IIT Madras develops data analysis approach to detect petroleum underground
The researchers at IIT Madras have developed an approach to detect petroleum and hydrocarbon reserves. characterize subsurface rock structure.

Ishita Ranganath | December 30, 2022 | 02:32 PM IST
NEW DELHI: The researchers at Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) have developed a data analysis approach to detect petroleum underground using a statistical approach that can characterize subsurface rock structure and detect petroleum and hydrocarbon reserves.
The researchers used this approach to analyse data obtained from seismic surveys from the North Assam region known for its petroleum reserve. They were able to get accurate information on the rock type distribution and the hydrocarbon saturation zones at depths of 2.3 kilometers.
Also Read | IIT Madras chemistry professor gets VinFuture Prize for developing low-cost filter for groundwater
This research at IITM was led by department of ocean engineering, petroleum engineering programme, faculty, Rajesh R Nair. The findings of the research were published in the journal- NATURE Scientific Reports. The paper was co-authored by IIT Madras researchers M Nagendra Babu and D Venkatesh Ambati along with Nair.
In the research, the researchers also introduced an attribute named ‘Poisson impedance’ (PI). PI was used to identify the fluid content in the sandstone reservoir. Their findings also proved that ‘Poisson impedance’ (PI) was more effective in estimating hydrocarbon zone than conventional attributes.
Elaborating on the need for such research, IIT Madras, department of ocean engineering, petroleum engineering programme, faculty, Rajesh R Nair said: “The challenge to imaging underground structures arises from the low resolution of the seismic images and the difficulty in correlating the data from well-log and seismic surveys. Our team at IIT Madras has developed a methodology for predicting the hydrocarbon zones from complex well log and seismic data.”
Explaining the technical aspects of the study, he further added. “Seismic inversion is a process that is commonly used to transform the seismic reflection data into a quantitative rock-property description of a reservoir. Our team used a type of seismic inversion, called ‘Simultaneous Prestack Seismic Inversion’ (SPSI). This analysis provided the spatial distribution of petrophysical properties in the seismic image. Our team then combined this with other data analytics tools such as target correlation coefficient analysis (TCCA), Poisson impedance inversion, and Bayesian classification to successfully obtain the underground rock and soil structure of the region.”
Follow us for the latest education news on colleges and universities, admission, courses, exams, research, education policies, study abroad and more..
To get in touch, write to us at news@careers360.com.
Next Story
]Featured News
]- ICSI study material enough to clear CSEET; absolutely against private coaching: President
- Navigating Uncertainty: How Ivy League aspirants can tackle US visa challenges
- Education in Manipur: Futures at risk as ethnic violence derails academic dreams of over 50,000 students
- SC enrollment 5.2%, ST’s negligible 1%: Panel flags forward caste dominance in top private universities
- ITEP set for exponential growth as 1,400 institutes seek to launch new four-year teacher training course
- Holding CBSE Class 10 twice can lead to ‘paper leaks, irregularities’, warns parliament panel
- Reservation in private universities, NTA annual reports, CUET review among Parliament panel’s recommendations
- Biodiversity Courses: Central University of Odisha caught in the middle of research vs jobs debate
- ‘Not justified’ to withhold SSA funds over PM SHRI schools: Parliament panel
- PhD admission gaps: Why marginalised candidates struggle to fill reserved seats across central universities