Expertises
Subsurface definition and evaluation
– As technical director of EBN¹ I was, responsible for the subsurface definition of all oil and gas Licenses, in which EBN participated (ca. 90% of all Licenses in the Netherlands).
– In Norsk Hydro² I established the Production Geology Section at arrival on January 1984. The Section was gradually built up to approximately 40 geologists, geophysicists and petrophysicists by January 1987 and was responsible for subsurface definition of all oil and gas fields in which Norsk Hydro participated. Supervised major production geological studies of Norsk Hydro a.o.; on the Frigg (SPE paper 15608), Osenberg and Brage fields. The study on the Frigg field led to an considerable increase of the production forecast of the remaining reserves of the field.
– Lectured as part time professor at the University in Trondheim and gave a course in Production Geology to 4th graduate students.
– Established a Production Geology department of ca. 40 geologists and geophysicists in Statoil³ in 1980. This department was responsible for subsurface definition of all oil and gas fields in which Statoil participated. Supervised major geological studies on the Gullfaks field (ca. 1,5 bln bbls reserves, Statoil operator) and the Statfjord field (ca. 3,5 bln bbls reserves).
Exploration and development definition and planning
– As technical director I was responsible for the evaluation, comments and approval of all development and exploration proposals of all joint ventures (ca. 90% of all oil and gas joint ventures in the Netherlands) in which EBN participated from 1986 to 2001.
– Performed a development study of the Eastern part of the Gullfaks field. This study proved that the third (C) platform of the field should be installed ca. 1km of its originally planned location , which saved ca. ,8 bln USD on development cost of the Eastern part of the field (a.o. less sub-sea completions).
– Accomplished the Commerciality study of the Brage Field in Norway. This involved the ranking of many development alternatives. The final selection for development was with a steel jacket and water-injection for a maximum plateau rate of ca. 100.000 bbl/d. Initially estimated development costs were reduced from ca. 1,35 bln USD to ca. 1 bln USD making the field commercial for an USD 15 oil price and achieving approval by the partners (BP, Exxon, Statoil) and the Norwegian government.
– As a production geologist in Shell Bruneï I was responsible for the production geology of the Champion field (complex field with roll-over fault structures as in Nigeria) which was one of the main producers of Shell Brunei and had considerable appraisal potential. Established an integral platform development plan for the field.
Acquisition of Oil and Gas reserves
– Evaluated all development projects of the joint ventures in which EBN could participate before deciding on participation and refund of exploration costs.
– Evaluated the recovery potential of several potential acquisitions for the international division of Norsk Hydro-Oil/Gas.
– As production geophysicist of NAM, I proposed an exploratory appraisal well which discovered a new Carboniferous gas field in the East of the Netherlands which proved to contain in excess of 10 bln m3 (0,35 tcf) gas reserves.
Evaluation of risks and upward potential of capacity generation
– Representated EBN as partner of NAM and shareholder of GU in the committee (ACC), which is responsible for the planning of the capacity delivered by GU and provided by the Groningen field and de Underground Storages; Grijpskerk, Norg and Alkmaar.
Advice on dealing with the authorities (MEA) about issues like permits
– Advised the MEA on matters relating to the granting of Production Licences.
– Negotiated for MEA with Shell and Esso a fair sharing of the excess capacity of the Groningen field between its owners (Shell, Esso and the Dutch State). The State wanted part of the excess capacity for the benefit of the Dutch offshore fields, Shell and Esso preferred to sell the capacity on commercial terms.
Advice on issues of tariffs (like for oil- and gas pipelines)
– Handled many negotiations as technical director of EBN on tariffs for transport and processing of hydrocarbon production (F-3B gas processed and transported by the ‘Oil-group’) as well as negotiations on tariffs of Underground storage (Norg and Grijpskerk) with NAM (Shell/Esso).
Advice on issues of arbitration and unitizations
– Handled many unitization disputes as technical director of EBN like; the ‘Common area dispute’. This dispute concerned the extent of the Groningen field (40% EBN) into concessions of BEB (100% Shell/Exxon) in Germany (initial stake: 0 or 30 bln m3 gas over-delivery). It took ca. 10 years before this dispute was finally settled by arbitration.
– The submission for the Markham unitization (Neth/UK) for the Dutch Group was prepared by EBN under my supervision.
– Listed as arbiter with the NAI (Netherlands Arbitration Institute).
Strategic decision making in E&P ventures
– Contributed as representative of EBN in the Operating Committees of nearly all oil and gas ventures in the Netherlands (EBN 40-50% shareholder) to the strategic decision making in those ventures.
– Contributed as advisor of Dyas to its strategic decision making.
– Had a considerable contribution as technical director of EBN to initiate the Nogat pipeline (NAM/EBN), which is now with the NGT and WGT one of the three big pipelines on the Dutch continental shelf.
– Convinced MEA that EBN participation in Exploration Licenses is by its positive effect on exploration and development more economic for the Dutch State than ‘EBN carry’. (EBN has now participated in Exploration Licenses (40-50% shareholder) since July 1999).
¹ EBN is the participant for the Dutch State and participates for 40 or 50% in ca. 200 fields (including the Groningen gas fiel) and is 40% shareholder of Gasunie. EBN is the 2nd largest gas producer of the Netherlands with ca. 30 bln m3/yr gas production.
² Norsk Hydro was at the time after Statoil the second largest Oil Company of Norway.
³ The Norwegian State Oil Company, Statoil, is the largest Oil Company of Norway. It has recently merged with Norsk Hydro.