Profile
Competent graduate of two degrees & further postgraduate studies. Founded on a geological, geotechnical, hydrogeological & geophysical background. Over 22 years, hands-on international industrial experience in the energy, construction & mining sectors. Wide ranging software skills (specialising in GIS/3-D modelling). Director of own company. Strengths in:
• Personnel training, data management, analysis & interpretation, instrumentation.
• Competence in team supervision & independent work.
• Project management & implementation.
• Very self-motivated & adaptable to challenging environments.
• Comprehensive use/understanding of numerous geosciences software & ground sampling/interpretation techniques.
Education & Qualifications
Hong Kong Polytechnic University PgD in Geomatics. (major: Geographic Information Systems)
[(1997 – 2000)
University College of North Wales MSc in Marine Geotechnics
(1992 1993)
Kingston University BSc (Hons) in Applied Science (major: Earth Science)
(1985 1988)
Professional Institutions: Fellow of the London Geological Society. Hong Kong SAR GEO office approved geologist.
Additional courses:
Courses/seminars in ground stability, ground instrumentation/investigation, sediment transport systems, geological hazards, 3-D modeling, photogrammetery & ground sampling techniques. Courses in various geosciences software, operating systems & data management platforms. BOSIET/HUET/TSBB/SKYSCAPE certified for offshore marine works. Offshore UKOOA medical. Numerous safety courses.
Career Summary
Most recent employment as a sub-consultant:
Role: Contract Senior Geotechnical Engineer/Engineering Geologist/Exploration Geologist/Marine Geotechnician,
February 2005 – present.
Involved in SI works on several international mining/construction/energy projects (on & offshore). Scope of work has involved assessing site conditions for the construction of plant, railways, dams, embankments, reservoir lining, spillway channels, storage areas, reclamation, channel dredging, pipelines & slope stability mitigation along with geohazard analysis, design of drilling programmes & safe ground works. Principle area of study/concern has been interpreting near surface & deep-seated soil/rock conditions, whilst understanding permeability & seepage mechanisms. Work duties have included facility design, on site testing & sampling, geological mapping, grading and assessing mining concessions, instrumentation installations, orientating core & laboratory testing. Managing on site drilling, testing & sampling crews, geophysical/bathymetric surveying, reporting, client liaison & running the site office.
Projects (reverse chronological order):
• Various Tenements: Geological Mapping and Resources Evaluation (Ratanakiri, East Cambodia). Sr. Exploration Geologist. Mineral & structural solid rock field mapping for gold/copper/nickel prospecting. Working with MapInfo & Discovery, database building, resource grading & assessing, sample laboratory assaying & testing. HSE responsible person. Angkor Gold Corp. (2014 & 2015). ONGOING
• Geoscience Communication Programme (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam). Course Coordinator. Training/supervising crews of offshore geotechnicians, putting them through their SOPs & Factual Reports and helping them understand the methodologies & standards associated with their duties. Somehsa Geosciences Pty Ltd. (2014)
• Phum Lom Tenement Geological Mapping (Ratanakiri, East Cambodia). Exploration Geologist. Mineral & structural solid rock field mapping for gold/copper prospecting. HSE responsible person. Angkor Gold Corp. (2014)
• Bumbuna-Yiben Hydroelectric Dam Project. Site Investigation for dam axis (Sierra Leone). Project Geologist. Supervising rotary drill rigs, lugeon and dilatometer testing across the Seli River. Running the site office, overseeing QA/QC, rock/soil logging, sampling, laboratory testing & finalising field reports. HSE/toolbox responsible person & client liaison. Fugro EMD Ltd. (2014)
• Putu Iron Ore Mine Project. Site Investigation for railway & port works (Liberia). Project Geologist. Supervising rotary, percussion drill rigs, Dynamic Probe, Mackintosh Probes & Trial Pitting across the SE of the country. Running the site office, overseeing QA/QC, rock/soil logging, sampling, laboratory testing & finalising field reports. HSE/toolbox responsible person & client liaison. Fugro EMD Ltd. (2013)
• Khulna Fresh Water Supply Project (JICA – Funded Component), Foundation & Laboratory Programme Design (Khulna, Bangladesh). Geotechnical Engineer. Setting out 145m vertical boreholes along the axis of a 33km pipeline & Surface Water Treatment Plant & Impounding Reservoir. Part of the pre-cast pile foundation design team – Geotechnical Specialist. Mainly supervising the QA/QC whilst drilling (cable & percussive), testing & sampling. Logging the boreholes, assessing & reporting on the geology & following up on the laboratory testing with design foundation input. Contracted through SMEC Aecom Ltd. (HK) (2012)
• Serujan Open Pit Gold & Silver Mine Geotechnical Investigation (Central Kalimantan). Geotechnical Engineer. A supervisory position overseeing PSI RC/diamond drill rigs (250+m depth) along with monitoring a team of geotechnicians. Duties included rock mapping & logging/orientating inclined boreholes to understand potential rock wall instability (1,650+m of core). Understanding the rock mass, structure through the changing volcanic & sedimentary lithologies was essential. Responsibilities also involved ensuring the QA/QC for core orientation data (using the ACT Reflex II tool). HSE/toolbox control. Use of Surpac modelling is needed for drill plan design. Coffey Mining Ltd. (2012)
• South Caucasus Pipeline Project. Site Investigation for pipeline works (Georgia). Lead Project Geologist. Supervising rotary & percussion drill rigs at three locations across the country. Overseeing QA/QC of the field geologist’s soil & rock logging, sampling, packer testing, laboratory testing & finalising field reports. HSE/toolbox responsible person & client liaison. Emerson Moore Drilling Ltd. (2011)
• Tonkolili Iron Ore Mine Site. Site Investigation for mine infrastructure (Sierra Leone). Project Logging Geologist. Supervising rotary & percussion drill rigs at the mine site. QA/QC of field sampling, packer testing, laboratory testing, soils/rock core logging & finalising field reports. HSE/toolbox responsible person & client liaison. Emerson Moore Drilling Ltd. (2011)
• Pointe Noire/Transport Corridor/Zanaga Iron Ore Mine Site. Site Investigation for mine infrastructure (Republic of Congo). Project Logging Geologist. Supervising rotary, percussion drill rigs & test pit excavators from the port area to the mine site. QA/QC of field sampling, conducting plate-bearing tests & overseeing laboratory testing, soils/rock core logging & finalising field reports. HSE/toolbox responsible person & client liaison. Emerson Moore Drilling Ltd. (2010)
• Seabed Geotechnical Investigation (offshore Australian North West Shelf. Woodside Energy Ltd). Engineering Geologist. Investigative boreholes were sunk along a proposed pipeline corridor using a seabed fixed rotary/suction drill rig (PROD2) in 100+m of water. Operations were controlled by remote from the research vessel. Activities involved rock/sediment coring, CPT/BPT in-situ testing (data capture & processing), sample analysis (interpretation), laboratory testing. GI QA/QC. Compiling drilling/GI reports & client liaison. Benthic Geotech Pty. Ltd. (2010)
• Natural Terrain Hazard Study (NTHS) (GEO instigated. Hong Kong based). Engineering geologist. Assessment, revision & mitigation works, on potentially hazardous steep hill slope segments. Incorporating additional supervision of GI drilling & excavation works. Finalising reports. AECOM Ltd. (HK) (2010)
• Padma Multipurpose Bridge Project (World Bank/IDA Funded) Geotechnical Investigation Design & Supervision Phase I (Padma River, Bangladesh). Geotechnical Engineer. Setting out a number of 120m vertical boreholes along the axis of a 6.5km bridge span within the char bank areas of the Padma River. Mainly supervising the QA/QC whilst drilling (rotary & percussive), testing & sampling. Logging the boreholes, assessing & reporting on the geology & following up on the laboratory testing. Contracted through SMEC with technical input from AECOM Ltd. (HK) (2009)
• South Hudayriat Island Project Geotechnical Investigation Phase I & II (Abu Dhabi, UAE). Project Geologist. Overseeing a number of rotary pontoon jack-up, land & CPT rigs for reclamation/navigation channel dredging purposes. Involved in the QA/QC for drilling, sampling & logging of channel, borrowed & reclaimed areas. Assessing the site geological characteristics. Managing the laboratory testing programme & supervising the bathymetric & geophysical surveying. Contracted through Maunsell Geotechnical Services Ltd. (HK) to Cansult Maunsell AECOM, Abu Dhabi (2009)
• Reko Diq Open Pit Porphyry Copper Mine PFS & FS Geotechnical Investigation (Balochistan, Western Pakistan). Geotechnical Engineer. A supervisory position overseeing UDR RC/diamond drill rigs (1000+m depth) along with monitoring a team of geotechnical engineers/geotechnicians. Duties included logging inclined boreholes through stages of exploration pit development to understand rock wall stability & blast characteristics (20,000+m of core). Understanding the rock mass, structure & resource assessment through the changing porphyry alteration zones was essential. Responsibilities also involved ensuring the QA/QC for core orientation data (using ACT Reflex tools). HSE/toolbox control. Use of Surpac modelling is needed for drill plan design. Coffey Mining Ltd. (2007-2008)
• Madneuli Open Pit Copper/Gold Mine Development (South Eastern Georgia) GIS Operator/Project Geologist. Work involved mine wall stability analysis, rock fall monitoring & on site training. Rock discontinuity mapping, drilling supervision, core logging, rock sampling, on site testing of materials. Reporting & compiling data to expand a geotechnical drilling programme & safe slope profile. Software slope analysis using 3-D photogrammetery – Sirovision 3-D, Siro Joint & various RocScience packages. Emerson Moore Geosciences Ltd. (2007)
• Jamalco Railway/Mine Development (Central Jamaica). Project Geologist. Involved in SI works for numerous railway bridges/storage facilities proposed for a feeder line from a bauxite mine project. Managing the drilling/sampling team, running of the site office & reporting. HSE responsible person. Emerson Moore Geosciences Ltd. (2006)
• Níquel do Vermelho Open Pit Mine Project (Para Region, Northern Brazil). Project Geologist. Geotechnical/geological assessment relating to the relocation of the tailings embankment, WSF, WSD & related spillways & saddle dams. Overseeing drilling works, trial pit excavation & bulk/box sampling. Instrument installation & groundwater analysis. Knight Piésold Pty. Ltd. (2006)
• Boddington Open Pit Gold Mine Expansion (Western Australia). Project Geologist. Determining borrowed material areas, geological mapping/surveying & plant foundation assessment. Knight Piésold Pty. Ltd. (2006)
• Seconded to the Lands Transport Authority (LTA) on the MRT Circle Line Stage 4 & 5, Contract WSA855, Singapore. Instrumentation Engineer. Working within a GIS framework, integrating ‘Insite’ software into a total data management system along a major tunnel/cut & cover railway section. This incorporated a multitude of helpful display aspects & data arrays drawn from the geotechnical instrumentation. Maxwell Geosystems (2005)
Previous Employment (Reverse chronological Order)
Following contracts:
• HKHA G.I Term Contract No.161.
2001-2003
. Lam Geotechnics (HK) Ltd.
• HKHA G.I Term Contracts No. 3, 221 & 144.
1995-2001
. Geotechnical & Concrete Engineering (HK) Ltd.
Position (key data):
Logging & interpretation of exploratory boreholes. Field mapping, including slopes (both cut & natural). Hydrogeological investigation & analysis. Proficient understanding of the regional geology & geological processes affecting the engineering works. Analysis of complex geology & associated geotechnical properties. Working with the HKSAR government geotechnical engineers in checking & verifying the accuracy of the SI data used in the foundation design process.
Contract details:
The four contracts comprised GI data collection by means of drilling, excavating, sampling, in situ testing, instrument installations, photographic analysis & laboratory testing to obtain accurate information for design use in the development of public housing within the Hong Kong SAR. This involved liaising with all HKHA contractors including providing instruction & training throughout the HKSAR. The site investigation areas covered much of the HKSAR. Responsible for verifying, managing & analyzing the GI data & annotating all GI reports submitted to the HKHA by the contractors to ensure geological & geotechnical accuracy. Provide geological advice to the geotechnical engineers for sites with complex geology. Conduct meetings with the contractor’s geologists to solve discrepancies. Implement slope mapping with kinematic analysis.
Logging Geologist. Driltech Ground Engineering (HK) Ltd,
February – March 1997.
Location: HKSAR. Involved in site investigation works.
Duties comprised of overseeing drilling & sampling operations, compiling soil & rock borehole logs & supervising instrument installation. Additionally, geotechnical properties of borehole samples were determined via laboratory testing & the data quality ensured. Managed drill crews & sampling methods. Projects included site investigation for foundations of various residential developments around Hong Kong (left to work for the Hong Kong Government, HKHA).
Geotechnical/Project Engineer
Geotechnical Instruments (HK) Ltd (Fugro Group)
September 1994 – October 1996. Location: HKSAR.
Duties involved overseeing site projects from the installation of geotechnical instruments to setting up monitoring programmes with processing/interpreting of data. Liaising with clients/contractors & supervising site technicians. Involved in the design, installation & trouble-shooting for ground/building monitoring instruments. An in-depth & comprehensive knowledge of the behaviour of the near-surface lithology & its reaction to excavation & overburden was required. Instrumentation provided data for monitoring slope instability, bearing capacities, ground water behaviour & the movement/stresses upon existing building structures. Specialisation was in the use of in-place sensors. Establishing monitoring programmes within major civil construction projects. Larger projects involved building settlement/ground stability monitoring programmes required by the MTRC (Mass Transport Railway Corporation) in response to excavation carried out for the expansion of Central MTR Station (contract: MTRC-501A) & improvements to Wanchai MTR Station (contract: WAC-001).
Mudlogger/TDC/Wellsite Geologist.
Geoservices Int. S.A.,
January 1989 June 1992.
Contracted to oil companies involved in exploring/producing oil/gas reservoirs. Positions carried an international contract.
Locations: North, East & West Africa (Kenya, Madagascar, Somalia, Tunisia, Senegal). Europe (inc. North Sea, UK, Spain, Canaries). Middles East (Qatar, UAE, Yemen). Australia.
Energy companies contracted to: Amoco (West Africa), Hunt Oil, ADCO, UAE State Oil Co., Repsol, Santos (Australia) – gas fields, Agip, BP, Amerada Hess.
Duties:
(i) Mud logger: Duties involved the monitoring of drilling parameters (including hydrocarbon ratios & harmful gases) & drawing up of well site logs. Analyzing circulated cuttings through microscopy & other laboratory methods (principally sedimentary). Geological information gathered correlated with offset wells to aid recognition of reservoir likelihood & potential. An understanding of the drilling parameters & drilling fluid properties was essential.
(ii) Technical Drilling Controller (TDC): Involved in overseeing the work of mud loggers & being responsible for the final well reports containing geological analysis, drilling technical parameters & drilling fluid hydraulics.
(iii) Wellsite Geologist: Team of four on wells in the UAE. Involved in work on cutting/core geological analysis, microscopy, fluoroscopy, shale densities, gas analysis & porosity determination. Software modeling. Working closely with reservoir engineers, geophysicists in the determination of oil potential. Detailed geological analysis. Overseeing mud logging personnel, wire line logging & associated operations.
Geophysical Research Assistant
(July – November 1993)
MSc thesis study in Greece (summer 1993 Erasmus scheme). Part of an oceanographic team (Ocean Sciences Department of Patras University) involved in the acquisition & interpretation of data collected from marine sediments (primarily using side-scan sonar, sub-bottom profilers & gravity cores). Data was used to aid the investigation of shallow gas-related features within the sediments & determine any hazard they may present to seafloor structures.
Additional Positions:
Director/Founder of Sustainable Solutions Limited
(1999-2011).
An environmental company based in the HKSAR.
Involved in the publication/compiling of environmental awareness booklets. Establishing recycling programmes in Hong Kong’s tower blocks, including the design & manufacturing of recycle facilities. Waste management system application.
Relief Worker (volunteer/salaried)
(2004 -2010).
Involved in emergency relief work in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, after the Tsunami disaster. Worked with ICMC, CORDAID, WER, HIB & APOPO throughout SE Asia: Procurement Officer & Logisitcs.
