My name is Russell Davies and over the last 30 years I have worked in the oil and gas industry solving problems related to exploration and development in characterizing the compartmentalization of subsurface reservoirs.  I have a PhD in structural geology from Texas A&M University Center for Tectonophysics.  After completing my degree I went to work for Shell in New Orleans where I had a position as an exploration and production geologist in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico.  It was at Shell, as a young, know-it-all, PhD that I was humbled by the knowledge and experience of my colleagues.  This was an important moment in my career.

After three years in Exploration and Production, I wanted a shift to a more focused position in a technology team and move to north Texas to work in the ARCO structural geology team.  I worked as an internal consultant on projects worldwide.

In 2000, BP acquired ARCO and I joined a consulting company, Rock Deformation Research, a spin-out company from the University of Leeds started by Professor Rob Knipe.  I started Rock Deformation USA, Inc. based in north Dallas and owned by the UK company.  It was during this tenure that I developed a more focused expertise in fault seal analysis but continued to apply my skills in seismic interpretation of complex structures, fractured reservoirs and training.  Our clients were again worldwide although i spent more time with US-based companies particularly with a focus on describing deformation and measuring the properties of small faults in core from the deepwater Gulf of Mexico.

Although primarily a service company, in the later years, Rock Deformation Research, developed a software module for fault seal analysis that was integrated with the SLB (Schlumberger) software, Petrel.   The development of this module, structural and fault analysis module, essentially drove the acquisition of Rock Deformation Research by SLB in 2014.

I now found myself in a new position in a service company.  I remained in North Dallas, and as a Global Structural Geology Advisor for SLB, I continued to apply my structural geology expertise in exploration and development for companies across the globe and teach courses in fault seal and natural fracture characterization. My reputation in fault seal analysis and natural fracture characterization were important to many NOCs and Major oil and gas companies. These skills, however, soon transferred to projects in carbon capture and sequestration where the risk of the containment for caprocks and faults is a major concern.

In August 2023, I left SLB for the final chapter in my career from major oil and gas companies, to midsize independent structural geology consulting company, to service company and now independent consultant.  I have decided to start Redlands Fault Geological Consulting LLC to market my skills to interested companies in oil and gas and carbon capture and sequestration.  This website will help you better understand my services.  A resume is available upon request.