Curriculum Vitae

 

Name: Dr Andrew Racey   

 

Qualifications: BSc Hons Geology University of Edinburgh & PhD Geology, University of London

 

SUMMARY

30 years international E&P experience in 92 countries. Key skills include frontier basin evaluation, creation of new play concepts, carbonate geology, fieldwork and geoscience problem solving. Broad global G&G experience across most geological settings. Held a key role in the discovery and/or development of several giant oil fields in Brazilian presalt Cretaceous carbonates (Santos Basin); Palaeozoic carbonates in Kazakhstan (Caspian Basin); giant gas fields in thrusted and fractured Devonian sandstones in Bolivian thrust belt; gas discoveries in Oligo-Miocene fluvial-shallow marine sediments in Thailand (Bongkot) and biogenic gas in Pleistocene turbidites in Trinidad.

 

Last position before going independent was in the Global New Ventures Department of BG Group undertaking farm-in and licence round evaluations, geoscience support for company acquisitions  and providing technical audit services to other BG assets.  Most recently identified opportunities and worked on evaluations of offshore Albania, Myanmar and Uruguay.

 

Authored global reviews on: Biogenic Gas Potential in Tertiary Deltas; Ultra Deepwater Hydrocarbon Potential; Precambrian Petroleum Potential; Reservoir Potential of Volcanic Rocks; Hydrocarbon Potential of the Circum-Arctic and Yet-to-Find Hydrocarbon Resources of the South Atlantic. Have worked on non-conventional hydrocarbons including coal bed methane in UK and Poland and gas shales in the US.

 

Extensive geological  field work experience in Brazil, Oman, Thailand, Laos, India, Uruguay, Argentina, USA, Thailand, Laos, Tunisia, Egypt, Spain, France, Italy, Turkey, Faroes, Oman and UK.

 

Technical presentations to partners, government organisations and at international conferences. Teaching courses in petroleum geology, sedimentology and stratigraphy and organising and leading field trips/training courses/workshops for both technical and non-technical staff. Supervision of PhD and MSc students and mentoring of BG geoscientists. Extensive experience in core/outcrop logging, petrographic studies, microfacies analysis, biostratigraphy and chemostratigraphy.

65 technical publications in peer reviewed journals on various aspects of petroleum geology, regional geology, stratigraphy, sedimentology and petroleum geochemistry comprising Middle East (10), Southeast Asia (33), South America (8), North Africa (5), UK (8) and India (1).

 

WORK EXPERIENCE

BG Group June 1995-present (twenty years)

Principal Consultant Geologist 2006-2014.  Evaluation of global new venture opportunities with a speciality in frontier basin evaluation and in identifying new plays in mature basins. Provided geoscience advice and technical support for major carbonate discoveries especially in Santos and Caspian Basins.

Consultant Geolologist  2001-2006. Worked in South America, SE Asia, Central Asia and UK/Norway. Evaluating licence rounds, farm-in opportunities and new ventures screening and providing technical support as carbonate/stratigraphy specialist to  major assets in Brazil, Kazakhstan, India and Tunisia.

Principal Geologist, Technical Specialist Carbonates and Stratigraphy March 1998-2001. Provided support and advice worldwide within BG and acted as a focal point for liason with BG Technology.  

Area Geologist for West of Britain April 1996-March 1998: Responsible for North Channel (6 blocks), East Irish Sea (11 blocks development and exploration) and Caernarvon Bay (two blocks) plus frontier acreage. Presentation of East Irish Sea assets for sale.

Senior Geologist, Asia-Pacific Group, June 1995-April 1996. Responsible for evaluating multiple new venture opportunities in SE Asia and Australasia

Geochem Group Ltd Nov 1990-May 1995, Senior Petroleum Geologist and Project leader for International Studies co-ordinating multidisciplinary teams. Responsible for the Middle East, UK, North Africa and Southeast Asia. Also completed several UKCS and Norway based studies. Set up chemostratigraphy group.

ECL Ltd Sedimentologist May 1989-Nov 1990: Core, petrographic and regional studies in Libya, Angola, Gabon, Pakistan, Oman, and UKCS.

 

University of London - British Museum (Natural History), Oct 1984-March 1989; Research /Demonstrator. BP and Shell supported fieldwork in Oman as part of PhD research. Also undertook consultancy work in SE Asia and Oman.

 

EXPERIENCE IN DETAIL

 

1. SOUTHEAST ASIA & AUSTRALASIA

(a) Thailand: Extensive knowledge the petroleum systems of the Khorat, Gulf of Thailand and Mergui (Andaman Sea) basins with additional expertise in the OCA and Bongkot Field. Multiple licence round and farm-in evaluations plus: exploration review of onshore Chiang Mai and Lampang Basins, NW Thailand; evaluation of reservoir and source potential of Permian-Mesozoic sequences from Peninsula Thailand.

(b) Myanmar: Extensive knowledge of petroleum systems of Myanmar especially the Rakhine, Moattama and Tanintharyi offshore areas. Recent (2013) offshore licence round evaluation (resulting in the award of 4 blocks in the Rakhine Basin). Evaluation of several farm-in opportunities.

(c) Indonesia: Stratigraphic and sedimentological studies of Tertiary carbonate and clastic sequences from SW Sulawesi, Irian Jaya, North Sumatra and Timor.  Biostratigraphy and facies analysis of Permian carbonate sequences from Timor and Jurassic shallow marine clastic sequences from Irian Jaya. Review of petroleum potential of the Sandakan and Tarakan Basins, NE Kalimantan. Reservoir correlation studies of Jurassic shallow marine clastics in the Muturi Field, Irian Jaya.

(d) Malaysia: Evaluation of Petronas marginal fields in Offshore Sabah, Sarawak, Malay and Penyu Basins. Regional review of the petroleum potential of Malaysia. Multiple farm-in evaluations.

(e) Philippines: Regional report on the petroleum potential and exploration ranking of sixteen basins plus various farm-ins evaluations

(f) Vietnam: Nam Conson Basin geochemical and reservoir study. Literature review of onshore geology of Vietnam. Regional evaluation of offshore Red River Delta data. Several farm in reviews.

(g) Cambodia: Petroleum evaluation of Khmer Basin including a detailed post-mortem evaluation of wells drilled prior to1996. Literature review of the onshore geology.

(h) Laos: Petroleum evaluation of the Vientiane and Savanakhet basins focussed mainly on Mesozoic  clastics and Permian carbonates. Literature review of the onshore geology.

(i) China: Literature review of the geology of the Tarim Basin. Review of volcanic related hydrocarbon plays onshore China (Songliao, Junggar, Bohai Bay and Satanghu basins).

(j) Australia: Exploration review of the Bonaparte Basin and Zone of Co-operation (Timor Sea). Evaluation of farm-outs in Browse, Dampier and Bonaparte and Ceduna basins.

(k) New Zealand: Regional review of frontier basins. Licence round evaluations and farm-in opportunities in Taranaki and Great South basins.

(l) Papua New Guinea: Geological review of farm-in blocks in Papuan Fold Belt and offshore Fly River.

 

2. SOUTH AMERICA  & CARIBBEAN

 (a) Brazil: Licence round evaluation and ranking of 10 Brazilian Atlantic margin basins. Pre-Salt evaluation of Blocks 9, 10 & 11 Santos Basin and follow-up exploration/development geology work including logging cores, thin sections and searching for analogues for the Tupi (Lula), Guara (Cernambi), Carioca, Abare, Iguazu, Corcovado and Parati discoveries. Undertook a number of carbonate workshops for Petrobras and co-led them and partners on analogue field trips to the US and Argentina. Evaluation of Precambrian carbonates onshore Sao Francisco Basin (leading to block award). Also worked on evaluations (licenec rounds and farm-ins) in offshore Campos, Espirito Santo, Foz dos Amazonas and Pelotas basins.

(b) Bolivia: Development of geological model for the Margarita Field integrating structural, stratigraphic and geochemical data to identify repeated reservoir sections in the Andean thrust belt. Regional biostratigraphic (palynology) study (24 wells) of the Devonian identifying potential liquid sweetspots.

(c) Uruguay: Licence round evaluation of offshore blocks in the Punta del Este Basin resulting in the award of 4 blocks. Onshore studies of Devonian potential in the onshore Norte Basin.

(d) Trinidad: Dolphin Field reservoir model development and biostratigraphic study of Hibiscus wells. Review of ECMA biostratigraphy and chemostratigraphy. Development of biosteering scheme for NCMA area significantly reducing well costs.

(e) Suriname: Licence round and farm-in evaluations.

(f) Guyana : Evaluation of hydrocarbon potential of  open offshore blocks and farm-in opportunities. Basin modelling of Essquibo delta.

(g) French Guyana: Evaluation of farm-in opportunity.

(h) Argentina: Review of volcanic reservoirs in the Jurassic Tobifera Group of southern Argentina. Fieldwork in Patagonia focussed on Jurassic microbial carbonates.

(i) Columbia and Aruba: Offshore new ventures screening study including review of the Lesser Antilles.

 

3. NORTH AFRICA

(a) Tunisia: Biostratigraphic and sedimentological study of Eocene carbonates in Hasdrubal Field leading to major revision of the reservoir and play models. Evaluation of deep Cretaceous carbonate potential in the Gulf of Gabes.

(b) Libya: Development of depositional model for Tertiary carbonates from the Sirte Basin and petroleum evaluation of the Sirte Basin.

(c) Egypt: Stratigraphic and palaeoenvironmental studies of Tertiary sequences from the Gulf of Suez, Nile Delta and Eastern Desert.

(d) Morroco: Review of offshore exploration potential including licence round evaluations and multiple farm-in opportunities (including “Western Sahara”).

 

4.  MIDDLE EAST / PAKISTAN / INDIA

(a) Oman: Development of depositional models and biostratigraphic zonation for onshore Tertiary carbonates and deep marine clastics. Evaluation of offshore Gulf of Oman licence round blocks.

(b) United Arab Emirates: Facies modelling of Cretaceous carbonates and regional evaluation of the Tertiary Formations. Evaluation of Bab Field sour gas opportunity.

(c) Yemen: Petroleum potential of Al Jawf-Marib Basin. Literature review of Yemen geology.

(d) Saudi Arabia: Palaeoenvironmental study of Neogene Gulf of Suez sequences. Review of farm-in opportunities eastern Saudi.

(e) Iran: Reservoir study of Asmari Limestone Formation, Zagros Mountains. Evaluation of  Darquain and Narwooz Fields buy-backs and South Pars gas field opportunity.

(f) Iraq/Kurdistan: Review of several farm-in opportunities in Kurdistan.

(g) Turkey: Stratigraphic and palaeoenvironmental study of Neogene sequences, Anatolia.

(h) Bangladesh: Surma Basin stratigraphic review and petroleum evaluation of offshore fields (Sangu).

(i) Pakistan: Biostratigraphic and sedimentological study of Cretaceous-Tertiary carbonate sequences (Kirthar Ranges). Four well biostratigraphic study offshore Indus Basin. Onshore stratigraphic study of Duljan-1 and Basira-1 wells.

(j) India: Regional petroleum evaluation of Bombay-Cambay, Krishna-Godavari and Cauvery Basins. Microfacies and biostratigraphic study of Eocene-Oligocene carbonate reservoirs in Panna and Mukta fields. Extensive fieldwork onshore NW India focussed on looking at pre-Deccan source and reservoir potential (Cambay, Saurastra, Kutch and Jailsamer basins) as a play opener.

 

5. WEST AFRICA

(a) Gabon: Sedimentological and petrographic study of Cretaceous clastic reservoirs. Evaluation of offshore pre-salt potential.

(b) Angola: Reservoir study of  Cretaceous Pinda and Chela Formations. Review of offshore pre-salt potential (searching for potential analogues to the Brazilian Santos pre-salt discoveries).

(c) Mauritania : Offshore evaluation of Chinguetti, Tiof, Tevet and Banda discoveries and other acreage (Blocks 1 & 2 farm-in, Pelican discovery and Blocks 6-8 farm-in). Review of onshore Taoudounni Basin hydrocarbon potential.

(d) Senegal: Review of deepwater offshore blocks (wells and seismic data) with focus on Cretaceous clastic and possible deeper karst plays.

(e) Gambia: Review of deepwater offshore blocks focussed on deep marine Cretaceous clastic plays.

(f) Liberia: Correlation study of recent oil discovery integrating discovery and offset well data.

(g) Equatorial Guinea: Evaluation of farm-in oppotunity.

(h) Cameroon: Evaluation of farm-in opportunities on and offshore.

(i) Namibia: Regional evaluation including review of numerous farm-in opportunities. Evaluation of Kudu Field, Orange Basin.

(j) South Africa: Review of Orange Delta acreage and overview of potential of Outeniqua Basin and Durban Basin/Tugela Cone area.

 

6. EAST AFRICA

(a) Tanzania: Biostratigraphic studies of deep water offshore gas discoveries.

(b) Kenya: Review of onshore rift basin acreage (mainly within the East African Rift System).

(c) Madagascar: Review of offshore western Madagascar petroleum potential.

(d) Horn of Africa: Regional play fairway and petroleum potential evaluation.

 

7. CENTRAL AFRICA

Regional geological review and petroleum assessment of the Central African Rift System encompassing NW Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Sudan and Kenya.

 

8.  UKCS / EUROPE

(a) North Sea: Southern gas basin reservoir study of Namurian clastics. Multiwell correlation study of Triassic Skagerrak and Smithbank Formations using chemical stratigraphy. Chemostratigraphic and biostratigraphic interpretation of Blake and Buzzard fields.

(b) West of Britain: Regional review of East Irish Sea Basin and farm-in evaluations. Field development (Millom, Hodder, Crossans). North Channel and Caernarvon Bay acreage evaluations. Asset disposal East Irish Sea Basin. Regional fieldwork evaluation of Carboniferous source and reservoir potential.

(c) Onshore UK: Coal Bed Methane onshore licence round evaluation.

(d) Norway: Review of the potential of the White Zone between Norway and Russia (Barents Sea). Reservoir correlation study of Balder and Heimdal Formations using chemostratigraphy. Facies and microfacies study of Palaeozoic carbonates from the Norwegian Barents Sea.

(e) Italy: Review/restructuring of BGs Italian exploration portfolio covering 30 licences.

(f) Albania: Evaluation of offshore farm-ins and onshore literature.

(g) Croatia & Montenegro: Evaluation of offshore (Adriatic) exploration potential.

(h) Greece: Brief review of offshore western Greece exploration potential.

(i) France: Review of Rhone Delta deep water farm-in.

(j) Poland: Evaluation of Carboniferous coal bed methane opportunities

 (l) Romania: Review of Black Sea farm-in opportunity.

(m) Malta: Offshore licence round evaluation.

 

9. RUSSIA AND CENTRAL ASIA

(a) CIS: Literature review of the petroleum geology of the former Soviet Union and Baltic States.

  (b) Kazakhstan: Reservoir characterisation, microfacies and biostratigraphy of Devonian-Permian carbonates of the giant Karachaganak Field.  Geologist woking on giant Kashagan, Aktote, Kairan and Kalamkas discoveries in Caspian Basin. New Ventures evaluation of onshore Kazakh basins.

  (c) Former Soviet Republics: Screening report on  hydrocarbon potential of Uzbekistan, Kyrgystan, Turkmenistan, & Tajikistan.

   (d) Turkmensitan: Evaluation of Jurassic carbonate plays including Yoltan discovery.

(e) Russia: Review of gas potential in West Siberian Basin. Evaluation of farm-in opportunities in Yamal Peninsula and regional review of Russian Barents and Kara Sea. Petroleum evaluation of Palaeozoic carbonates from Timan Pechora. Review of Precambrian potential of East Siberian Basin.

 

10. ARCTIC (also see Russia)

(a) Greenland: Review of petroleum potential and licence application for Western Greenland.

(b) Alaska: Yet to find evaluation and review of Chukchi and North Slope/Beaufort Sea.

(c) Canada: Yet to find evaluation and review of the MacKenzie delta and Sverdrup Islands.

 

11. PACIFIC ISLANDS

(a) Completed high level regional evaluations of Tonga, Vanuatu, New Caledonia and Fiji Islands.

 

12. OTHER

Regional review of Arctic Petroleum Potential. Global reviews of: Precambrian Petroleum Potential; Neogene Deltas and their Biogenic Gas Potential; Ultra Deep Water Oil Potential and, Volcanic Rocks as Reservoirs.

 

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Beavington Penney, S.J., Wright, V.P. & Racey, A.  2005. Sediment production and dispersal on foraminifera-dominated early Tertiary ramps: the Eocene El Garia Formation, Tunisia. Sedimentology 52, 537-269

 

Highton, P.J.C., Racey, A. & Wakefield, M. 1997.  Quantitative biostratigraphy: an example from the Neogene of the Gulf of Thailand. In: Dheeradilok et al (eds) Proceedings of the International Conference on Stratigraphy and Tectonic Evolution of Southeast Asia and the South Pacific, Vol.II, 563-585.

 

Izatt, C., Maingarm, S. & Racey, A.  2001  Fault distribution and timing in tthe Central Irish Sea Basin.  The Petroleum Exploration of Ireland’s Offshore Basins, Shannon, P.W, Haughton, P.D.W. & Corcoran, D.V. (Eds) Geological  Society Special Publication. 188, 155-169.

 

Jones, R.W.  &  Racey, A. 1994. : Cenozoic stratigraphy of the Arabian Peninsula and Gulf. Micropalaeontology and Hydrocarbon Exploration in the Middle East (M.D. Simmons, Ed.), 273-307, Chapman & Hall.

 

Morley, C.K. & Racey, A. 2011. Chapter 9 Tertiary . In: M.F. Ridd, A.J. Barber and M.A.Crow (eds) Geology of Thailand Geological Society of London Special Publication,  224-271.

 

Polachan, S. & Racey, A.  1994: Stratigraphy of the Mergui Basin, Andaman Sea: Implications for Petroleum Exploration. Journal of Petroleum Geology, 17 (4), 373-406.

 

Racey, A.  2001. A review of Eocene Nummulite accumulations: structure, formation and reservoir potential. Journal of Petroleum Geology, 24 (1), 79-100.

 

Racey, A. 2011. Chapter 13. Petroleum Geology. In Geology of Thailand In: M.F. Ridd ,  A.J. Barber and M.A. Crow (eds) Geology of Thailand. Geological Society of London Special Publication, 251-392.

 

Racey, A., Love, M.A., Bobolecki, R.M. & Walsh, J.N. 1995. The use of Chemical Element Analyses in the study of Biostratigraphically Barren Sequences: An Example from the Triassic of the Central North Sea (UKCS). Geological Society London Special Publication, 89, Dating and Correlating Biostratigraphically Barren Strata (R.E. Dunay and E.A. Hailwood, Eds.), 69-103.

 

Racey, A., Love. M.A., Canham, A.C., Goodall, J.G.S. & Polachan, S.  1996 . Stratigraphy and Reservoir Potential of the Mesozoic Khorat Group, North Eastern Thailand: Part 1 Stratigraphy and Sedimentary Evolution. Journal of Petroleum Geology, 18 (1), 5-39.

 

Racey, A., Highton, P.J.C., Alderson, A. & Polachan, S.  1997. Mesozoic oils and source rocks from Peninsula Thailand. In: Dheeradilok et al (eds) Proceedings of the International Conference on Stratigraphy and Tectonic Evolution of Southeast Asia and the South Pacific, Vol.II, 511-524.

 

Racey, A., Bailey, H.W., Beckett, D., Gallagher, L., Hampton, M & McQuilken, J. 2001. The Petroleum Geology of the Early Eocene El Garia Formation, Hasdrubal Field, Offshore Tunisia. Journal of Petroleum Geology, 24 (1), 29-53.

 

Racey, A., & Ridd, M.F. 2015 (in press). Petroleum Geology of Myanmar. Geological Society London Memoir 45.

 

Seedhouse, J.K. & Racey, A. 1997. Sealing capacity of the Mercia Mudstone Group in the East Irish Sea Basin- Implications for Petroleum Exploration. Journal Petroleum Geology, 20 (3), 261-286.