Zbynek is a passionate geologist. After several field seasons in the Cantabrian Mountains for his PhD thesis, his first industry job led him to the Libyan desert. Having passed the furnace stage, he was sent to Norway for water-proofing and cooling. Zbynek leads our stratigraphic and sedimentological services, based on image logs and cores. From the main office in Stavanger he also coordinates sales and marketing for the Eriksfiord group.
Bernd contributed to most of the geological applications modules of Recall® (Halliburton/Landmark) during his time at Z&S: Speed correction, interactive spherical statistics, geomechanical interpretation. As leader of the “numerical” team, he was ensuring a consistent high quality of commercial image processing. At PGS and Landmark, he built the interface between the Petrobank (Oracle) database and Recall, and worked as Dev-Lead on R&D projects such as the Java DecisionSpace® platform. Bernd is now developing the business of the Eriksfiord group in the Americas, and building specialized software to support our geology and geomechanics interpretation staff.
“Spherical statistics for paleocurrent and structural analysis, matrix algebra and quadratic forms in geomechanics. There are infinitely many interpretation methods waiting to be implemented by mathematicians who have the latest software development tools available. It gives me a thrill to make mathematics useful to my curious team-mates and demanding clients.”
– Bernd Ruehlicke
Taming the Thunder Horse with Axes and Vectors. SPWLA 62nd Annual Logging Symposium; 17-20.5.2021, SPWLA-2021-008
The directional statistics used in rock magnetism are similar to those we use in the analysis of subsurface structures, be they of deformational or depositional origin. At Eriksfiord, I work with deformation of rocks, a) in the form of visibly accomplished geological structures and b) as structural geology waiting to happen, also known as geomechanics.
For the Central Europe representation of Eriksfiord, I have chosen a location close to Heidelberg, for good contact to the world of academic geoscience, and to Frankfurt, for efficient communication to oilcompany and wellsite locations around the world.
Subsurface geologists never get to see the rocks we work on, and are every day forced to accept multiple possible explanations of our observations, ever more complex as data acquisition technology develops. Quoting Douglas Adams: “There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory which states that this has already happened.”
2022: Eriksfiord Aps, Denmark, managing director.
2020-2022: Consulting geologist, Johanne Paludan Geoscience.
2000-2020: Baker Hughes Geoscience, various international postings.
1997-2000: Z&S Geologi, Stavanger, Norway.
1995: Ph.D. thesis “Structural evolution of the Bjerkreim-Sokndal layered intrusion, SW Norway: Micro to macro scale studies”. University of Aarhus, Denmark.
Johanne started her professional career with the Z&S consultancy in Norway, where she first developed her passion for borehole images. She carried this with her, as Z&S was incorporated into the Baker Hughes organization, in which she has held a number of positions, centered on development and application of imaging technology. The natural link between structural geology and geomechanics also led to a strong interest in the latter and an active involvement in the practical application of geomechanics in reservoir development. Returning to her roots, she now manages the Danish branch of the Eriksfiord Group from her hometown in North Denmark, where she focusses on structural analysis, fracture characterization and geomechanics for clients world-wide.
“Having been part of the world of borehole imaging for more than 25 years, I am amazed how the technology continues to evolve and push the boundaries for resolution. However, the fundamental principle of image analysis remains the same: An understanding of the processes that affect the deposition and modification of the reservoir and an eye for that extra piece of the puzzle, which the image log provides to make the picture complete.”
