LEADERSHIP 

Niraj Pande is a petroleum engineer with over 30 years of extensive experience across both conventional and unconventional oil and gas projects. He began his career in Midland, Texas with Exxon Company USA, where he worked on CO₂ injection projects. His early contributions helped advance key aspects of CO₂ flood design, including injectivity, well spacing, WAG ratios, reservoir surveillance, mobility control, and facilities engineering.  During this time, Niraj collaborated with nearly every major oil company initiating CO₂ injection programs, guiding the development of effective injection strategies and operational practices. He also supported independent operators in launching and expanding their Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) efforts using CO₂.

 

Niraj’s work in the unconventional sector began with advising Mitchell Energy on early completion designs. In the early 2000s, he worked with Lyco Energy, who played a key role in launching the Bakken horizontal play with the first wells at the Elm Coulee Field. Lyco Energy held a significant position in the Wattenberg Field where innovative completion techniques where applied in the J-Sand and Codell formations utilizing mini-fracs.  His unconventional experience spans multiple shale formations, including the Forbes Sand (California), Heath Shale (Montana), Fayetteville Shale (Arkansas), and the more commercially successful Eagle Ford and Haynesville shales. His early exposure to both successful and challenging shale plays has given him a deep understanding of optimizing shale development.

 

Niraj facilitated the acquisition of core assets in Colorado’s Wattenberg Field by Petroleum Development Corporation (PDC). This acquisition was instrumental in PDC’s transformation from a small gas producer in West Virginia into a key player in the Rockies. His consulting work also supported advanced development of the J Sand and Codell formations through innovative completion techniques.as well as completion design concerning NIobrara formation.  In 2007, Niraj founded Geoscience Resource Recovery (GRR), an engineering and geoscience consulting firm focused on unconventional and midstream projects. GRR has supported numerous ventures across the major U.S. shale basins, including facilitating the farm-out of several million acres in Australia to Total Energies.

 

.In the natural gas storage sector, Niraj has led reservoir screening and evaluation projects for over 15 years. He developed a comprehensive gas storage database for U.S. reservoirs, now widely used by utilities and energy companies for operational planning and strategic development.   Niraj is also the author of the first technical book on CO₂ injection, published during his time at the New Mexico Petroleum Recovery Research Center.   He is an active member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE).  Niraj has taken a special interest in supporting MD Anderson Cancer Center since 2006.​