New Research Publication from EGI India Research Consortium

By Informatics @ EGI in News

September 15th, 2020Print Article

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Hot off the press! EGI is pleased and proud to share the publication of a recent paper on India shales by EGI staff and affiliate scientists.

The publication, “Source potential and reservoir characterization of the Cambay Shale, Cambay Basin, India: Implications for tight gas and tight oil resource development,” appears in the August 2020 issue of AAPG Bulletin.

This collaborative effort is the culmination of sustained research focusing on the Cambay Shale in the Cambay Basin, western India, led by the research team at Jammu University, including Affiliate Scientists Dr. Ghulam Bhat, Dr. Mateen Hafiz, Dr. Naveen Hakhoo, and Dr. Waquar Ahmad, in collaboration with Dr. Bindra Thusu, Dr. Jonathan Craig – EGI Board Chair and Eni S.p.A Senior Vice President for Exploration, and EGI Research Associate & Adjunct Associate Professor Dr. Sudeep Kanungo. In addition to the article, the team also made the cover page with an SEM image of Cambay Shale that was taken in the Utah NanoFab Lab by Dr. Mateen Hafiz as part of his PhD dissertation during the India Shale project (EGI Report I 01028; 2014).

Initial research for EGI’s Indian Subcontinent Shale Resource Plays Phase 1 – Regional Characteristics & Play Modeling project (EGI Report I 01028; 2014), sponsored by Shell and BP, led to an outgrowth in further research, and ultimately the current, comprehensive publication. Further to the research, EGI has taken a strong lead in shale exploration research in the Indian subcontinent since 2012

India Shale project team with representatives from project sponsors Shell and BP.

As a global research institute, EGI spearheaded a consortium study on the Indian Subcontinent Shale Resource Plays in 2012 that focused on gathering advanced geologic field and laboratory data on three Indian sedimentary basins and their shale formations. The science generated from this project has advanced the geologic understanding of the studied shale horizons in relation to their North American analogs or counterparts. Completed in 2014, the Indian Subcontinent Shale Resource Plays Phase 1 – Regional Characteristics & Play Modeling project (EGI Report I 01028;) was launched on a new model of academia-industry collaboration between EGI, the Institute of Energy Research and Training (IERT) at the University of Jammu, India; the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT-ISM), Dhanbad, India; and the Maghreb Petroleum Research Group (MPRG), University College London, UK.

Since the launch of this innovative model, EGI has proudly funded four summer internships at our Salt Lake City headquarters as well as two PhD students from India, on the theme of shale gas and petroleum geomechanics. Through this effort, we showcased a model on which to build future collaboration with Indian universities, research institutes, and national oil companies of India, and to attract direct foreign investment in the energy future of India. Further to the research and collaboration, two key EGI scientists, Research Assistant Professor Dr. Sudeep Kanungo, and EGI Affiliate Scientist Dr. Manas Pathak (PhD), participated in the International Workshop on Indian Shale Oil and Gas Exploration organized by the Department of Earth Sciences at the Annamalai University (Tamil Nadu) in January 2016. A compendium of the workshop papers and presentations, International Workshop Proceedings: Indian Shale Oil and Gas Exploration, was edited and published by EGI in 2017 and is available for download from our website.

Thanks to tireless support and advocacy by Dr. Bindra Thusu, the consortium has realized substantial achievements and looks forward to continuing its international research and outreach through academia and industry. EGI also gratefully acknowledges the support provided by Shell and BP throughout the EGI projects and their continued encouragement and engagement over the years. Their unflinching scientific and financial support was pivotal to realizing this achievement.

We encourage everyone to take a look at the exceptional research and publication produced by the team. Congratulations and well done to all

Caption: The India Shales research team, joined by EGI Director Ray Levey at AAPG International conference in London on October 17th, 2017, in which the team presented on rock mechanics of Indian Shales and organized a special workshop on Shale gas.

Hafiz, Mateen & Hakhoo, Naveen & Bhat, G. & Kanungo, Sudeep & Thusu, Bindra & Craig, Jonathan & Ahmed, Waquar. (2020). Source potential and reservoir characterization of the Cambay Shale, Cambay Basin, India: Implications for tight gas and tight oil resource development. AAPG Bulletin. 104. 1707–1749. 10.1306/03162017174.

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