Essar Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Ltd (EOGEPL), a prominent E&P company in India and a frontrunner in unconventional hydrocarbons, revealed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay). The collaborative effort aims to jointly lead research and development endeavors concentrated on indigenous advancements in various cutting-edge Coal Bed Methane (CBM) technologies. CBM has the potential to address India's energy needs, lessening dependence on traditional fuels while sequestering CO2 in exhausted coal seams. EOGEPL's Raniganj East CBM Block is a key asset, boasting significant CBM gas resources.
Recognized as a leading model of CBM progress in India, it has cultivated a devoted client base reliant on its CBM gas provision to sustain their operations. IIT Bombay has earned global recognition for its exceptional education and pioneering research spanning various fields including science, engineering, design, management, and humanities. The partnership between EOGEPL and IIT Bombay will explore research and development, particularly focusing on potential Enhanced Coal Bed Methane (ECBM) recovery techniques and CO2 sequestration. This joint endeavor aims to unravel the intricacies of improved coal bed methane processes using inventive experimental and simulation approaches.
The planned research involves advanced reservoir simulation studies utilizing widely accepted software platforms in the industry. Additionally, it will investigate the formulation of appropriate methodologies for extracting gas from deeper coal seams. The emphasis extends to evaluating new enhanced recovery methods to enhance output from existing wells, primarily through studies on CO2-enhanced CBM recovery. Under the MoU, EOGEPL will propose an initial set of research themes. The company will provide essential funding and data assistance for the Project and offer access to wells for mutually agreed-upon investigations and research experiments. EOGEPL is dedicated to collaboratively pursuing research training programs with IIT Bombay.