Tuesday, July 26, 2011

NASA JPL, Chevron Tie On Technology Development

The NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, based in Pasadena, and Chevron Corporation said this week that the two are in a new partnership, to develop a range of advanced technologies for harsh environments, including both on Earth and in space. According to JPL, it will assist in demonstration, development, and commercial deployment of technology based on JPL's heritage in space exploration. Those efforts include a number of oil-related technologies, including pumping, valve, management, and monitoring systems for deep wells. Financial details of the collaboration deal were not disclosed. Chevron said that the technologies required to discover oil and natural gas in deep reservoirs is akin to deep space exploration. JPL said it hopes the collaboration will also benefit NASA, by further advancing technology which also could be used to explore space. The collaboration is part of a broader effort by both Caltech and NASA to commercialize the technology originally developed for the space program.

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