Chair

Mark Ireland

Dr Mark Ireland is currently a Senior Lecturer in Energy Geoscience at Newcastle University. Since 2023, he has also been academic Group Lead for Earth, Ocean, and Planetary Sciences. He is a geologist by training, with a PhD in geology from Durham University and an MESci in Exploration and Resource Geology from Cardiff University.

Mark started his career in the upstream oil and gas sector with bp, spending eight years in technical roles across the upstream part of the business. He now works on the decarbonisation of energy systems, specifically the role of geosciences in low carbon energy systems and the use and application of seismic reflection data to understand geological processes. He has led geoscience projects across academia and industry and is currently involved in a diverse range of applied research projects, spanning geothermal energy, energy storage, and carbon capture storage. His research includes collaborations with local and regional stakeholders and industry partners across the energy sector.

Vice Chair & Treasurer

Lin Ma

Lin is a lecturer focusing on multi-scale imaging and characterisation of rocks (Digital rocks) in geoenergy reservoirs and subsurface energy storage. She is also the theme lead of subsurface energy and storage at University of Manchester at Harwell and the Academic lead/co-chair of Women@manchester staff network at the university.

Lin's current research aims to build novel and advanced 3D/4D digital approaches and correlative experiments to fully understand the complicated pore networks and the reactions of subsurface energy (e.g. natural gas, geothermal, hydrogen and CO₂) with rocks under subsurface conditions (e.g. temperature, pressure, and chemistry) cross multiple scales (nm to cm). Machine learning tools and image-based modeling are applied for enhanced understanding of these topics. Lin's research aims to achieve the goal of enabling economic growth and environment protection via applications of clean energy extraction and subsurface energy storage.

Vice-Treasurer

Tiago Alves

Tiago Alves has a BSc in Engineering Geology (five years) from NOVA University in Lisbon (Portugal) and a PhD from the University of Manchester, UK (2002). He leads the 3D Seismic Laboratory, Cardiff University, since 2013. He is a Marine and Petroleum Geologist, and also a Lifetime Member of the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG), having gathered extensive field and offshore experience throughout his career.

Now a Professor at Cardiff University, Tiago is particularly interested in sustainable ways of producing geoenergy, and has worked on projects tackling carbon sequestration, hydrogen and geothermal solutions. Environmental aspects of coastal and marine areas, tectonic processes on continental margins, structural geology, and the de-risking of petroleum/geoenergy E&P prospects, are key themes of his research. He has thus far published more than 200 papers and was previously part of Geological Society's Awards Committee in the mid-2010s. He is also ranked as the most prolific author in the world, from 2001 to 2020, on the subject of submarine landslides and related geohazards.

Publications Officer

Robert Wilson

Over the past decade, Robert has co-convened a number of conferences/sessions (including Industrial Structural Geology, 2012 & Fault Seal Analysis, 2018, both in collaboration with the Petroleum Group), and hopes to continue this active participation in the coming years through collaboration with other experts in the Energy Group.

Robert holds a PhD (Structural Geology) from Durham University, and an MSc (Geochemisty) and BSc (Geological) from Leeds. He has been a Fellow of the Geological Society for 20 years and was the Tectonic Studies Group Industry rep. from 2010 to 2012.

Communications Officer

Munira Raji

Dr Munira Raji is a Sustainable Geoscience Research Fellow at the University of Plymouth. She also holds visiting researcher positions at the University of Portsmouth and Hull, and a Science Policy Fellowship with the American Geophysical Union (AGU).

Munira has a PhD in Geological Sciences from Durham University, a BSc in Geology from the University of Portsmouth, an MSc in Petroleum Geosciences from the University of Derby, and a Certificate in Science Diplomacy from the Institut Barcelona d'Estudis Internacionals. Her areas of research expertise revolve around sustainable geoscience, sustainable energy, geoscience diplomacy and the SDGs.

Munira's research is focused on identifying and developing strategies to accelerate the shift from traditional, non-renewable sources of energy to more sustainable energy sources in order to meet net zero by 2035. Munira is also interested in the geopolitical implications of the global energy transition and the resulting shift in the balance of power between nations. Her research also focuses on energy diplomacy and how it can promote sustainable energy while managing the impact of the energy transition on international relationships and trade. Munira was awarded the Early Career Energy Geoscientist Medal from the Geological Society of London Energy Group in October 2022.

Co-Communications Officer

Holly-Marie Owen

Holly graduated from Durham University in 2011 with an MSci in Geoscience. She has over a decade of experience as a Geoscientist at ERCE, a leading consultancy. The dynamic nature of consultancy work has allowed her to immerse herself in diverse geological settings across the globe. Holly's experiences span various reservoir types and data, providing her with a unique perspective on the complexities of geoscience and the energy sector.

Whilst Holly began her career working in the oil and gas industry, her adaptability and commitment to sustainable energy solutions have led her to engage in more contemporary projects involving Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), geothermal energy, hydrogen and helium exploration. Her current role as a Future of Energy Lead at ERCE underscores her dedication to advancing sustainable energy practices.

Holly has been an active participant in the wider energy community for many years. Her involvement as a GESGB Council Member, representing industry Young Professionals, highlights her commitment to nurturing the next generation of energy experts. Additionally, Holly has contributed her insights and expertise to two Horizon 2020 research consortiums, ShalexEnvironment and Science4CleanEnergy, serving on their advisory boards.

Holly is committed to the advancement of cleaner and more efficient energy systems. She has a deep understanding of the complex challenges facing the energy sector and an unwavering commitment to finding innovative solutions. She looks forward to assisting the Energy Group in advancing our community towards a sustainable energy future.

Student Representative

Lydia Brown

Lydia Brown is a PhD student at the University of Leeds, where her research focuses on developing integrated 3D models to enhance the design of wind turbine foundations and related infrastructure. Through her work, she aims to bridge the communication gap between geoscientific research and geotechnical engineering. These models will bring together geotechnical, geophysical, and geomorphological datasets with key geoscientific concepts, making them accessible and relevant to both industry and academia.

Lydia holds a BSc (Hons) in Geology and Petroleum Geology from the University of Aberdeen and an MSc in Structural Geology with Geophysics from the University of Leeds. After completing her MSc, she worked for three years in the ground investigation industry as a geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineer before returning to academia in 2024 to pursue her PhD.

Alison Monaghan

Dr Alison Monaghan is currently Head of Geothermal at the British Geological Survey. She is a geologist with a track record of multidisciplinary research projects across the UK. Alison previously led the science delivery of the UK Geoenergy Observatory in Glasgow, focused on mine water geothermal science, environmental monitoring and open data. She has core skills in Carboniferous geology onshore and offshore the UK and in basin analysis and geological modelling. Over her BGS career she has worked on geoenergy projects from coal, conventional and unconventional hydrocarbons to CCS, geothermal and in urban environments, commonly in collaboration with Government, industry and academic partners. Alison was awarded an MBE for services to geology in 2021 and the Coke Medal of the Geological Society in 2022.

Clare Glover

Clare is a geologist with a background in sedimentology, stratigraphy and regional geology that specialises in building comprehensive integrated analysis to support the evaluation of subsurface opportunities.  Clare completed a Natural Sciences degree at the University of Cambridge then spent an exchange year at the University of Chicago (where she dabbled in taphonomy!) before moving to the University of Edinburgh to complete her PhD on neotectonics and sedimentology in southern Turkey.

After completing her studies, Clare joined ExxonMobil where she has worked as a geoscientist for almost 30 years. As an exploration geologist she has worked on projects across the globe, with particular focus in the North Sea, Atlantic Margin and South/East Africa. Since 2021 she has been a senior geoscience advisor and technical lead developing and supporting CCS opportunities around the UK.

In recent years Clare has co-convened several conferences and is a STEM advocate whenever the opportunity arises. She is passionate about promoting the joy and value of geoscience to the next generation; supporting the energy transition through CCS; enabling scientific collaboration and encouraging public engagement.

Stephen Eaton 

Stephen is a geoscientist with over 17 years of experience in the energy sector. He holds a BSc in Earth Science from The University of Liverpool and an MSc in Integrated Petroleum Geoscience from Aberdeen University. Stephen began his career as a petrophysicist in the oil and gas industry, working within an exploration team in Bergen, Norway. After 10 years focused on exploration on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, he pursued a PhD at the University of Leeds. His PhD research on southern North Sea Quaternary sequences used Offshore Wind Farm data to investigate the sedimentary record and understand landscape responses to glacial/interglacial cycles, crucial for ground model development in formerly glaciated margins.

Post-PhD, Stephen has worked on ground modelling projects for nuclear sites at Jacobs and more recently for Arup, focusing on offshore renewable projects where he develops integrated ground model and undertakes geohazard assessments for wind farms sites.

Kirsty Simpson

Pending