Oil zapper 40% cheaper than other options

The Times of India, Delhi,19th July, 2010


New Delhi: Oil zapper, a homegrown cocktail of bacteria could help contain environmental damage due to the massive spill in the Gulf of Mexico, feels Banwari Lal, a scientist at the energy and environment think tank Teri.

Lal said, Other bioremediation measures tackle only one or two contents so you may still be left with the task of, say, stowing tar. In Oil zapper, we have succeeded in creating a cocktail of four bacteria that do not fight amongst themselves and each feeds on only one layer of crude content. I t is also 40% cheaper than other options, he said. Lal holds the patent for Oil zapper and heads the joint venture between Teri and state-run ONGC that markets the formulation.

The formulation was developed by Teri under a central government initiative after the Gulf War I.It is being used by major oil and power companies, including multinationals, operating in India besides the state-run oil firms of Abu Dhabi and Kuwait. Users in India include Reliance Industries, BG (formerly British Gas), Cairn and Tata Power, besides all state run oil firms. So far, Oil zapper has reclaimed over 20 lakh tonnes of soil in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Assam where these companies have refineries, storage facilities or pipelines.

Lal said Oil zapper is like powder and is sprayed on an oil pool or contaminated soil just like a fertilizer.It takes 3-4 months for the bacteria to eat up the oil. After that the soil is tested by an independent laboratory identified by the Central Pollution Control Board before it is declared safe.