitful combination of ONGC providing invaluable material from deep drill holes and our analytical expertise and equipment,” Himansu said.
Studying at Melbourne on an International Postgraduate Research Scholarship and a Melbourne International Research Scholarship, Himansu holds a Masters of Technology from IIT Bombay, and a Masters of Science from Utkal University, Orissa.
His supervisor, Dr Matthias Raab (Earth Sciences), sees the project enhancing oil exploration strategies and India’s self-sufficiency in oil production.
“This is an example of Australia and India collaborating at the highest level to develop innovative programs,” he said.
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