Skills

Onshore and offshore, geotechnical site investigation management. Gas hydrate investigation and exploration. Health and Safety and QA/QC Management. Carbonate Soils and Rocks. Specialist expertise with, deep water site investigation tools, nearshore jack-up operations and geotechnical investigations from exploration MODU. Spudcan Penetration Assessment. Shallow and deep, offshore foundation design.

Experience

Freelance Geotechnical Consultant, Offshore Geotechnics Ltd.— 2008-Present

Planning, supervision, project management and evaluation of offshore and onshore site investigations for foundation design, geohazard assessments and gas hydrate exploration.

Site Management Co-ordinator/ European Personnel Planner, Commercial Management Department, Fugro Offshore Geotechnics, The  Netherlands  — 2003-2008

Duties and responsibilities included: Management of a group of Site Managers/Assistant Project Managers. Development of a Global Resource Skill Pool for field staff. Strategic planning of engineers and laboratory staff, for offshore projects, from within Fugro Europe offices. Evaluation, planning, implementation and review of geotechnical and multidisciplinary projects within an ISO-9001 frame-work. Tender evaluation and project risk identification. Site reconnaissance/walk-over surveys. Planning and logistics of site investigations. Responsibility for the preparation of all quality, health and safety and environmental management plans. Project management and monitoring of ongoing investigations. Site and base management of high profile, multi disciplinary site investigations, such as gas hydrate and geohazard investigations. Development, implementation and auditing of the company HSE policy and procedures. Development, implementation and auditing, of the company quality management system. Development and implementation of a training program for site management. 

Geotechnical Engineer/Senior Geotechnical Engineer, Fugro Engineers BV — 1999-2003

Site manager for offshore, nearshore and onshore geotechnical investigations. Gained extensive field management experience in; West Africa, Egypt, Middle East, FSU, North Sea and the Asian Sub Continent.  Experience/Responsibilities included: Product Manager for geotechnical services relating to the safe siting of Mobile Offshore Drilling Units (MODU).  Factual and interpretive report writing, preparation and management of laboratory test programs, site-management, shift-supervision and training of personnel. Performed calculations and prepared engineering reports including:  axial pile capacity (according to various codes), axial and lateral pile load-deformation analyses, pile drivability studies, spudcan penetration versus preload for independent leg jack-up rigs, soil liquefaction assessments, shallow foundations (onshore and offshore). Experience in executing, processing and interpretation of laboratory test programs both onshore and offshore developments. Processing and interpreting of in-situ test data. Experience in onshore and offshore; drilling, sampling and in-situ testing techniques, such as gravity coring, vibrocoring, hammer sampling, piston coring, (seismic) piezo-cone testing, pressuremeter, pumping tests, SPT and vane testing. Preparation of project plans. Assessing requirements and planning of site investigations. Development and implementation of Health and Safety plans. Development and presentation of in-house training courses. 

Project Geotechnical Engineer, Fugro Middle East, UAE — 1996-1999

Project Engineer on a wide variety of onshore, nearshore and offshore projects, in the Middle East and India. Duties included: Project management, factual and interpretative report writing, tendering, supervision and planning of site investigations, cable percussion and rotary core sample logging, spudcan penetration analysis for offshore jack-up rigs (from jack-ups and ships), secondment to oil companies as Client's Representative for offshore site investigations, shallow and deep foundation design, site reconnaissance and walk over surveys for onshore petrochemical facilities and infra structure (including, pipelines, tank farms and multi-lane carriage ways), and geohazard evaluation. 

Experienced in various in-situ testing techniques; CPTU, pressuremeter, packer and permeability testing. Field geophysics; cross-hole seismic testing, electrical resistivity testing and thermal resistivity testing.

Geotechnical Engineer, Freelance, UK and overseas — 1994-1996

Freelance engineer on a wide variety of onshore and nearshore projects, for both consultants and contractors, in the UK and abroad. Duties similar to the above, working in both site and office environments. 

Assistant Geotechnical Engineer, Norwest Holst Soil Engineering, Leeds — 1992-1994

Worked on a wide variety of site investigation projects ranging in size from small developments to new motorways. Duties included: site supervision, soil and core logging, trial pitting, in-situ CBR testing, packer testing, permeability testing, factual and interpretative report writing.

Education

Managing People, Professional Certificate in Management, pass with merit. (2004) ,Open University, UK

MSc Engineering Geology (1991) University College of Wales, Cardiff, UK

BSc with honors, Physical Geology and Geomorphology (1989)Liverpool University, UK.

Safety Training/qualifications

Basic Offshore Safety Induction and Emergency Training (MTC)

Basic Offshore Safety and Emergency Preparedness (MTC)

Safety for Operational Managers (VCA)

Accident Investigation Certificate

Managing Safely Certificate

Marine Risk Assessor Certificate

Shipboard Safety Officer Course Certificate

Professional affiliations

Fellow Geological Society (FGS)

International Society for Rock Mechanics (ISRM)

International Society for Soil Mechanics (ISSM)

British Geotechnical Society (BGS)

Other interests

Rugby Union, snowboarding, sailing, and sea kayaking.