Dr. Monalisa Mallick

Senior Scientist , Geochronology

Dr. Monalisa Mallick

mmallick.ngri@csir.res.in

Academic Identity
           

Specialization

Organic Geochemistry; Hydrocarbon Exploration

Research Area

Dr. Monalisa Mallick is a distinguished scientist with a strong background in organic geochemistry. She earned her Ph.D. in 2012 from the Department of Earth Sciences at IIT Bombay. Her doctoral research focused on the Eocene lignites of the Cambay Basin, a key source rock for petroleum. Through methods like elemental analysis, FTIR, Py-GC-MS, and GC-MS, she characterized these lignites and their embedded fossil resins to determine their hydrocarbon potential as well as reconstruct paleo-vegetational patterns and understand the nature of preserved lignin structures through biomarker analysis. She also investigated the botanical affinity of the fossil resins and traced the evolution and migration of the tropical resin-producing tree family Dipterocarpaceae. Her works have been cited by numerous researchers.

During her Ph.D., Dr. Mallick was awarded a prestigious travel grant from the European Association of Organic Geochemists (EAOG), which allowed her to conduct research at the University of Western Australia and Curtin University. She presented her findings at international conferences, including AAPG in Denver and AOGC in Canberra, and won the best presentation award at GeoIndia 2011 in New Delhi.

After completing her Ph.D., Dr. Mallick joined Halliburton Technology Centre in Pune as a Senior Scientist. There, she focused on optimizing fracturing fluids and characterizing reservoirs, leading to numerous conference publications and five international patents. In 2019, she moved to CSIR-National Geophysical Research Institute as a scientist. Her current research interests include:

  • Gondwana shales: She studies their provenance, tectonic setting, depositional environment, and potential for shale gas, as well as kerogen kinetics.
  • Quaternary sediments: From the Bay of Bengal, she deciphers their provenance and paleo-productivity in response to climate change.

Dr. Mallick has cultivated strong national collaborations with institutions such as IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, University of Delhi, NCPOR Goa, BSIP Lucknow, and Jadavpur University. In 2025, she was awarded the ANRF grant to investigate paleo-wildfire signatures and intensity across the Plio-Pleistocene boundary.

Ongoing Research Projects

ANRF project: Intensification of wildfires during Plio-Pleistocene transition – triggered by climate change or external factors?

Honors & Awards

  • Fast track Fellowship No.SR/FTP/ES-109/2012 by SERB in the year 2012.
  • Recipient of 2010 EAOG Travel Scholarship Award from European Association of Organic Geochemists.
  • Awarded Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) & Senior Research Fellowship (SRF) from Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), New Delhi, India.
  • Awarded 1st position in “Student Presentation Session” of 2nd South Asian Geosciences Conference & Exhibition, GEOIndia2011.

Publications

  • Mallick, M., Banerjee, B., Kar, N.R., Mathews, R.P., Singh, V.P., Tiwari, M., Babu, E.V.S.S.K., Hassan, T. and Gupta, S.K., 2025. Permian Carbonaceous Shales From Raniganj Sub‐Basin—A Potential Source of Hydrocarbons? Inferences Drawn From Kerogen Characteristics and Kinetics. Geological Journal. https://doi.org/10.1002/gj.70028
  • Banerjee, B., Mallick, M., Amir, M., Hameed, A., Ozelim, L., Kar, N.R., Babu, E.V.S.S.K., Venkatesham, K., Venkateshwarlu, M., Hassan, T. and Samanta, V., 2025. Holocene climate variability deciphered from Chilika Lagoon sediments: Implication for anthropogenic activity or paleocyclones?. Geosystems and Geoenvironment, 4(3), p.100390.
  • Banerjee, B., Mallick, M., Kumar, V., Babu, E.V.S.S.K., Luan, O., Balu, G., Kumar, T.V., Kar, N.R., Hassan, T., Tiwari, M. and Sakthivel, T., 2025. Paleo-productivity reconstruction in Bay of Bengal during the past 1.3 Ma: Implications to glacial-interglacial dynamics and southern hemispheric processes. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, p.113004.
  • Mallick, M., Banerjee, B., Hassan, T., Kumar, T.V., Babu, E.V.S.S.K., Krishna, K. Geochemistry of Permian carbonaceous shales from Raniganj sub-basin, Damodar Valley, India: Implications for provenance, weathering, tectonics and source of organic matter. Applied Geochemistry, 146, pp. 105469.
  • Dutta, S. and Mallick, M., 2017. Chemical evidence for dammarenediol, a bioactive angiosperm metabolite, from 54 Ma old fossil resins. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 237, pp.96-99.
  • Mallick, M., Dutta, S. and Greenwood, P.F., 2014. Molecular characterization of fossil and extant dammar resin extracts: Insights into diagenetic fate of sesqui-and triterpenoids. International Journal of Coal Geology, 121, pp.129-136.
  • Dutta, S., Tripathi, S.M., Mallick, M., Mathews, R.P., Greenwood, P.F., Rao, M.R. and Summons, R.E., 2011. Eocene out-of-India dispersal of Asian dipterocarps. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 166(1-2), pp.63-68.
  • Dutta, S., Mallick, M., Kumar, K., Mann, U. and Greenwood, P.F., 2011. Terpenoid composition and botanical affinity of Cretaceous resins from India and Myanmar. International Journal of Coal Geology, 85(1), pp.49-55.
  • Dutta, S., Mallick, M., Bertram, N., Greenwood, P.F. and Mathews, R.P., 2009. Terpenoid composition and class of Tertiary resins from India. International Journal of Coal Geology, 80(1), pp.44-50.
  • Mallick, M., Dutta, S., Greenwood, P.F. and Bertram, N., 2009. Pyrolytic and spectroscopic studies of Eocene resin from Vastan lignite Mine, Cambay basin, Western India. Journal of the Geological Society of India, 74(1), pp.16-22.

Books

• Mallick, M., Paul, S., Kumar, S., Bhattacharya, S. and Banerjee, B., 2023. Source rock characterization: Role of plant resins as a stimulus for hydrocarbon potential. In Developments in Structural Geology and Tectonics (Vol. 6, pp. 445-478). Elsevier.

• Mallick, M., Dutta, S., Singh, B.D., Bhattacharya, S. and Singh, A., 2021. Petrographic and organic geochemical characterizations of Early Eocene lignites, Cambay Basin, western India. In Macromolecular Characterization of Hydrocarbons for Sustainable Future: Applications to Hydrocarbon Value Chain (pp. 143-171). Singapore: Springer Singapore.

Research Scholars

Educational Qualification

PhD (Organic Geochemistry) from IIT Bombay, MSc (Applied Geology) and BSc (Honors in Geology) from Jadavpur University Kolkata

Proffessional Experience

Halliburton Energy Services, Senior Scientist R&D                (October 2012 – January 2019)

Research

  • Developed and patented two fluids for acidizing application in Middle East. Emulsion and chelating based fluid systems were developed for oil-laden scale removal, matrix acidizing treatment for high temperature reservoirs and sour gas environment.
  • Designed and patented gravel packing fluid to mitigate fine migration problem for Indonesian high temperature reservoir.
  • Developed and patented clay control agent from food grade material as a part of clean energy initiatives. Fluid was used for North Sea region because of stringent environmental regulations.
  • Designed geochemical approach for characterizing shale formations. This helped future forecast of oil type.
  • Subject Matter Expert for unconventional Shale formations in Asia Pacific Region. Expertise in petrophysical properties of rock, rock-fluid interactions, fracturing and acid stimulation, coal/petroleum geology, organic geochemistry.

Project Management and Leadership

  • Design, coordinate and lead fracturing projects; provide recommendations and arrange witness testing for customers.
  • Executing ‘field-initiated development’ projects by implementing LifeCycle (Project Management Process)
  • Leading a team of seven including laboratory technologists, scientist-chemist and technical-professional to deliver Technical Services related projects.
  • Pune head for Patent Committee, Member of core team for Vendor Selection and Third-Party Laboratory Evaluation. Coordinator of ISO process and HSE activities for the team
  • Implementing Gage R&R in the laboratory.
  • Conducting “Acid School” workshop and delivering classroom and laboratory sessions to field professionals on Sandstone Acidizing
  • In charge and final approval for Proppant QA/QC for Asia Pacific region (as per ISO/API standard)

Proffessional Affiliations