Dandina Rao

Direct Combustion Technologies, LLC

BIOGRAPHY

Dandina Rao is the Founder of Direct Combustion Technologies, LLC, a startup dedicated to commercializing next-generation enhanced oil recovery and in-situ combustion technologies. His career spans over 40 years of research in carbon-neutral enhanced oil recovery, reservoir rock-fluid interactions, and CO₂ sequestration.

Dandina developed the patented Gas-Assisted Gravity Drainage (GAGD) process, an oil recovery technique validated through two successful field trials in onshore and offshore reservoirs. His subsequent invention, the HydroFlame process, applies Fire-in-Water combustion chemistry to enable carbon-neutral production from subsurface hydrocarbon formations.