Oil India Limited (OIL) has established two knowledge-based R&D Centres - Research & Development Department (R&D) at its Field Headquarters in Duliajan, Assam, India and Centre of Excellence for Energy Studies (CoEES) in Guwahati, Assam, India. These R&D Centres provide specialized & innovative research based and cost-effective solutions to the challenges encountered in the energy industry, specifically catering to the needs of OIL. Both the Centres are recognized by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India. CoEES has also been recognized as a Designated Institute for conducting screening and vetting of Enhanced Recovery projects as per ER Policy, 2018 vide The Gazette of India of MoP&NG dated 24th November 2020.
The Mission of OIL’s R&D Department is to provide knowledge-based, competent and techno-economically feasible solution in the areas of Exploration, Drilling, Production, Transportation of Crude oil and Natural Gas, and Alternate source of Energy through laboratory services of highest quality and by adopting state-of-art technology and caring for the environment.
R&D Department is equipped with highly sophisticated and advanced laboratory facilities. It is carrying out studies in the highly specialized areas of Petroleum Geochemistry, Oilfield Chemicals, Flow Assurance, Well Stimulation, Improved Oil Recovery, and Petroleum Biotechnology. Considering the world’s energy transition towards net zero energy system, R&D Department has also initiated research in the areas like Green Hydrogen, Energy Storage and transportation and Compressed Biogas, etc.
The vision of CoEES is to be a centre of innovation and development for enabling OIL to match with the global oil majors in terms of technical capability and business performance. To meet the above vision, the Company has established state-of-the-art facilities in terms of software, hardware, laboratory facilities and expertise for building an environment that fosters innovation and creativity. It is equipped with world class technologies encompassing the conventional oil and gas sector, unconventional hydrocarbon, and other energy spectrum.
CoEES activities are aligned to match OIL's vision and strategy. Broadly the areas taken up by the centre are in sedimentological studies, basin analysis & petroleum system modelling, petroleum & exploration geochemistry, static and dynamic reservoir modelling, Field Development Planning, enhanced oil recovery, unconventional hydrocarbon and Geothermal Energy. In the recent times, the centre has also taken various initiatives in the field of CCS (Carbon Capture & Sequestration) and CCUS (Carbon Capture Sequestration and Utilization) studies to decrease the global footprint of CO2 gas for a cleaner environment.
OIL has filed patent application for 8 innovations in India and abroad. It has so far been granted 15 patents in six (6) different countries - five (5) in India, two (2) in Russia, three (3) in the USA, two (2) in China, two (2) in European Union and one (1) in Japan.
OIL has bagged several awards and recognitions for developing innovative technologies in the field of Research and Development and has a number of publications in International & National Journals / Conferences. OIL has collaborated with reputed academic and research institutes of higher learning in India and abroad for synergy and collaborative R&D.
OIL accords utmost importance to up-gradation of technologies and expertise in various area of its activities through both of its R&D Centres. It is determined to further strengthen its R&D efforts towards providing appropriate techno-economical solution of the problems faced in the areas of exploration, drilling, production and transportation of crude oil and natural gas.