Profile
I am a petroleum geologist/geomatics specialist with an eclectic and transferable skill set that is based on environmental geoscience and spatial data.
My background was originally geodesy and land surveying for military mapping and positioning.
After my military career I retrained in environmental geology, and I originally joined the oil and gas as industry as a hydrogeologist. However, by working in small integrated subsurface departments I naturally migrated to petroleum geology while still undertaking management of geomatic and environmental type projects.
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The union and visualisation of geo-spatial information mitigates risk, and allows managers to make better, and informed decisions...
Dr Andrew Gray
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Spatial Data Geoscience:
Geomatics and Petroleum Geology
Email:
Address:
Dubai
SKILLS
Geomatics Management
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Expertise in technical and project management of geomatics/environmental projects for the Oil and Gas Industry and other bespoke applications.
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Quality control: tender preparation, technical specification, reporting and results.
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Contract and budget management: materials, manpower and variation orders.
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Expertise in geodetic surveying, land surveying, calculations, transformations, and least squares adjustments. This includes spatial and temporal data, dynamic and static coordinate reference systems, grids and datums.
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Expertise in satellite remote sensing and integration/interrogation of these products into geomatics projects.
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Expertise in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and their application to spatial and temporal data: mapping and cartographic products.
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Experience with other surveying technologies: underground utilities, mobile mapping (laser scanning), gravity, CORS, UAV (drones) and modelling for data extraction and interpretation/visualisation.
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Expertise in integration of geomatics and petroleum operations: well planning, infrastructure routing, land allocation (geotechnical services), spatial asset management and liaison.
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Experienced in delivering technical training and mentoring for surveying, environmental sampling, geological and hydrologic related issues with emphasis for the Oil and Gas Industry.
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Ensuring where applicable, all works are carried out is a safe manner, promoting HSE in all aspects of the works.
Petroleum Geology & Hydrogeology
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Well site experience (onshore);
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Experience with well log interpretation and analysis;
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Experience with PETREL geo-modelling software, structural modelling, well correlations;
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Expertise with other geological software; Surfer, Strater, Didger;
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Geological evaluation of hydrocarbon prospects for farm-in opportunities;
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Experience with data mining, data management and spatial analysis for both geological and environmental projects;
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Expertise in Geographic Information Systems (Arc GIS, QGIS) and their application to spatial and temporal data especially related to Oil and Gas Industry;
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Expertise with survey management (geomatics) and coordinate reference systems with experience in Northern and Southern Iraq oil fields;
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Expertise in satellite imagery and remote sensing techniques and subsequent integration of these products to geomatics and asset management projects with emphasis in Oil and Gas industry;
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Expertise in the environmental aspects of geological, hydrogeological and contaminated land assessments with emphasis to the oil and gas industry;
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Proven technical reporting and presentational skills;
EXPERIENCE
2022-
Geomatics Manager
KBR, (Majnoon, Iraq)
Oil and gas industry EPCM service company:
Responsible for all aspects of Geomatics activity in Majnoon Development Project.
Contract management of Geomatics sub-contractor.
Development and management of groundwater exploration project: assessing area for quality and quantity for potential exploitation.
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Experiences and key activities available upon request.
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2018-2022
Senior Petroleum Geologist
& Geomatics Lead
Sonangol Iraq, Dubai
Oil and gas industry operator:
Responsible for Department operational geology and general petroleum geology operations in the 1 billion barrel, carbonate, heavy oil, Najmah and Qaiyarah oilfields of Northern Iraq.
Ten production wells drilled, and additional well planning for a further 23 development wells.
Formation studies and volumetric P10, P50, P90 calculations.
Development of zero cost visual geo-spatial database for use in office and field: supporting all technical departments.
Management of high accuracy survey to establish benchmarks for field development survey control.
Purchase and management of high resolution satellite imagery.
2016-2018
Survey Technical Project Manager
Fugro-Iraq, Dubai
Oil and gas industry service company:
Responsible for the technical quality of land surveys (geomatics) in support of major IOC's operating in Southern Iraq.
Identification rectification of poor survey practices.
Technical support to regional business development team in a number of prestigious bid proposals.
Writing robust technical method statements and reports.
Development support of new environmental business line venture: investigation of contaminated land and groundwater.
2015-2016
Consultant
Albian-Geo
Geo-spatial data and Remote Sensing consultancy:
Re-modelling small oilfield in Chad for in place hydrocarbon volumes and assessment of onshore blocks in Congo.
Pipeline right of way desk study, identification of geo-hazards and obstacles. Low cost visual database design for survey benchmarks.
2012-2015
Hydrogeologist - Petroleum Geologist
ADC-International, Dubai
Oil and gas operator:
Hydrogeological desk study for water management section of Najmah and Qaiyarah FDP: aquifer characterisation for exploitation and environmental baseline study.
Creation of Department procedures for ISO 9001 accreditation.
Geological assessment of potential farm-in and property acquisition opportunities for various world wide oilfields.
Data mining and archiving of field data packs.
2010-2012
Consultant
Geo-spatial data and Remote Sensing consultancy:
Delivery of geo-spatial solutions and products: ADC-International, Dubai and Alcis Ltd, UK.
Oilfield mapping, coordinate transforms, regional and national catchment assessments, vegetation indexing/assessment.
Sessional lecturer at Reading and Cardiff University.
Albian-Geo
2003-2009
Ph.D, Masters and Batchelors Degree
Reading and Cardiff Universities
Full time tertiary education:
Emphasis on environmental aspects of geological geoscience. Sessional lecturer at Glamorgan University.
1982-2004
Military Career
United Kingdom Military (Army)
Royal Engineers:
Progressed through the ranks during twenty two year career. Trained in geodesy, land surveying, navigation, technical and administrative project management.
Instructor: land survey and navigation techniques.
Development of new testing and training strategies to meet latest and changing trade skills needed by military surveyors.
EDUCATION
2006-2009
Ph.D
Cardiff University
Contaminant Hydrogeology:
Agricultural flux of phosphates into groundwater and their contribution to freshwater eutrophication.
2005-2006
Masters (Distinction)
Cardiff University
Environmental Hydrogeology:
Contaminated land and groundwater investigation and remediation.
Dissertation sponsored by British Geological Survey, project undertaken in Eden Valley, UK.
2003-2005
Bachelor's (1st Class, Hons)
Reading University
Environmental Geology:
Geology and the environment with emphasis on water related issues.
Mapping project done in the Abberley Geo-park, UK.
1998-2003
Diploma
Open University
Earth Sciences:
Studied during fulltime employment and whilst deployed overseas on military duties.
EXPERTISE
*Geo-spatial data and transformation
Geoscience data can take several forms and scales: continuous, discrete, temporal, ordinal...
Transformation is unlocking this raw material into impartial information or intelligence.
This provides a better understanding of its often complex nature and origin:
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Temporal: trending, cyclical or random...
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Distribution: local means and variability...
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Correlation: in time, location and autocorrelation...
Geo-spatial information integration
To understand and make informed decisions, managers need to be able to visualise and understand the interaction and feedbacks of complicated surface and subsurface characteristics. These can be one, two, three or temporal in dimension.
This can be done using:
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Diagrams: graphs, conceptual models...
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Maps/plans: location, colours, shapes and symbols.
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3D Models: static or transient.
*geo-spatial is used in the context of all data that can be related to a position; whereas, geospatial is generally used to define the representation of this data in either vector, raster or tabular format in a GIS.
Competence and ability
An eclectic and transferable skill set based on forty years of continuous work, education and consulting. This provides to my employer or client with:
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A robust and experienced technical background.
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The ability to identify the critical components of a petroleum geology and related geo-spatial system.
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Data gathering plan designs.
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Field deployable solutions.
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Transformation of the results to meaningful information.​​
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Delivery of robust geo-spatial intelligence or models; these will enable managers to visualise and make informed decisions, that are based on unbiased, and relevant geo-spatial information.