Need some serious help here;

[Crow]

My google-fu is very very weak. I am looking for a russian oil company who has developed an alternate method of oil exploration. This theory basically assumes that the old "peak oil" theory is garbage. They have been very successful in recent exploratory forays.

If anybody can tell me what company this is, or give me more information on this alternate theory, that'd be great.

The other thing I am looking for is a new thermal imaging technology. It is almost like a blending of thermal and "night vision" technologies, though I recall it being based on thermal somehow. It provides a crystal clear image in complete darkness, and unlike regular thermal, can see through windows. If anybody can point me to the company developing this, or to some info on the technology, that too would be great.

I wouldn't be here asking for help if I hadn't spent hours searching for these already. I'm not finding them.

[Mr. Mud]

Have you, Asked Jeeves? (http://www.ask.com/)

If you have, I'm sadly no help :smalleek:

[Crow]

Found one article talking about the oil thing. Still cannot find the vision tech one though. Something about light given off by individual particles or something.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Central_Asia/II27Ag01.html

[Crow]

I also remember the thermal thing having something to do with crystals. They were difficult to grow, ut the company developed a way to use imperfect crystals and still produce an effective device.

[Mordokai]

Perhaps Petronas? (http://www.petronas.com/)

This is all I can think of at the moment. I also remember reading something about this, but I don't have a paper at me now since I read it at work. If this is not what you're looking for I'll check it tommorow and let you know if I find anything.

[SurlySeraph]

I know I saw the thermal imaging thing - it was in either Popular Science or Popular Mechanics. Let me look for it a sec.

As for the Russian oil company, dunno. I'll look for it.

[waspsmakejam]

Crow

I have tested my google-fu

For your abiotic oil, I think you're looking for Vietsovpetro - not exactly Russian, but the sov bit means Soviet.

And the looking through windows things might be "active infrared".

Any use?

Wasps

[Crow]

Still trying to nail down the abiotic oil...thanks for the lead, I will follow it. As for the thermal, it is not active infrared. This was a new technology. They showed a nifty comparison between standard thermal and their system, where the new system's picture looked similar to night vision, but definately was a thermal image.