Dr. D.M. Nathaniel is a senior petroleum exploration and geoscience strategist with more than 45 years of distinguished experience spanning onland, shallow, deep- and ultra-deepwater basins of India. His career includes leadership roles at Reliance Industries Ltd., where he served as Vice President (Exploration), and at ONGC as Deputy General Manager, contributing to major national energy programs and exploration initiatives. Dr. Nathaniel is recognized for pioneering India's sub-basalt exploration concepts, redefining the tectonic architecture of the Western Continental Margin of India, and presenting these breakthroughs on invitation at SEG- 2011 in San Antonio, USA. His expertise integrates seismic 2D/3D interpretation, diffraction imaging, sequence stratigraphy, tectono- stratigraphic modelling, EM and gravity–magnetic interpretation, and structural geology. He has played a critical role in de-risking prospects, prioritizing drilling locations, and driving multi-disciplinary workflows combining geophysics, geology, geochemistry, and advanced imaging technologies. As a consultant, he advises on frontier basin evaluation, volcanic-masked reservoir identification, deepwater play fairways and brown field developments through innovative passive seismic technologies for enhancing hydrocarbon production . He has also conducted international workshops on petroleum prospectivity of volcanic margins and abyssal petroleum systems. A geoscientist of high repute, Dr. Nathaniel is valued for his analytical depth, strategic vision, and ability to transform complex geological challenges into actionable exploration insights. His contributions continue to influence India’s hydrocarbon exploration strategies and global understanding of volcanic-margin petroleum systems. Dr.Nathaniel’s academic accomplishments include PhD in Geology, MSc(Tech) in Geophysics and MBA in Human Resources.