Australia’s Future Energy Resources project: the untapped potential of onshore low carbon energy resources

Thomas (Tom) Bernecker is a Geoscientist who holds an MSc from the University of Aachen (RWTH), Germany and a PhD from Melbourne’s La Trobe University. His early geological work involved the development of models for siliciclastic and carbonate depositional systems in NW Europe and in Australia. After a lectureship at the University of Melbourne, Tom joined the Victorian Department of Natural Resources and Energy where his work was focussed on the hydrocarbon prospectivity of the Gippsland and Otway basins. Tom joined Geoscience Australia in 2007 and is currently the Director of Energy Resources Advice and Promotion. Member: PESA, SEAPEX, SEPM.

Barry Bradshaw is a Geoscientist with over 30 years of experience undertaking geological and geophysical studies and play-based prospectivity studies for conventional and unconventional hydrocarbon resources, geological storage projects, and sediment-hosted mineral deposits. Barry is currently employed as the Energy Resources and Advice activity leader at Geoscience Australia, and has previously worked as a Principal Geologist at CGSS consultants, Senior Research Scientist at AGSO/Geoscience Australia and Research Scientist at Texas A&M University (USA). Barry graduated from the University of Sydney in 1988, and completed a PhD in Earth Sciences at the University of Waikato (New Zealand) in 1991.

Jeremy Iwanec is a Geoscientist with 20 years of petroleum industry experience. Jeremy completed a BSc (Honours) in Applied Geology from the University of New South Wales in 2002, before joining Oil Search Limited in 2003. At Oil Search, he worked on various projects across Papua New Guinea, Yemen and Kurdistan, undertaking play-based exploration studies, 2D and 3D seismic interpretation, structural and stratigraphic modelling, well planning and delivery, and resource assessments. In 2021, Jeremy joined Geoscience Australia as an Energy Resources Geoscientist where he is currently conducting studies of sediment-hosted energy resources.

Keith Bradey is a Geoscientist with over 35 years of experience in oil and gas exploration. He graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1984, and then completed a post graduate Diploma of Geoscience from Macquarie University in 1989. During his career, Keith has been involved in seismic acquisition and processing at Geophysical Service Inc. (GSI), as well as various exploration activities at Oil Search Limited. Keith now works in the Energy Resources and Advice team at Geoscience Australia.

Ryan Owens is a Geoscientist in the Energy Resources and Advice team at Geoscience Australia. He graduated from Australian National University in 2007 with a BSc in Geology (Hons). Subsequently he worked in mineral exploration before undertaking further studies in Paleoceanography at the Research School of Earth Sciences, ANU. Ryan joined Geoscience Australia in 2014 through the graduate program and has contributed to a variety of projects including the northern Houtman Sub-basin prospectivity study, the Geological and Bioregional Assessments of the Beetaloo and Cooper basins and the annual Acreage Release. Member: PESA, GSA.

Andrew Feitz is an Environmental Engineer and Director of Low Carbon Geoscience and Advice at Geoscience Australia. He holds a PhD from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and worked as a Senior Researcher at UNSW and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (Germany). Andrew leads Geoscience Australia’s efforts in supporting the implementation of the National Hydrogen Strategy.

Aleksandra Kalinowski is Assistant Director of Low Carbon Geoscience and Advice at Geoscience Australia and holds an undergraduate degree in Geology from the Australian National University and a PhD from the University of New South Wales. Aleks has worked on carbon capture, utilisation and storage over the past 20 years and continues to focus on research, advice and education around CCUS and other decarbonisation opportunities and low-emission energy resources.

Lidena Carr is a Geoscientist for the Onshore Energy Systems Directorate, Basins Systems Branch, Minerals, Energy and Groundwater Division, GA. She graduated from the ANU with a BA/BSc (Hons) in 2004, majoring in Geology and Human Ecology. In 2007, she joined GA with the then ACRES (satellite imagery), before moving to her current position as a Seismic Interpreter and Basin Analyst. She currently works within the EFTF.