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The science of the small
Shell Chief Scientist, Sergio Kapusta, explains how nanotechnology can help get more oil and gas out of existing fields.
According to Sergio Kapusta, Shell Chief Scientist, Materials, Shell Global Solutions International BV, new technology will help us achieve a higher production peak for hydrocarbons, push the timing of that peak back by years or decades, and slow down the production decline that will take place later. The window of opportunity for significant hydrocarbon production on this planet is limited by a mix of geological, political, financial and climate factors, but so long as hydrocarbons are needed to fuel economic growth, we should recover them as effectively and efficiently as possible.
Nanotechnology is one potential area that could offer new techniques for finding and producing more oil. Nanotechnology ("nano", from the Greek word meaning "dwarf," simply refers to a unit of 10–9 of a meter) could bring catalysts that last longer and generate more easily, and nano membranes that can filter molecules based on minute differences.