Silver Jubilee of Scientific Advisory Commuittee on Hydrocarbon Commemmorated
DISTINGHISHED PERSONALITIES HONOURED
NEED FOR CLOSER LINKAGES BETWEEN RESEARCH ORGANISATIONS, ACADEMIA AND INDUSTRY STRESSED
Shri Murli Deora, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas has emphasised the need for establishing closer linkages between the oesearch organisations, academia and Industry particularly in hydrocarbon sector. Speaking at the Silver Jubilee Celebrations of Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) on Hydrocarbons, here today, Shri Deora said that there are several technical issues in the oil and gas sector which require continuous guidance and direction from the experts for the development of world-class technology in the country. On this occasion Shri Deora honoured the distinguished personalities for making invaluable contribution in the field of development and modernisation of oil and gas industry. The SAC on Hydrocarbon was set up in 1981 and has been making suitable recommendations to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas in respect of development of indigenous technologies, fuel quality improvement and other issues relevant to the technological upgradation of the hydrocarbon sector.
Late Shri Lovraj Kumar, who was Chairman of SAC from 1991-1993, was honoured for his deep commitment to support commercialisation of indigenous technologies. Prof. Man Mohan Sharma who was Chairman of SAC from 1981-1989 and later from 1994-2001 was honoured for his ceaseless contributions in development and growth of hydrocarbon industry in the country. Dr. Srinivasan Varadarajan, who had played an important role in advising the Government of India for formation of SAC and continues to be its member from 1981, was honoured for his commitment to application of research and development in India and for his invaluable contributions to the Scientific Advisory Committee on Hydrocarbons, in particular.
In his address Petroleum Secretary, Shri M.S. Srinivasan elaborated the important role that SAC on Hydrocarbons has played since its inception. He said that the committee has been working uninterrupted and hope that the SAC would continue to provide its guidance and direction especially in view of several challenges faced by the hydrocarbon sector today. The issues like upgrading refinery yield assumes significance as the crude oil prices have been going northward making them unaffordable to many countries. The shrinking refinery margins, environmental issues like affluent treatment, improving fuel quality to reduce emission, upgrading refinery residues and utilizing alternative fuels require R&D support and do not allow us to relax on this front. Dr. R.A. Mashelkar, DG, CSIR and the Chairman of SAC on Hydrocarbons spoke about contribution of the SAC and the role it can play in the times ahead. He particularly referred to recommendations of SAC for utilizing the natural gas for value added products to extract petrochemicals which played a significant role in looking at this resource in the sector.
The major technologies recommended by SAC, which have been implemented include: Aromatic extraction for benzene and toluene at BPCL and subsequently at KRL, which was a joint project of IIP and EIL, Food grade Hexane at BPCL, CPCL, HPCL, ONGC – Hazira, which was also a joint project of IIP and EIL, Bimetallic reforming catalyst, one of the earliest projects funded by CHT which was implemented at CPCL and IPCL, NMP extraction at IOCL-Haldia Refinery for a plant of 350,000 tones capacity, Delayed coker at BRPL and NRL, Visbreaker (soaker mode) at several refineries, Sheet metal structured packing at BRPL, Processing of short residue using SPD technology, which had gone on stream at IOCL Digboi Refinery. This has helped the refinery to produce Bitumen of improved quality from Assam crude, Commercialisation of reverse osmosis membrane for setting up a pilot plant at CPCL for treating one lakh litres per day of sewerage water; Flash zone entry device developed by EIL, which has been implemented in RMP of BPCL and CDU for IOCL-Panipat Refinery expansion etc;
The SAC played a crucial role in many R&D organizations – setting up of EIL-R&D Centre to support R&D work of national laboratories; modernization of research facilities, equipment and setting up of pilot plants at IIP; setting up of in-house R&D centre in CPCL and KRL; setting up of catalyst development and testing facilities at IPCL; setting up of CHT in 1987, etc.
RCJ/An/6.3.06-02
(Release ID :16262)