Founded in 2022, the Pandey Lab is a part of the Department of Mining and Minerals Engineering at Virginia Tech. We primarily use experimental techniques to understand and engineer geologic rock formations and the interaction of fluids with such systems. In doing so, we have two major focus areas: Geoenergy and Mining applications.

Geoenergy applications: The role of the geologic subsurface is paramount to help develop a carbon negative energy economy. Building on our expertise of working with unconventional natural gas, we focus on characterizing reservoir systems for applications such as geologic carbon capture, CO2 mineralization and underground hydrogen storage. 

Mining applications: With the overarching goal to improve workplace safety and productivity, we focus on developing practical technology suitable for mine-site deployment. This involves integrating novel advances, as well as retrofitting existing technologies for application in a mine environment. Current research focuses on developing fracturing strategies in engineered mine backfill to improve in-situ estimation of geotechnical design parameters.