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Prof. Dr. Ir. Hasian P. Septoratno Siregar, DEA – Founder of OGRINDO ITB & Expert in Enhanced Oil Recovery in Indonesia

For more than four decades, Prof. Dr. Ir. Hasian Parlindungan Septoratno Siregar, DEA, has been one of the key pillars in the advancement of Indonesia’s petroleum industry. As the founder of Oil and Gas Recovery for Indonesia (OGRINDO) at Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB), he has led numerous breakthroughs in Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) that directly contributed to increasing national oil and gas production. His track record encompasses education, research, teaching, academic leadership, and strategic partnerships with industry—cementing his reputation as one of the most influential EOR maestros in Indonesia.

Prof. Dr. Ir. Hasian Parlindungan Septoratno Siregar, DEA – Founder OGRINDO ITB & Expert in Enhanced Oil Recovery Indonesia

Interesting Facts about Prof. Siregar
📌 Founder of OGRINDO ITB – Initiated the national oil and gas research consortium.
📌Indonesia’s EOR Expert – Leading research in chemical flooding and immiscible displacement
📌Educator for 46+ Years – Teaching at ITB since 1975, supervising ±200 undergraduate theses, ±40 master’s theses, and ±15 doctoral dissertations.
📌Extensive Field Experience – Involved in project development several oil fields in Indonesia such as Minas, Handil, Bunyu, Arjuna Offshore, and Tiaka.
📌National Awards – National Exemplary Lecturer (1986) and Satyalancana Karya Satya 30 Years (2009).

The Beginning of His Academic Journey
His passion for petroleum engineering began at the Petroleum Engineering Department of ITB, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in 1975. He then continued his studies in France and obtained a Diplôme d’Études Approfondies (DEA) from Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse (1978), in the field of Porous Media Mechanics. Not stopping there, he pursued a doctoral degree at Université de Bordeaux I, Talence (1980), with a dissertation on polymer flow studies for EOR applications—research that became a significant foundation in the development of Enhanced Oil Recovery.

Dedication to Education
Upon returning to Indonesia, Mas Septo—as he is fondly called—resumed his service as a faculty member at Petroleum Engineering ITB until 2021. He taught courses such as Enhanced Oil Recovery, Immiscible Displacement, Chemical Flooding, and Advanced Optimization Techniques.

In addition to teaching, he served as Department Secretary (1986–1989), Deputy Head of the Research Center (1999–2002), Head of the Petroleum Reservoir Engineering Research Group (2006–2015), and led the OPPINET research consortium (2001–2021) as well as OGRINDO (2004–2021).

Prof. Hasian P. Siregar at Annual Meeting OGRINDO

Pioneer in Research and Innovation
Mas Septo initiated two major research consortia at ITB: Optimization of Pipeline Network (OPPINET) and Oil and Gas Recovery for Indonesia (OGRINDO). Both programs became bridges of collaboration between academia and industry, delivering EOR technologies ready to be applied in the field. His research and consultancy covered various oil and gas projects in Indonesia, from Minas Field (Riau), Handil and Bunyu (Kalimantan), Arjuna Offshore (West Java), to Tiaka (Sulawesi).

Role in Industry and Organizations
Since 1975, he has been involved in various industrial projects and consultancy works, for Pertamina, foreign oil and gas contractors, as well as research institutions such as PPPTMGB LEMIGAS. He was also a member of the BPMIGAS Technical Advisory Committee for the surfactant EOR project in Minas Field alongside professors from Texas, USA. His reputation has made him frequently invited as a speaker in numerous strategic discussions in the oil and gas sector. He has been a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) since 1975 and has been active in various other professional organizations, including IATMI and IPA.

Now, although retired from ITB, Prof. Dr. Ir. Hasian P. Septoratno Siregar, DEA, remains actively driving innovation through OGRINDO ITB and various industry collaborations. With his dedication and experience, he continues to inspire the younger generation of petroleum engineers to advance Enhanced Oil Recoverytechnology for the nation’s energy independence.

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Micromodel: An Innovative Technology for Optimizing Enhanced Oil Recovery

Amid the challenges of enhanced oil recovery (Enhanced Oil Recovery), laboratory methods capable of visually representing fluid displacement mechanisms have become increasingly crucial. This is where the micromodel emerges as an innovative solution proudly developed by Indonesian researchers.

Micromodel is a two-dimensional laboratory device designed to replicate the pore structure of reservoir rocks, such as sandstone or carbonate rocks. Through a micromodel, the movement of fluids—such as water, oil, surfactants, and polymers—can be observed directly and in real-time.

Comparison of coreflood and micromodel flooding methods in observing fluid flow in reservoir rocks

Most conventional laboratory tests, like coreflooding, have limitations in providing direct visualization of chemical injection mechanisms. Micromodel address this challenge by enabling real-time observation of interfacial tension changes, wettability alteration, and viscosity displacement efficiency at the pore scale.

What Is the Purpose of Using a Micromodel?

Micromodel are used to:

  • Visually analyze the working mechanisms of chemical EOR
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of surfactants or polymers before upscaling to larger tests
  • Design efficient and targeted injection strategies
  • Identify phenomena such as channeling, viscous fingering, and oil entrapment often undetectable in conventional tests

Micromodel of OGRINDO ITB have some advantages:

  • Indigenous Innovation: Designed and developed by skilled local researchers.
  • Fast, Simple, and Cost-Effective: More efficient than coreflooding, in terms of time and cost.
  • Costumized Design: Tailored to match pore characteristics of sandstone or carbonat, even based on actual reservoir data.
  • Real-Time Visualization: Enables direct observation of fluid behavior at the microscopic scale.
  • Supports More Accurate EOR Design: Acts as a bridge between laboratory results and real-field applications.

Fabrication Process of the Micromodel

Fabrication process of micromodel includes the following stages:

Five main stages of micromodel
  1. Reservoir Characterization: Identifying the physical and petrophysical properties of the reservoir rock, such as porosity, permeability, fluid saturation, and geological structure.
  2. Thin Section & Petrography Analysis: Observing ultra-thin rock slices under a microscope to study mineral composition and rock textures.
  3. Rock Digitization: Converting physical rock data into 2D or 3D digital models.
  4. Micromodel Fabrication: Creating the micromodel through pore-pattern design, etching, and assembling materials using techniques such as thermal bonding.
  5. Micromodel Ready to Use: Final stage where micromodel has passed all fabrication and characterization tests, making it ready for EOR experiments such as surfactant or polymer injection or other EOR mechanism.

The key advantage of OGRINDO's micromodel lies in its design flexibility. By incorporating actual geological and petrophysical field data, micromodel can be customized to closely replicate real reservoir conditions. This makes the experimental results more relevant and reliable for supporting technical decisions in the field.

Visualization of oil-wet state in the micromodel

🔬 Micromodel is more than just a testing device—it is a window into a deeper understanding of subsurface fluid behavior. With OGRINDO ITB, let’s create smarter, more efficient, and data-driven EOR solutions.

📞 For more information or collaboration opportunities, contact our team at OGRINDO ITB.

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OGRINDO ITB Research Breakthrough: Combination of Surfactant & Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles, Enhances Oil Recovery in Sandstone Reservoir

Innovation in technology Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) continues to evolve to address production challenges in mature oil fields. One of the current approaches gaining attention from researchers is the utilization of titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles to improve surfactant performance in oil recovery processes, particularly in sandstone.

A research team from OGRINDO ITB recently published their latest research findings in a scientific article titled:
“Enhancement of Surfactant Performance via Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles: Implication for Oil Recovery in Sandstone.”

🌟 What Makes This Research Special?

Surfactant alkyl ethoxy carboxylate (AEC) surfactant is one of the chemical agents commonly used in EOR methods. However, the OGRINDO team went further by exploring how the addition of TiO₂ nanoparticles to AEC could drastically alter the system’s performance. Comprehensive testing was conducted, covering:

  • Interfacial tension
  • Contact angle
  • Zeta potential
  • Coreflooding test

State of the Art

The latest innovation in this research is the evaluation of AEC surfactant performance by adding TiO₂ nanoparticles within a concentration range of 0%–0.05% w/w.

The addition of 0.05% w/w TiO₂ nanoparticles to 1.25% w/w AEC surfactant was able to reduce interfacial tension to a value of 5.85 × 10⁻⁵ mN/m. This excellent performance was also confirmed in the coreflooding,, where oil recovery increased to a maximum value of 59.52%.

This finding highlights the importance of TiO₂ nanoparticle stability in surfactant solutions, which turns out to be the key factor in enhancing oil recovery efficiency.

Figure 1: Contact angles of all tested solutions on the Berea sandstone thin section. Error bars represent the standard deviation of the measurements
Figure 2: Effect of TiO₂ nanoparticle addition to AEC surfactant on interfacial tension (adapted from Megayanti et al. (2023))

Why Is This Important?

This research provides valuable new insights into the development of surfactant- and nanoparticle-based EOR methods. With this approach, it is expected to open new opportunities for improving oil recovery efficiency from sandstone reservoir — especially in fields that have experienced production decline.

This discovery also strengthens OGRINDO’s position as a leading EOR research center in Indonesia, focusing on the development of environmentally friendly, sustainable technologies tailored to national industry needs.

📚 Read the full journal click here

🌐 Explore More of Our Flagship Research

Visit the complete list of OGRINDO ITB scientific publications to explore our breakthroughs in Enhanced Oil Recovery, CO₂, hydrogen, and other energy transition technologies: 👉 OGRINDO ITB Scientific Publications

Through research, collaboration, and innovation, OGRINDO ITB is committed to being at the forefront of supporting national and global energy transformation.

Let’s create a smarter and more sustainable energy future — together with OGRINDO.

🙏 Acknowledgement

The researchers express their gratitude to Oil and Gas Recovery for Indonesia (OGRINDO) ITB and the Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) ITB for access to the experimental equipment used in this study.

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Polymer: The Key to Efficient and Sustainable EOR Innovation

One of the most effective and increasingly adopted Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) methods is polymer flooding. Polymers function by increasing the viscosity of injected water, enabling it to displace oil more uniformly and improve sweep efficiency. Polymer injection can contribute to an additional oil recovery of 5% to 30% of the Original Oil in Place (OOIP).

OGRINDO’s Strategic Role in Application of Polymer Flooding

As a technology- and research-based company, OGRINDO (Oil and Gas Recovery for Indonesia) is strongly committed to advancing innovation in polymer injection technology—ranging from laboratory testing (polymer screening) and field injection assistance to monitoring the injection well response post-injection.

The polymer screening process includes:

To date, OGRINDO ITB has partnered with chemical provider, both local and international, such as PT. Rakhara Chemical Technology, SNF Water Science, Kemira, Enerkon, and others. These collaborations ensure that we always use high-quality chemicals and top-tier testing methodologies. Trust your testing needs with us, and discover a dedicated and professional research partner.

OGRINDO’s Competitive Advantages

  • KAN-accredited laboratory facilities
  • Reliable, advanced, and up-to-date equipment
  • Skilled and professional research assistants
  • Continuous innovation in laboratory testing methods
  • Strong network of local and international partners
  • Proven track record in field projects
  • Commitment to energy efficiency and sustainability

Let’s Collaborate for an Optimal Polymer-Based EOR Solution!

In the face of future energy challenges, OGRINDO is your strategic partner in EOR technology. We offer not only laboratory testing services but also comprehensive solutions—from feasibility studies and injection design to full-scale field implementation.


🔗 Ready to boost your oil recovery with a more scientific, efficient, and sustainable approach?
📞 Contact us to explore collaboration opportunities in polymer-based EOR projects that support national oil and gas production.

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Inauguration of Ogrindo ITB’s New Office Space

In April 2025, Ogrindo ITB proudly announced the completion of the renovation of its new office space , located in the Petroleum Engineering Building at Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB). This renovation project was part of a strategic initiative aimed at improving both comfort and productivity for all Ogrindo team members in supporting academic and research activities. Situated on the second floor, the office has been redesigned with a more modern, clean, and functional layout.

The primary goal of this renovation was to create a more inspiring and enjoyable work environment that fosters a strong sense of collaboration among team members. During this revitalization process, various furnishings and interior elements were updated, including the replacement of old furniture with new pieces, reorganization of the room layout, and the addition of aesthetic features such as warmer lighting and calming color schemes. This combination not only delivers a modern and elegant look but also strengthens Ogrindo’s image as one of ITB’s most active and innovative student organizations.

The newly renovated Ogrindo office is now equipped with a variety of facilities that support organizational activities. These include a dedicated meeting room furnished with a set of ergonomic chairs and a table, a TV screen for digital presentations, and a large whiteboard for brainstorming project ideas or research discussions. Wooden accents and ornamental plants placed throughout the room also help create a warmer, more refreshing atmosphere—offering a comfortable, homey feel while maintaining a professional tone.

At the front of the office, there is a shared workspace featuring several desks and chairs that can be used for individual tasks or informal discussions. The room also prominently displays the Ogrindo name and emblem, emphasizing that the space is officially designated for the organization’s activities. This visual identity not only serves as a symbol of pride but also fosters a strong sense of belonging among team members.

Miftah Hidayat, S.T., M.Sc., Ph.D., representing Ogrindo, expressed his gratitude and pride regarding the completion of the renovation, which took approximately three months. He noted that the final results exceeded expectations in terms of aesthetics, comfort, and functionality. “We hope that with the completion of this renovation, the team’s enthusiasm and morale will continue to grow, the work atmosphere will become more conducive, and overall productivity will keep improving,” he stated.

With the successful completion of this renovation, the Ogrindo ITB office is expected to become not only a place to workbut also a space to grow, gather, and innovate —driven by a shared passion for contributing to the university and the wider community.