Subhasis De spotlight, Staff Scientist at SLB

With more than 13 years at SLB, Staff Scientist Subhasis De brings in-depth knowledge and expertise in chemistry to solve some of the oilfield’s most complex production challenges.

Subhasis built his early academic foundation at the Indian Institute of Technology in India before moving to the United States to pursue a PhD in organic chemistry at Wake Forest University in North Carolina. He later completed postdoctoral research in medicinal chemistry at both the University of Texas Medical Branch and the University of Houston.

Subhasis joined SLB in 2012 as a Senior Chemist and progressed through the company to his current role as Staff Scientist. Although his transition from medicinal chemistry to oilfield chemistry marked a significant industry shift, his scientific mindset remained consistent.

He explained:

“Whether you’re designing a molecule to treat heart disease or one to prevent corrosion, scale, or organic deposition in a production system, the principle is similar. You identify the root cause of the problem and design the chemistry needed to solve it”.

In recent years, Subhasis has led the development of combination chemical technologies that address multiple production challenges within a single solution. Most notably, he played an integral role in developing an innovative triple action formulation for scale, corrosion, and hydrogen sulfide mitigation. Currently deployed in the Permian Basin, this solution addresses three major production threats simultaneously and redefines what integrated production chemistry can achieve.

The concept originated from field observations in which separate products were being deployed to address multiple issues in the same system. By integrating these chemistries into a single optimized formulation, Subhasis and the team delivered operational efficiencies while maintaining strong technical performance.

He continued:

“Developing our triple combination solution required us to overcome significant formulation challenges to ensure compatibility, expected performance, and long-term stability. Early field results showed strong performance, and we recognized the opportunity to deliver one solution for several pipeline issues, significantly improving cost efficiency and reducing carbon footprint.”

Now part of SLB’s New Product Development team within the sustainability group, Subhasis is focused on advancing chemistries with improved environmental profiles. His work combines the adaptation of existing technologies with the development of new proprietary molecules, aiming to deliver differentiated solutions that keep SLB at the forefront of chemical innovation for the global energy industry.

Subhasis will be presenting “Development of Triple Action Formulations for Scale, Corrosion, and H₂S Mitigation in Oil and Gas Systems” alongside colleagues at the AMPP Conference in Houston, Texas, on Thursday, March 19 at 3 PM.