OT SIG Meeting – April (Online)

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Topic: Recent Developments in Applied Geochemistry

Speaker: Patrick Barnard, Geochemist

Abstract

In the early days of exploration in the North Sea (and probably many other basins), the emphasis was on safely drilling to the identified prospect. Hydrocarbon shows in the ‘overburden’ were either missed or recognised by the mud loggers and gas chromatograph, but frequently ignored. The exploration team passed the asset to the development team and no thought given to the shallower ‘shows’. The platform engineers think little of the fact they often find SAP (sustained annulus pressure) and happily spend years venting the ‘problem’. When the field is finally ’empty’ the decommissioning team move in only to find there is a problem. What to do!

Speaker Biography

Patrick Barnard has been practising in geochemistry since 1974. He commenced his career as a laboratory technician in pharmaceutical research for Beecham Research Laboratories at their Brockham Park labs – not very far from the Brockham oil field which is still producing. After studying chemistry at Manchester University he studied on the Organic Geochemistry and Coal Petrology MSc course at Newcastle before joining Robertson Research as a geochemist. After an interesting career of 32 years there, he left in 2006 to set up the UK arm of a Norwegian Geochemistry service company, Applied Petroleum Technology as Managing Director. After 16 successful and profitable years there, he is now a consultant to APT. He is also Chairman of Geoscience Wales, a not-for-profit company based in Conwy with around 40 Associates mostly but not entirely based in Wales.

This meeting is organised by the OT SIG committee.