Chevron Corp. and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) said Monday said they plan to work together to develop technologies to improve oil and natural gas production and recovery.

Initially the alliance will direct its resources to develop “a wide range of technologies” to use in the deepwater, including power transmission, signal processing and electrical actuation.

“This alliance is an opportunity to bridge public- and private-sector technology and research to discover oil and natural gas volumes that are found in deep remote reservoirs,” said Chevron’s Chief Technology Officer John McDonald. “In many ways, the research is akin to deep space exploration, making the missions of our two organizations highly complementary.”

The technology developed by JPL for interplanetary missions also is useful for gaining a better understanding of the geology of Earth, the partners noted. “For example, JPL developed technology that enables electronic communication over millions of miles in outer space. That same technology may have application in deepwater energy operations, which extend thousands of feet below the surface of the ocean and encounter extreme pressures and temperatures.”

JPL Director Charles Elachi said the alliance would rely on “the same pool of talent that sends rovers to Mars, explores our universe and studies Earth’s environment” to “help contribute advanced technology towards our energy future here on Earth.”

JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, CA. Its National Space Technology Applications Office develops the division’s sustaining business by collaborating with elements of the four national space sectors: military, intelligence, civil and commercial.

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