9th EAGE Conference on Conjugate Margins
27-31 July, 2026 | St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
MEET THE KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Asmae Benarchid
Petroleum Exploration Director
The National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines (ONHYM)
Joined ONHYM in 2004, held several positions as Explorationist, Offshore Department Manager,Basin Evaluation Manager and currently the Petroleum Exploration Director. Was involved in onshore and offshore evaluation projects, mainly 2D and 3D seismic interpretation (structural and sequence stratigraphy), play concepts development, volumetric calculations, risk analysis and basin analysis. Graduated from school of Mining-Rabat in 2003 to obtain an Engineering degree in Geology, got aMaster degree in “Oil and Gas Exploration and Production” in 2006 from Heriot-Watt university &Repsol Institute (ISE), and recently an Executive MBA degree from Ecole des Ponts Business School in2022.
Roy Fitzsimmons
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SCA
Educated at Glasgow and Liverpool Universities, Roy has spent over 35 years working across the value chain at BG, Conoco, BHP and laterlay Hess. Now EVP of Global Geoscience at SCA, he utilizes his passion for exploration to offer clients a high-quality, independent, technical view in identifying, prioritizing and maturing their portfolios.
Katarina Jonke
Senior Geoscientist – Exploration New Ventures
BP
Senior Geophysicist with 20 years of experience in deepwater exploration, seismic imaging, and data acquisition. She currently supports bp’s global New Ventures team, focusing on the integration of geophysical technologies across the exploration workflow. Prior to joining bp, Katarina held technical leadership roles at Viridien, specializing in subsalt imaging. She holds an MSc in Geophysics from the University of Houston and an engineering degree in Applied Geophysics from the University of Belgrade.
Javier Hernández
Andalusian Institute of Earth Sciences (IACT-CSIC)
Dr. Hernández-Molina is currently Research Professor in the Andalusian Institute of Earth Sciences (IACT-CSIC), Granada. He has been working before in theDepartment of Earth Science at the Royal Holloway University of London. Dr. Hernández-Molina has long been interested in basin Analysis and Sedimentary Geology. Though initially focused on continental shelves, he has worked on integrated studies of continental margins, and his current research focuses on deep-water sedimentation including the influence of bottom-current/oceanic circulation along marine basins and paleoceanography. Also worked on different sedimentary basins in both low latitude and high latitude and has collaborated on the study of continental margins with many national and international researchers from myriads of international institutions and companies on the characterisation of deep-water deposits. With an extensive international research career and gained worldwide reputation as an expert in Marine Geology and deep-water sedimentation. He has been involved in 6 Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Proposals. He is now leading “The Drifters” Research Group and two Join Industry Projects between academia and industry funded by a consortium of companies about “Contourites”.
Karyna Rodriguez
Searcher Seismic
She is an Oxford University graduated Petroleum Geoscientist with 30 years of multidisciplinary technical experience in global exploration-inclined projects. She possesses diverse experience from her time at PEMEX, BG and other major oil companies, including regional seismic interpretation, prospect generation, amplitude anomaly and sequence stratigraphic play analyses, integrated reservoir characterization field studies and prospect and volumetric chance evaluation, working closely with high level management on their strategic portfolios. She currently works at Searcher as part of a high performing team dedicated to identifying, pursuing, and realizing new ventures to support efforts in optimizing hydrocarbon exploration in mature and frontier basins around the globe.
Dr. Kenneth McDermott
Shell
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Ian Lunt
Equinor
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More to come!
