Current activities
- Founder and president of geo-expeditions (geo-expeditions.com);
- Adjunct professor at Missouri Science and Technology (mst.edu);
- Peer review papers published in international technical publications;
- Chair conference sessions; invited speaker/discussion leader at meetings; keynote speaker 1-2 times per annum.
2005-2018: Consultant & Numerical Geomechanics Technical Lead.
Rock Mechanics / integrated geomechanics Team, Chevron ETC
I joined Chevron’s Rock Mechanics Team (part of the Drilling and Completions Department) from academia in late January 2005 as a numerical modelling specialist. The position arose after liaising with Chevron on several research projects which successfully demonstrated the applicability of large-scale finite element models to a wide range of oil industry issues including well bore stability, fault reactivation, fracture prediction and production optimisation. Within Chevron, I quickly established myself as a key technical resource on finite element analysis (FEA) and have my opinion sought on a very wide range of disciplines in both drilling and earth science. Over the ensuing 13 years I grew the geomechanics simulation capability to a team of 10+ and expanded the role of numerical simulation to almost all rock related processes. Specifically, I spearheaded efforts to move geomechanics
into the main stream both within and outside Chevron, for which I was promoted to ‘consultant’ at a very early age. In addition to technical oversight and other general activities, I conducted research into tight/unconventional rock and fracture (natural and induced) related issues as well as large scale simulation of geological systems. I mentored colleagues
throughout the corporation in FEA, meshing and other skills. I was recognised as the corporate subject matter expert on finite element modelling at regional & basin scales and on the integration of numerical codes across numerous disciplines in earth science, drilling, completions and reservoir management.
- Technical lead of a team of ~10 focussing on all aspects of geomechanics simulation across the upstream, including well, asset and larger scale simulation supporting drilling & completion design, productivity enhancement and subsurface risks such as induced seismicity and fluid integrity; Duties included “winning” the project, resource management and interfacing between the team and the business unit client. Significant time and effort spent
determining the product most usable by the client. On average, more than 20 service projects per year have been completed since January 2005; - Develop, extended and improve existing workflows and develop new ones under the auspices of internal research and technology programs. Typically involves software development and expansion of numerical capabilities into new domains;
- Build and maintain finite element models for use in improving stress estimation in a Mechanical Earth Model (MEM). I work on projects in the majority of locations that Chevron has upstream operations;
- Initiate and supervise external research projects;
- The Chevron representative on the Mont Terri Underground Research Laboratory Consortia Steering Committee;
- Design (within Corporate guidelines) and commission Rock Mechanics Team’s IT infrastructure, including clusters, workstations, storage and application platforms
- Provide courses, 3 day, 1 day and ad-hoc per client request, covering every aspect from fundamentals to state-of-the-art applications of integrated geology and geomechanics for all sub-surface activities. Final (2017) course I contributed to is 5 day “essential geomechanics for drilling and completion engineers”.
- Manage technical and consulting relationships with vendors
- Overview JIPs and external research projects addressing salt behaviour and fracturing, finite element tool development and laboratory measurement of pore scale processes. These external activities may or may not have significant numerical analysis components;
2000-2005: Project leader
Geophysical Institute, University of Karlsruhe , Germany
Lead researcher on two projects and was responsible for maintaining existing industry liaisons and developing new ones on behalf of the World Stress Map Project. I secured
industry and state funding for four research projects and supervised M.Sc. and Ph.D. students. I taught a course entitled “Essential geology for geophysists” and worked on projects arising from my previous positions. I also provided the IT support for the workgroup of ~15.
- Well-bore stability predictions based on field scale finite element modelling. ChevronTexaco funded project using earth models of various reservoirs and fields to predict the likely stress conditions and thereby aid in well bore stability analysis.
- Finite element modelling of earthquake risk assessment in Upper Rhine Graben. A state funded project using very high-resolution finite element models to identify those faults within the Rhine Graben that are most likely to be active seismically.
- Prediction of fluid/fracture networks in the Coso Geothermal Field, California; A US Navy funded project using multi-scale finite element models to predict the in-situ stress state and model the probable fracture distributions. Coupling the fracture distribution predictions with poro-elastic models of the pore fluid pressure will yield assessments of the present-day flow regime.Determination of basement faults reactivation potential in northern Germany;
- Project leader of a multi-discipline, multi-institute study evaluating the likely-hood of basement fault reactivation in northern Germany. Pre-Zechstein in-situ stress orientations deduced from borehole breakouts were used to validate 2D & 3D numerical models of the study region. It was found that basement faults are stable under the current stress conditions and that the Trans European Suture Zone has a first order influence on the stress orientation in northern Germany and adjacent areas.
1999-2000: Post Doctural Research Scientist
Lab. de Géophysique et Tectonique, Université Montpellier II, France
Lead researcher on an Total and Elf funded field and analogue modelling based research project.
- Fracture corridors (clusters) are narrow zones of sub parallel fractures that may adversely affect the fluid flow properties of a reservoir. The principal aim of this industry-funded project was to describe the geometries, kinematics and mechanical characteristics of fracture corridors in the field. Subsequent integrated analysis of the field data, physical and numerical modelling resultsaimed to provide a series of predictive models that are used to supply improved input parameters to reservoir models.
- Stress relaxation associated with failure of dilational jogs. Continued work on earlier technical topic.
1998: Post Doctural Research Scientist
Faculteit der Aard-en Levenswetenschappen, vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam
Short PDRA project where the lead researcher had moved on.
- Modelling the influence of fault zone heterogeneity and the hydrodynamics of fault movement in hydrological systems. My task was to evaluate the results of finite-element simulations of inactive faults and to write the final report, emphasising its implications for fluid migration within and around fault zones.
- FEA simulation of stress distribution associated with dilational jogs. Continued work on earlier technical topic.
1995-1998: Post Doctural Research Scientist
Department of Geology, Imperial College, London, UK
ARCO funded PDRA extension of my Ph.D. work to enable the investigation of the dynamics (Ph.D. was a static treatment) of fluid migration within and around a deforming pull-apart basin.
- The Prediction of Fluid Migration Pathways in Deforming Sedimentary Basins. Episodes of fault movement areassociated with either the loading/unloading cycle of fault evolution modify the reservoir quality and fracture network in measurable and predictable ways.
- Post-Hercynian evolution of SW Britain and surrounding areas.
- LowerTertiary evolution of Southern Britain and surrounding regions.
- Teaching: Supervision of M.Sc. & Ph.D.;projects; co-leader on the final year undergraduate field course to the Pyrenees; first year tutorial; demonstration to undergraduate classes in: structural geology, metamorphic geology and on structural field courses.
1991-1994: Ph.D. Student
Department of Geology, Imperial College, London, UK
ARCO funded PDRA extension of my Ph.D. work to enable the investigation of the dynamics (Ph.D. was a static treatment) of fluid migration within and around a deforming pull-apart basin.
- The Prediction of Fluid Migration Pathways in Deforming Sedimentary Basins. Episodes of fault movement areassociated with either the loading/unloading cycle of fault evolution modify the reservoir quality and fracture network in measurable and predictable ways.
- Post-Hercynian evolution of SW Britain and surrounding areas.
- LowerTertiary evolution of Southern Britain and surrounding regions.
- Teaching: Supervision of M.Sc. & Ph.D.;projects; co-leader on the final year undergraduate field course to the Pyrenees; first year tutorial; demonstration to undergraduate classes in: structural geology, metamorphic geology and on structural field courses.
1991: Consultant mud logger/geologist
Sperry Sun (UK) Ltd, Aberdeen, UK
I worked from spud to TD on an exploration well in the El-Hassica region of N. Syria which was drilled using air and foam drilling techniques.
1991: Research Assistant
Department of Geology, Imperial College, London, UK
Four month, industry funded, research project on fluid flow in mud rocks. The project was field based and investigated fluid migration associated with the dewatering of argillaceous sediments during compaction.
1990: Field instructor
Ministry of Oil and Petroleum, Yemen
Taught the logging of sedimentary sequences, particularly carbonates as well as general and structural field techniques to geologists of the Yemeni Oil Ministry.
1989-1990: mud logger/Wellsite geologist
Sperry Sun (UK) Ltd, Aberdeen, UK
Mud logger and wellsite geologist in Egypt and Syria working mainly in the Euphrates Graben, with Mesozoic sandstone reservoir targets. In addition to the necessary geology, I
had to install and maintain a variety of electro-mechanical sensors on the drilling rig.