MARK SAWYERS
Director
EDUCATION
MSc Geophysics (1981) - Imperial College, University of London
BSc Physical Geology (1980) - University of Exeter
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Fellow, Geological Society of London
Member, Petroleum Exploration Society, Great Britain
KEY QUALIFICATIONS
Mark Sawyers is a geophysicist who has spent over 25 years in the UK and
international E & P business. His career includes time at Hunting, Phillips, Conoco,
Sun, Brabant (EDC) and, until 2002, Enterprise Oil, where he ran UK exploration
new ventures. He has wide ranging geophysical experience covering everything from
onshore survey planning to 3D development geophysics - he has been a regular
workstation user since 1987. Additional interests include database design, knowledge
management and facilitation (having spent a year in Enterprise's KM department). In
2000, Mark chaired UKOOA's Exploration Committee and carried out research for
the UK government/industry task force, PILOT.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Aug 2002 - present:
Exploration Geosciences Ltd.
Prospect generation/application preparation/BERR presentations in 21st to 25th UK
Licensing rounds, leading to multiple awards. Overall technical manager for bidgroups in 24th and 25th Rounds. Project manager and lead geophysicist for Central
North Sea Triassic study. New ventures work for various clients in UK, Canada and
Europe. Farm-out of 5-6 wells, leading to 2-3 discoveries. Contributor to EGL's
Moray Firth and Labrador Sea studies.
1997 to 2002: Enterprise Oil plc
Responsible for leading Enterprise's North Sea new ventures programme and for
managing a portfolio of 3 operated and 8 non-operated licenses in the Central North
Sea, heading up a team of six, with additional responsibility for regional play fairway
mapping and regional support to other teams. Chaired the UKOOA Exploration
Committee Chairman in 2000, through a difficult period with activity levels at 30year lows and with the threat of changes to the UK tax regime, whilst there was on
going reorganisation at the BERR. Responsibilities here included preparation and
presentation of analysis of activity levels and their future impact on production for
PILOT, the joint government/industry body. Technical projects carried out as a
geophysicist included new ventures block/field analyses, a regional Palaeocene study
involving the merging and detailed interpretation and mapping of 15 3D surveys, and
various operated and non-operated interpretation and rock physics projects in the
Central North Sea. Presented a physics-based risking course and was joint author and
project manager for the Paleocene chapter of the Millennium Atlas. Spent nine
months in Enterprise's knowledge management team, working on geoscience
communities and team working. Compiled a knowledge asset on influencing
operators. Trained as a facilitator and facilitated at various in-house events and
partner workshops.
1996 to 1997: Independent Consultant
Principal client - Chevron, working on UK and Norway.
1993 to 1996: Brabant Petroleum Limited
Geoscience Team Leader and Senior Geophysicist carrying out interpretation of
operated licences, 2D and 3D survey planning, contracts and control, equity
redetermination, and UK and international new ventures.
1993: Independent Consultant
Geophysicist for the HRDS/Count "Five Countries Central Graben" study (UK,
Norway, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands). Carried out field reserve audits on behalf
of government of Nigeria.
1990 to 1992: Sun International E & P Company Limited
Geophysicist working on exploration projects and new ventures in UK, Algeria,
Yemen and Argentina.
1988 to 1990: Conoco UK Limited
Prepared geophysical aspects of field development plan for 9/18a Buckland Field.
UKCS Gas basin exploration (Jupiter satellites and 11th Licensing Round).
1985 to 1998: Phillips Petroleum Company (UK) Limited
Audrey Field development. UKCS exploration in northern, central and southern North
Sea. Seismic processing of data from Egypt, UK and Denmark.
1981 to 1984: Hunting Geology and Geophysics Limited
Made a bold attempt to avoid becoming a desk-bound seismic interpreter by joining
Hunting to carry out geophysical fieldwork but gave up after managing only 7 months
away in Norway, Germany and Oman over a three and a half year period.