
Nilanjan Pal
Assistant Professor, Department of Petroleum Engineering & Earth Sciences
Research Interest:
- Enhanced Oil Recovery
- Conformance Control
- Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage (CSS)
- Hydrogen storage
- Structural and Residual gas Trapping models
- Product synthesis and design
- Reservoir simulation
- Porous Media flow
Connect
(+91)891-2856063
Tel. no. (+91)891-2856063
E-mail: nilanjanpaul.pe@iipe.ac.in
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=8P6NGLUAAAAJ&hl=en
ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Nilanjan-Pal
Teaching Interests
- Advanced Drilling Technology
- Pipeline Engineering
- Prospecting, Field Development and Asset Management
Education
- Ph.D., Petroleum Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (ISM) Dhanbad, 2015-20
- M. Tech., Petroleum Engineering, Indian School of Mines Dhanbad, 2013-15 (OGPA 9.50/10)
- B. Tech., Mechanical Engineering, West Bengal University of Technology, 2008-12 (DGPA 9.08/10)
Professional Experience
- Assistant Professor, Department of Petroleum Engineering, Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy (IIPE), Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh 530003, INDIA: Jan 2022 – Present
- Post-Doctoral Fellow, ANPERC, Physical Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science & Technology, Thuwal, SAUDI ARABIA: Mar 2021 – Jan 2022
Member of Professional Bodies
- Society of Petroleum Engineers [4124308];
- European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers [M2019-6150];
- Web of Science ResearcherID [N-6050-2018];
- Evidence-Based Research Network [2020];
- American Chemical Society [31227387]
Journal Publications
- Nilanjan Pal, Xuan Zhang, Muhammad Ali, Ajay Mandal, Hussein Hoteit. Carbon dioxide thickening: A review of technological aspects, advances and challenges for oilfield application. Fuel 315 (2022) 122947. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2021.122947.
- Muhammad Ali, Nilesh Kumar Jha, Nilanjan Pal, Alireza Keshavarz, Hussein Hoteit. Mohammad Sarmadivaleh. Recent advances in carbon dioxide geological storage, experimental procedures, influencing parameters, and future outlook. Earth-Science Reviews 225 (2022) 103895. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2021.103895.
- Ahmed Al-Yaseri, Nurudeen Yekeen, Muhammad Ali, Nilanjan Pal, Amit Verma, Hesham Abdulelah, Hussein Hoteit, Mohammad Sarmadivaleh. Effect of organic acids on CO2-rock and water-rock interfacial tension: Implications for CO2 geo-storage. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering 214 (2022) 110480. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.petrol.2021.108579.
- Muhammad Ali, Nurudeen Yekeen, Nilanjan Pal, Alireza Keshavarz, Stefan Iglauer, Hussein Hoteit. Influence of Organic Molecules on Wetting Characteristics of Mica/H2/Brine Systems: Implications for Hydrogen Structural Trapping Capacities. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science 608 (2022) 1739-1749. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.petrol.2022.110480.
- Nilanjan Pal, Hussein Hoteit, Ajay Mandal. Structural aspects, mechanisms and emerging prospects of Gemini surfactant-based alternative Enhanced Oil Recovery technology: A review. Journal of Molecular Liquids 339 (2021) 116811. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molliq.2021.116811
- Nilanjan Pal, Ajay Mandal. Compositional Simulation Model and History-Matching Analysis of Surfactant-Polymer-Nanoparticle (SPN) Nanoemulsion assisted Enhanced Oil Recovery. Journal of the Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers 122 (2021) 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtice.2021.04.022.
- Muhammad Ali, Nurudeen Yekeen, Nilanjan Pal, Alireza Keshavarz, Stefan Iglauer, Hussein Hoteit. Influence of pressure, temperature and organic surface concentration on hydrogen wettability of caprock; implications for hydrogen geo-storage. Energy Reports 7 (2021) 5988-5996. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egyr.2021.09.016.
- Narendra Kumar, Nilanjan Pal, Ajay Mandal. Nanoemulsion flooding for enhanced oil recovery: Theoretical concepts, numerical simulation and history match. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering 202 (2021) 108579. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.petrol.2021.108579.
- Nilanjan Pal, Ajay Mandal. Numerical Simulation of Enhanced Oil Recovery studies for aqueous Gemini Surfactant‐Polymer‐Nanoparticle systems. AIChE Journal 66 (2020) e17020. https://doi.org/10.1002/aic.17020.
- Nilanjan Pal, Ajay Mandal. Enhanced Oil Recovery Performance of Gemini Surfactant-stabilized Nanoemulsions functionalized with partially hydrolyzed polymer/silica nanoparticles. Chemical Engineering Science 226 (2020) 115887. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ces.2020.115887.
- Nilanjan Pal, Ajay Mandal. Oil recovery mechanisms of Pickering nanoemulsions stabilized by surfactant-polymer-nanoparticle assemblies: A versatile surface energies’ approach. Fuel 276 (2020) 118138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2020.118138.
- Nilanjan Pal, Amit Verma, Keka Ojha, Ajay Mandal. Nanoparticle-modified gemini surfactant foams as efficient displacing fluids for enhanced oil recovery. Journal of Molecular Liquids 310 (2020) 113193. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molliq.2020.113193.
- Vinod Kumar, Nilanjan Pal, Anil Kumar Jangir, Dhana Lakshmi Manyala, Dharmesh Varade, Ajay Mandal, Ketan Kuperkar. Dynamic interfacial properties and tuning aqueous foamability stabilized by cationic surfactants in terms of their structural hydrophobicity, free drainage and bubble extent. Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects 588 (2020) 124362. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colsurfa.2019.124362.
- Nilanjan Pal, Narendra Kumar, Rohit Kumar Saw, Ajay Mandal. Gemini surfactant/polymer/silica stabilized oil-in-water nanoemulsions: Design and physicochemical characterization for enhanced oil recovery. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering 183 (2019) 106464. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.petrol.2019.106464.
- Nilanjan Pal, Narendra Kumar, Ajay Mandal. Stabilization of Dispersed Oil Droplets in Nanoemulsions by Synergistic Effects of Gemini Surfactant, PHPA Polymer and Silica Nanoparticle. Langmuir 35 (2019) 2655-2667. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.8b03364.
- Nilanjan Pal, Mudit Vajpayee, Ajay Mandal. Cationic/Nonionic Mixed Surfactants as Enhanced Oil Recovery Fluids: Influence of Mixed Micellization and Polymer Association on Interfacial, Rheological, and Rock-Wetting Characteristics. Energy & Fuels 33 (2019) 6048-6059. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.energyfuels.9b00671.
- Nilanjan Pal, Krishanu Samanta, Ajay Mandal. A novel family of non-ionic gemini surfactants derived from sunflower oil: Synthesis, characterization and physicochemical evaluation. Journal of Molecular Liquids 275 (2019) 638–653. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molliq.2018.11.111.
- Nilanjan Pal, Sudhir Kumar, Achinta Bera, Ajay Mandal. Phase behaviour and characterization of microemulsion stabilized by a novel synthesized surfactant: Implications for enhanced oil recovery. Fuel 235 (2019) 995–1009. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2018.08.100.
- Parth R. Bhut, Nilanjan Pal, Ajay Mandal. Characterization of Hydrophobically Modified Polyacrylamide in Mixed Polymer-Gemini Surfactant Systems for Enhanced Oil Recovery Application. ACS Omega 4 (2019) 20164-20177. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.9b02279.
- Nilanjan Pal, Narendra Kumar, Amit Verma, Keka Ojha, Ajay Mandal. Performance Evaluation of Novel Sunflower Oil-Based Gemini Surfactant(s) with Different Spacer Lengths: Application in Enhanced Oil Recovery. Energy & Fuels 32 (2018) 11344−11361. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.energyfuels.8b02744.
- Nilanjan Pal, Neha Saxena, Ajay Mandal. Characterization of alkali-surfactant-polymer slugs using synthesized gemini surfactant for potential application in enhanced oil recovery. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering 168 (2018) 283-300. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.petrol.2018.05.026.
- Nilanjan Pal, Neha Saxena, Ajay Mandal. Studies on the physicochemical properties of synthesized tailor-made gemini surfactants for application in enhanced oil recovery. Journal of Molecular Liquids 258 (2018) 211–224. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molliq.2018.03.037.
- Nilanjan Pal, Neha Saxena, K.V.D. Laxmi, Ajay Mandal. Interfacial behaviour, wettability alteration and emulsification characteristics of a novel surfactant: Implications for enhanced oil recovery. Chemical Engineering Science 187 (2018) 200–212. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ces.2018.04.062.
- Neha Saxena, Nilanjan Pal, Keka Ojha, Swapan Dey, Ajay Mandal. Synthesis, characterization, physical and thermodynamic properties of a novel anionic surfactant derived from Sapindus laurifolius. RSC Advances 8 (2018) 24485-24499. https://doi.org/10.1039/C8RA03888K.
- Nilanjan Pal, Neha Saxena, Ajay Mandal. Equilibrium and dynamic adsorption of gemini surfactants with different spacer lengths at oil/aqueous interfaces. Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects 533 (2017) 20–32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colsurfa.2017.08.020.
- Nilanjan Pal, Neha Saxena, Ajay Mandal. Synthesis, characterization, and physicochemical properties of a series of quaternary gemini surfactants with different spacer lengths. Colloid and Polymer Science 295 (2017) 2261-2277. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00396-017-4199-1.
- Nilanjan Pal, Neha Saxena, Ajay Mandal. Phase Behavior, Solubilization, and Phase Transition of a Microemulsion System Stabilized by a Novel Surfactant Synthesized from Castor Oil. Journal of Chemical & Engineering Data 62 (2017) 1278-1291. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jced.6b00806.
- Neha Saxena, Nilanjan Pal, Swapan Dey, Ajay Mandal. Characterizations of surfactant synthesized from palm oil and its application in enhanced oil recovery. Journal of the Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers 81 (2017) 343–355. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtice.2017.09.014.
- Prathibha Pillai, Nilanjan Pal, Ajay Mandal. Synthesis, Characterization, Surface Properties and Micellization Behaviour of Imidazolium-based Ionic Liquids. Journal of Surfactants and Detergents 20 (2017) 1321–1335. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11743-017-2021-1.
- Nilanjan Pal, Keshak Babu, Ajay Mandal. Surface tension, dynamic light scattering and rheological studies of a new polymeric surfactant for application in enhanced oil recovery. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering 146 (2016) 591-600. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.petrol.2016.07.023.
- Keshak Babu, Nilanjan Pal, V.K. Saxena, Ajay Mandal. Synthesis and characterization of a new polymeric surfactant for chemical enhanced oil recovery. Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering 33 (2016) 711-719. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11814-015-0186-8.
- Keshak Babu, Nilanjan Pal, Achinta Bera, V.K. Saxena, Ajay Mandal. Studies on interfacial tension and contact angle of synthesized surfactant and polymeric from castor oil for enhanced oil recovery. Applied Surface Science 353 (2015) 1126-1136. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2015.06.196.
Conference Publications
- Nilanjan Pal, Narendra Kumar, Ajay Mandal. Synergistic Oil Displacement Effects of Dimeric Surfactant-Polymer-Silica Stabilized Nanoemulsions over Conventional EOR Fluids. 82nd EAGE Annual Conference & Exhibition Workshop Programme, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. ID: Th_E104_08, 8-11 Dec 2020, pp 1-5. https://doi.org/10.3997/2214-4609.202011781.
- Narendra Kumar, Nilanjan Pal, Ajay Mandal. Polymeric Surfactant Stabilized Nanoemulsion Characterization for Enhanced Oil Recovery. 82nd EAGE Annual Conference & Exhibition Workshop Programme, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. ID: We_E104_08, 8-11 Dec 2020, pp 1-5. https://doi.org/10.3997/2214-4609.202011222.
- Nilanjan Pal, Ajay Mandal. Functional Characterization of a Novel Class of Gemini (Dimeric) Surfactants Synthesized from Sunflower Oil. 8th International Congress on Sustainability Science & Engineering (ICOSSE’19), DoubleTree by Hilton, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. ID: 558907, 1-3 Jul 2019. https://www.aiche.org/ifs/conferences/international-congress-on-sustainability-science-engineering-i...
- Nilanjan Pal, Ajay Mandal. Interfacial properties of cationic Gemini surfactant for application in Enhanced oil recovery. Oral Presentation at International Conference on Challenges and Prospects of Petroleum Production and Processing Industries (PEDJP 2017), Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad, India. ID: PEDJP-030, 12-14 Jan 2017.
Patents
- Nilanjan Pal, Ajay Mandal. Process for the preparation of novel sunflower oil-derived gemini surfactants of non-ionic nature and compositions thereof for enhanced oil recovery application. Filed for India Patent, Appl. No. 201831026697, Filed in Jul 2018, Revised in June 2022.
Book Chapters
- Nilanjan Pal, Amit Verma. Applications of Surfactants as Fracturing Fluids: Chemical Design, Practice, and Future Prospects in Oilfield Stimulation Operations. In: Solling T., Shahzad Kamal M., Shakil Hussain S.M. (eds) Surfactants in Upstream E&P. Petroleum Engineering. Springer, Cham (2021) pp 331-355. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-70026-3_12.
Research Projects
- “Microemulsion assisted Conformance Improvement Technology (ME-CIT): Technical Considerations, Workflow Design and Validation”. Post-Doctoral fellow and Remote Consultant. Physical Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science & Technology, Thuwal, SAUDI ARABIA, Mar 2021 – Present. Funding Agency: Saudi Aramco.
Awards & Honors
- EAGE Annual - PACE Grant: ID 578, 2020
- Winner: 3rd Rank at the SPE Annual Quiz - Bangalore Section, 2020
- SERB-International Travel Support: ITS/2019/001307 Grant, 2019
- IIT (ISM) Ph.D. Scholars’ Research Travel Grant, 2019
- Inder Mohan Thapar Research Award, 2017
- Certificate of Merit: ISM Gold Medal – M. Tech in Petroleum Engineering, 2014-15
- L.J. Johnson Gold Medal, 2014-15
- Certificate of Honour: B. Tech in Mechanical Engineering, 2012
- Certificate of Merit – 9th National Science Olympiad, 2007
Administrative Responsibilities:
- EAA - Cultural Events, IIPE, 2022-23
- Scholarship Committee, IIPE, 2022-23
- EAA - Technical Events & Innovation Lab, IIPE, 2022-23
- Committee for CSR Initiatives, IIPE, 2022-23
- Warden – IIPE Hostel, 2022-23
Phd Students:
- Goru Lakshmi Papa Rao, “Synthesis and Characterization of ionic liquids (ILs) and deep eutectic solvents (DESs) for applications in enhanced oil recovery”, Ongoing.
Invited Lecture
- “Nanotechnology in the Oil Industry”: Held at the Centre for Advanced Studies, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technical University, Lucknow, India, 21 Apr 2022.
Reviewer
SCI-Index Journal Articles (102): 5 (2018); 3 (2019); 14 (2020); 60 (2021); 20+ (2022)
- Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering (29); Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects (5); Petroleum Research (2); Chemical Engineering Science (2); Petroleum Science (1); Journal of Petroleum Exploration and Production Technology (11); SN Applied Sciences (4); Colloid & Polymer Science (3); Arabian Journal of Geosciences (2); ACS Omega (7); Langmuir (5); Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research (6); Energy & Fuels (3); Journal of Surfactants & Detergents (6); Energy Science & Engineering (1); Petroleum Science & Technology (5); RSC Advances (2); AIChE Journal (1); Journal of Oleo Science (3); Nanotech (1); Frontiers in Earth Science (1); Applied Rheology (1)
- International Conference on Additive Manufacturing and Advanced Materials (AM2–2021), Pandit Deendayal Energy University (PDEU), Gandhinagar, India, 4-6 Oct 2021.