Leading energy company Chevron has teamed up with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in order to develop future technologies that could help provide important oil and gas resources in the future.

The alliance’s initial focus is to develop a wide range of technologies, including power transmission, signal processing and electrical actuation, for application in deepwater.

Paul Siegele, President of Chevron Energy Technology said: “The world’s energy needs continue to grow. Chevron continues to meet this demand through the development and application of highly innovative technologies that unlock resources in ways that are safer, more efficient and more environmentally sensitive.”

The JPL has developed technology that enables electronic communication in outer space. Similar technology may be used deep underwater in energy exploration operations, extending thousands of feet below the surface.

John McDonald, Chevron’s Corporate Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, said: “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. In many ways, the research is akin to deep space exploration, making the missions of our two organizations highly complementary.”