Key Presenters

This event will be conducted as per Canberra time (UTC +10)

Keynote Speaker 

Scott Mildren, Tech Limit Pty Ltd

Topic: Fault seal in a world moving towards net zero emissions

Dr Scott Mildren is a geologist with over 20 years of experience in the petroleum industry with expertise in geomechanics and image log interpretation. He is currently Managing Director of Tech Limit Pty Ltd and overseeing the development of the Tech Limit Toolbox to provide accessible geomechanical workflows to non-experts. Scott was previously Solutions Lead for the Geomechanics Centre of Excellence at Ikon Science after their acquisition of his first company, JRS Petroleum Research, in 2012. At Ikon, he was responsible for incorporating geomechanics into RokDoc and was instrumental in establishing their integrated workflow for characterisation of unconventional reservoirs.   

 Thomas Manzocchi, University College Dublin

  Des Fitsgerald, 

Desmond FitzGerald & Associates Pty Ltd, t/a Intrepid Geophysics

Topic: Faults in Groundwater Using AEM 2.5D+ Inversion Technology 

With over 25 years’ experience in the minerals industry, Des has a range of interests in the technical software and instrumentation hardware areas. As Principal of Desmond FitzGerald and Associates, Des co-wrote the INTREPID geophysical processing and mapping software product. Party to rewriting the Australian National Gravity data handling forGeoscience Australia and internet delivery of the Australian Geoscience datasets.

Neil Grant, ConocoPhillips UK Holdings Ltd.

Topic: How faults influence the trapping of oil and gas 

Neil Grant is a UK-based structural geologist.  He studied applied geology at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow  graduating in 1985, and then completed  a PhD at the University of Leeds in 1989 on Deformation in thrust sheets from the Central Pyrenees. Since then he has worked in the oil & gas industry first with Conoco and latterly ConocoPhillips for the last 32 years. In his career he has worked in a range of roles including operations geologist, development geologist, exploration geologist, as a dedicated structural geologist working global projects from the company’s Houston HQ,  as a member of a global exploration quality assurance team and as an “end-of life geologist” in field cessation of production in the UK southern North Sea. He currently works as a specialist geologist for ConocoPhillips Norge, focussing on fault seal and trap analysis.

Sherilyn William-Stroud, Illinois State Geological Survey 

Topic: Enhanced Structural Interpretation using Seismic Data at the Decatur, Illinois Sequestration Site

Sherilyn Williams-Stroud is a Research Scientist, Structural Geologist, at the Illinois State Geological Survey/University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Her areas of expertise include structural and fracture analysis and modeling for geo-energy production, with a specialization in microseismic data interpretation and induced seismicity. She began her career at the U.S. Geological Survey doing research in the Energy Resources Branch and joined the private sector as a Senior Research Scientist with ChevronTexaco Exploration and Production Technology, during which time she also taught geology as an adjunct at the University of Houston. She was a full-time faculty member at Whittier College when she joined Midland Valley Exploration, as the Geology Team Leader and the Technical Lead for development of their fracture modeling module. After Midland Valley she joined MicroSeismic, Inc., where prior to becoming their Chief Geologist, she partnered with the Chief Geophysicist to develop a patented methodology to integrate microseismic data into geologic interpretations for fracture modeling of microseismic results for use in reservoir simulation. As a senior geological advisor with Occidental Oil and Gas and California Resources Corp she worked on fractured reservoir interpretations from various Oxy assets including the Monterey Formation. In addition to teaching industry short courses, she has also held adjunct positions at California State U. Los Angeles and Northridge. She is an active member of several professional organizations and as an AAPG Visiting Geoscientist since 2014, she visits colleges and universities to present technical and career-related talks to students on a regular basis. She served for 4 years as a member of the National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) Committee on Seismology and Geodynamics and continues the pursuit of integrating scientific knowledge related to induced and natural earthquakes and translating that knowledge to real understanding by the general public. Dr. Williams-Stroud received her B.A. in geology from Oberlin College in 1981, and her M.A. in 1984 and Ph.D. in 1988, both from The Johns Hopkins University, and is a licensed professional geologist in the state of California.

Signe Ottesen, Equinor

Signe Ottesen is working as a senior specialist in geology for Equinor (formerly Statoil) in Stavanger, Norway. She graduated with her Cand. Scient in 1991 in “Structural and Petroleum Geology” at the University of Bergen. Since then she has worked as a structural geologist in Equinor/Statoil. Her first fault seal job was back in 1993, and she has wide experience from this topic from field predictions, research and technology development. Her key expertise is structural characterization of reservoirs including structural seismic interpretation, tectono-stratigraphy and fault seal. 

 Ralf Oppermann, OPPtimal Resource Solutions Pty Ltd 

Topic: Small-scale Faults and Fluid Flow – a New Understanding Emerges

Ralf Oppermann is an independent, award-winning Geoscience Consultant with 31 years of international experience in the oil and gas industry. Following a corporate career as Seismic Interpreter, Geologist and Technical Advisor for various Shell Operating Companies and Chevron, Ralf in 2008 founded OPPtimal Resource Solutions Pty Ltd as a Technology Service Company, to provide new and leading-edge technology services to companies active in Oil & Gas, Coal Seam Gas, Mining, Geothermal, Groundwater, CO2 Sequestration and Underground Storage. Throughout his career, Ralf has observed a lack of focus and understanding of the structural content of Oil & Gas reservoirs, even though faults play key roles for the retention and movements of fluids in the subsurface. Through years of ground-truthing, he has found algorithms and developed methods that work exceptionally well in reliably delineating fault populations and their geometries, which allows a much deeper understanding of the true effect faults have on resources. For his work, Ralf received the Innovator in Geosciences Technology Award from the AAPG in 2013. In 2016, Ralf co-founded the Resource Technology Network (RTN), a unique global Consulting Network that brings together independent, highly-skilled and highly-experienced Experts to provide unbiased Advice, Services and Training.

 Christie Rogers, ExxonMobil 

Topic: Fault Juxtaposition And Trap Controls On Original Hydrocarbon Contacts

Christie Rogers has over 20 years of experience in the petroleum industry including 19 years at ExxonMobil.  She is a reservoir- and trap-scale structural geologist with degrees from The University of Texas at Austin and The Pennsylvania State University.  Academically, Christie began her career in fracture mechanics and quickly transitioned to trap/seal/connectivity analysis at ExxonMobil where she has worked in exploration, production, research, and technology.  Including an early role as an operations geologist, she discovered an affinity for pressure prediction and working with multi-functional teams.  As a result of all of these foundational experiences, Christie loves to bring a pressure data ‘lens’ to any subsurface problem.  She is currently the Technical Team Lead for ExxonMobil’s Structure and Hydrocarbon Systems technology core group and truly enjoys connecting across global teams to foster integration, enhance technology, teach, and mentor.

 Cindy Ong, CSIRO Energy 

Topic: Fugitive Methane Emissions Related To Australian Onshore Gas Operations

Cindy Ong obtained a Mechanical Engineering degree with honours from the University of Western Australia.  She practised as a graduate engineer at BHP before making a career change taking up a remote sensing research position at the Department of Land Administration working on benthic habitat mapping.  In 1994, Cindy was offered a research technician position at CSIRO focussed on mine environment and has since progressed from that to principal research scientist, concurrently acquiring a PhD degree from the Department of Imaging and Applied Physics, Curtin University.  Between 2010 and 2014, Cindy served as the Research Group Leader of the Mineral And Environmental Spectral Sensing Group, providing broad scientific leadership in a group of 25 scientists and engineers working across the value chain of imaging spectroscopy from sensor development, atmospheric physics, calibration and validation, information extraction and software development for applications across exploration, mining and mine environment deploying a variety of optical sensors from laboratory to airborne platforms. 

  Stephen Tyson, Universiti Teknologi Brunei 

Topic: 30 years of flow simulation, geological modeling and upscaling - Are we making any better decisions?

TBC

 Thomas Doe, Golders 

Keynote Speaker 

 Wendy Timms, Deakin University

Topic: Characterisation and modelling of geological fault zones

Wendy Timms has 30 years of professional experience, with an undergraduate degree in geology, and experience including drilling, coring, aquifer testing, rock testing and numerical modelling. She isa Chartered Professional Engineer (Civil, Environmental), having worked in consulting, government and education across numerous projects in agriculture and mining across Australian, Canada andAsia. Wendy is Professor of Environmental Engineering at Deakin University, and prior to that wasDirector of Postgraduate Studies at UNSW School of Minerals and Energy Resource Engineering. She is a former Vice-President of International Association of Hydrogeologists and a member of AusIMM. She is an invited member of several government expert panels for the Australian Federal Minister for Environment, related to coal, coal-seam gas and uranium mining. Wendy is author of over 200technical reports and 50+ peer reviewed journal papers.  

Panel Speakers

 Richard Creswell, Eco logical Australia

Richard is ELA’s Discipline Lead for all Water projects. He has particular expertise in  groundwater hydrodynamics, hydro-geochemistry and the use of isotopes for understanding water interactions and has led significant groundwater impact assessments and groundwater technical studies both private and government clients, particularly related to the coal and coal seam gas industries. He is called upon to provide expert witness and technical advice on water management plans, water resource assessments and water management policy. From 2011 to 2015, he served as a Member of the Federal Minister’s Expert Panel for Large Coal Seam Gas Projects, providing Independent Review of proponents’ response to EPBC Approvals Conditions for three major coal seam gas operations in the Surat Basin, QLD. Richard has over 30 years research and practical experience across a range of disciplines, including geology, archaeology, meteoritics, geomorphology and biomedicine with the last 20 years focussed on water resources planning, water resource assessment, groundwater research, hydro-geophysics, surface water-groundwater interactions and groundwater-dependent ecosystems.

 Wendy Timms, Deakin University

Wendy Timms has 30 years of professional experience, with an undergraduate degree in geology, and experience including drilling, coring, aquifer testing, rock testing and numerical modelling. She isa Chartered Professional Engineer (Civil, Environmental), having worked in consulting, government and education across numerous projects in agriculture and mining across Australian, Canada andAsia. Wendy is Professor of Environmental Engineering at Deakin University, and prior to that wasDirector of Postgraduate Studies at UNSW School of Minerals and Energy Resource Engineering. She is a former Vice-President of International Association of Hydrogeologists and a member of AusIMM. She is an invited member of several government expert panels for the Australian Federal Minister for Environment, related to coal, coal-seam gas and uranium mining. Wendy is author of over 200technical reports and 50+ peer reviewed journal papers.  

 Fabienne d'Hautefeuille, DPIE (Water Division)