Core Technical Skills & Experience
25+ years’ experience in oil and gas exploration and development, specializing in seismic interpretation, depth conversion, AVO, rock physics and seismic attribute analysis. Broad experience with seismic acquisition and processing, both planning and execution. Familiarity with both clastics and carbonates.
Extensive experience with prospect maturation including assessment of risk and complex volume distributions. Special focus on DHI supported prospects.
Functioning as peer reviewer and geophysical advisor for exploration and development projects.
In depth knowledge of the geological basins of the North Sea, Atlantic Margin, Barents Sea, West Greenland and Middle East.
Received EAGE’s Nigel Anstey award 2014 for best paper in First Break describing the exploration work that led to DONG’s Glenlivet gas discovery West of Shetland. In addition to the studies involved, the paper highlights the value of a strong interdisciplinary teamwork, which is very close to my heart.
Personal Skills
I am a strong believer in data analysis as a base for innovative interpretation. I strive for the best technical solutions within the projects time frame.
Team player with good interpersonal skills and encourage open discussions
Proven ability to work under pressure and produce output that is accurate, timely and of high quality
Employment Experience
2014-2015:
Lead Geophysicist, Maersk Oil, Al Shaheen
Analysis of well and seismic data providing input to development plans
Uncertainty estimation on gas caps and depth conversion
Well ties, interpretation, depth conversion using Cohiba uncertainty module
Analysis of seismic data quality and suggestions for improvement
Responsible for geophysical road map for Al Shaheen
2005-2014:
Staff Geophysicist with DONG Energy
Exploration West of Shetland, Norway, Denmark and Greenland
Responsible for licence applications West of Shetland (22nd, 23rd and 24th rounds) resulting in the AVO driven Glenlivet prospect and later discovery as
well as other licences
Participated in licence and APA rounds in Norway, particularly in the Møre Basin and Barents Sea
Field evaluation of Ormen Lange
Maturation and appraisal of the DK North Sea Solsort prospect and discovery
Planning and execution of exploration and wells in close cooperation with drilling department
Participating in many farm-ins and due diligence in relation to company mergers
Involved as partner in the Cambo, Rosebank and Laggan/Tormore developments West of Shetland
Specializing in depth conversion, AVO modelling, amplitude driven prospect evaluation and sub-basalt imaging
Advisor of defendable depth conversion in connection with unitization projects
Project management of seismic acquisition and processing projects
Advisor and peer reviewer for both exploration and production
Member of risk review team
Mentor for younger geoscientists
Team lead for project optimizing usage of seismic data
1997-2005:
Senior Geophysicist with DONG Energy
Seismic interpretation West of Shetland and Faroes
Inversion and AVO modelling at the Stenlille gas storage
Seismic interpretation and reservoir modelling of the South Arne Chalk Field
3 months cross-posting to Amerada Hess working on the South Arne Field
1990-1997:
Geophysicist with Maersk Oil
Forward modelling and ray tracing for seismic acquisition design
QC of seismic processing project
In-house 2D pre-stack depth migration
Seismic interpretation Denmark and Indonesia
1988-1990:
Research Geophysicist with Ødegaard-Danneskiold Samsøe APS
Optimisation of seismic acquisition parameters
1987-1988:
Geophysicist with GEUS
1986-1987:
Student with Maersk Oil
Software Skills
Petrel, Cohiba, Charisma/Geoframe, DUG Insight, Kingdom, Hampson-Russell, Norsar, GeoX,
SAAM, Rokdoc, ProMax, Geoteric, Xaitporter, Excel, Word, Powerpoint
Education
1978-1987: MSc in physics and geophysics, University of Copenhagen
2008: Master Module: Leadership and innovation in Complex Systems, Copenhagen Business School and University of Århus
Courses
2014: Maersk Oil inhouse Provence field trip, Al Shaheen analoques
2013: Nautilus field trip, M028: Sand-rich Turbidite Systems and Megaturbidites: From Slope to Basin Plain.
2012: Rokdoc Introduction, Ikon Science
2012: Uncertainties in Depth Conversion, Nautilus
2011: Risk analysis, Prospect Evaluation and Exploration Economics” course, Rose and Associates
2011: Professional Level Rock Physics for Seismic Amplitude Interpretation (AVO & Seismic Inversion), Nautilus
2011: Petrel Depth Conversion, Schlumberger
2011: Seismic Imaging and Velocity Model-Building Techniques: Concepts, Examples and Pitfalls, Nautilus
2009: SVIPro course, ffa
2009: Project management course
2007: Hampson-Russell course (AVO, Strata)
2006: Risk analysis course
2005: Geological field trips to Isle of Skye and to Argentina
2005: Geostatistics, Jeffrey Yarus
2000: Carbonate reservoirs, OGCI, 1 week
1999: InDepth, GeoQuest, 3 days
1998: Advances in seismic technology, IBC UK conferences, 2 days
1997: Rock Physics, Gary Mavko (GEUS), 3 days
1997: Geostatistics for reservoir description, OGCI, 1 week
1996: Seismic structural modelling and depth imaging workshop, Paradigm, 3 days
1996: Recent developments in deconvolution, inversion and wavelet processing
1995: Petroleum Generation and Occurence, OGCI, 1 week
1995: Sequence stratigraphy, OGCI, 1 week
1995: Introduction to UNIX
1994: Positioning for Explorationists, Hydrosearch, 3 days
1993: Designing 3D surveys, IHRDC
1993: Sampling seismic wavefield, 3 days
1993: Structural Imaging. Geotec, 1 week
1993: Wellsite practical borehole seismic course, Schlumberger, 1 week
1993: Technical report writing, Advanced language learning, 2 days
1992: North Sea Workshop, Badley-Ashton, 1 week
1991: Advances in seismic data processing, IHRDC, 3 days
1991: Practical AVO, IHRDS, 2 days
1991: Modern Production Geology, Exploration and Production Consultants, 1 week
1991: Presentation skills, Advanced language learning, 3 days
1991: Marine seismic processing on ProMAX, Geotec, 1 week
1991: Land seismic processing on ProMAX, Geotec, 1 week
1990: Advanced Practical Seismic Interpretation, Badley-Ashton, 1 week
1990: Seismic data processing, Successful project management, 2 days
1990: Seismic Data Processing, OGCI, 1 week
1989: Comparative structural geology, OGCI
1988: Innføring i reservoarteknikk, Statoil, 1 week
1988: The application of biostratigraphy to the oil industry, Robertson Group, 1 week
1987: Techniques of integrated exploration, Phillips Petroleum, 1 week
1987: Seismic stratigraphy, GeoQuest, 1 week
1986: Geophysical Methods, Texaco, 2 weeks
Conferences
2014: EAGE conference, Amsterdam
2012: Biennial Geophysical Seminar, NPF, Kristiansand
2012: EAGE conference, Copenhagen (presentation of paper Glenlivet gas discovery)
2010: Petex conference, London
2009: 7th Petroleum Geology Conference: North West Europe & Global Perspectives, London
2008: EAGE Conference, Rome
2006: EAGE Conference, Vienna
2006: Petex conference, London
2005: 6th Petroleum Geology Conference: North West Europe & Global Perspectives, London
2003: Norsk Petroleum Forening: Biennial Geophysical Seminar, Kristiansand
2001: EAGE Conference, Amsterdam
2000: Joint Chalk Research symposium, Brighton
1998: EAGE conference, Leipzig
1996: SEG conference, Denver
1989: EAGE conference, Berlin
1989: SEG conference, Dallas
Publications
M. Westphal Stephensen, M. Larsen, G. Dam and T. Hansen: The Glenlivet gas discovery – an integrated exploration history, First Break, Vol 31, No 7, July 2013, pp.
51 – 64 (received best paper award 2014 from EAGE)
