INTEGRATED SUBSURFACE INTERPRETATION & UNCERTAINTY MANAGEMENT IN COMPLEX GEOLOGICAL SETTINGS

Steve Matthews

Retired Director
& Consultant Geologist
(Frontier Structure Ltd.)

Steve has over 40 years of industry experience and founded Frontier Structure in March 2015. Now retired from commercial geoscience, Steve continues to pursue his personal research interests in geology focused on field study and 3D modelling of fold - thrust belt characteristics and their precursor settings.

Steve graduated in Geology from Swansea University in 1980 and completed his research training (PhD) in field-based structural geology at the University of Leeds in 1983.

He then worked for Robertson Research International as a structural geologist for 5 years (1984 – 1988) on a variety of proprietary and non-proprietary geological studies, prior to joining BP Exploration.

Steve was a BP geologist for 26 years, from 1989 to 2014. Initially (1989 – 2003) as an exploration structural geologist on numerous projects globally, including the Colombian Eastern Cordillera and Foothills, the Nam Con Son Basin of Vietnam, onshore and offshore Venezuela, the Mississippi Canyon / Atwater Valley areas of the USA Gulf of Mexico and the Arabian Peninsula / Zagros fold and thrust belt.

Subsequent roles with BP (2004 - 2014) included being a member of the global technical assurance team, leadership of BP's 'Structural Geology Network', management of the 'Arctic Regional Project', leadership of the Asia Pacific access team and Exploration Director responsible for basin analysis.

Steve founded Frontier Structure Ltd. in 2015. Focus during the period 2015 – 2023 was on provision of coaching, mentoring, systematic structural interpretation of 3D seismic datasets and uncertainty management in fold / thrust belts, and integrated geological training course delivery in the French Alps.

Additional external contributions have included being an Advisory Editor for The Journal of the Geological Society (2001 – 2007) and an External Examiner for the University of Leeds MSc in Structural Geology with Geophysics (2017 - 2020).

Steve has authored or co-authored several publications, co-convened 2 Geological Society conferences and has been an invited speaker at AAPG and GSA Penrose conferences.

Steve has authored or co-authored several publications, co-convened 2 Geological Society conferences and has been an invited speaker at AAPG and GSA Penrose conferences.

Please click here to view Steve's CV

Exploration of geological feature in Iran

Arctic
Matthews, S.J., Guryanov, A. & BP Arctic Team. 2013. Onshore to offshore regional-scale evolution in the area of the Eastern Seas, Russian Arctic. AAPG Polar Petroleum Potential (3-P) Conference and Exhibition, 15-18 October 2013, Stavanger, Norway.
Matthews, S.J. & BP Arctic Team. 2009. Regional geological context of Arctic frontier basins. AAPG Polar Petroleum Potential (3-P) Conference and Exhibition, 30 September – 2 October, Moscow, Russia.
Matthews, S.J., Birkeland, E., Fugelli, E., Guryanov, A., Hansen, E-K., Ivanova, N., Ivanov, G., Kittilsen, J-E., Matveev, Yu., Milner, P., Piggott, N., Roslov, Yu., Stover, C. & Verba, M. 2006. Tectonostratigraphic evolution of the Russian Barents and South Kara Sea Basins. Third International Conference "Oil and Gas of the Arctic Shelf", 15-17 November 2006, Murmansk, Russia.
Matthews, S.J., Fugelli, E., Guryanov, A., Hansen, E-K., Ivanova, N., Ivanov, G., Kittilsen, J-E., Matveev, Yu., Milner, P., Roslov, Yu. & Stover, C. 2006. Mesozoic tectonostratigraphic evolution of the Barents and South Kara sea sedimentary basins. International Scientific-Technical Conference "Oil, Gas, Arctic", Moscow, 27-29 June 2006, Russian State University of Oil and Gas (I.M.Goubkin).
Stover, C., Birkeland, E., Fugelli, E., Galimov E., Guryanov, A., Hansen, E-K., Kittilsen, J-E., Matthews, S.J., Milner, P., Nemchenko-Rovenskaya A., Piggott, N & Sevastyanov V. 2004. Exploring from the source rock up: A regional view of the Barents and Kara Sea petroleum systems. Second International Conference "Oil and Gas of the Arctic shelf", 2004, Murmansk, Russia.

Alps
Dumont, T., Verly, A., Lanari, P. & Matthews, S.J. 2015. Structure and restoration of the Briançonnais Zone: a reappraisal of the early Alpine deformation episodes. 12th Emile Argand Conference on Alpine Geological Studies, 13-19 September 2015, Briançon & Montgenevre, France.
Dumont, T., Franzi, V. & Matthews, S.J. 2012. Gravity sliding in a basinal setting, a surficial record of tectonic and geodynamic evolution; examples from the southern W Alps and their foreland. Geophysical Research Abstracts Vol. 14, EGU2012- 11096, 2012. EGU General Assembly, Vienna, Austria.
Butler, R.W.H., Matthews, S.J. & Parish, M.P. 1986. The NW external Alpine Thrust Belt and its implications for the geometry of the Western Alpine Orogen. In: Collision Tectonics, Special Publication of the Geological Society, 19, 245-260.

Asia Pacific
Fraser, A.J. & Matthews, S.J. 1997. Petroleum geology of SE Asia: an introduction. In: Petroleum Geology of Southeast Asia. Special Publication of the Geological Society, 126, 1-2.
Matthews, S.J., Fraser, A.J., Lowe, S., Todd, S.P. & Peel, F.J. 1997. Structure, stratigraphy and petroleum geology of the SE Nam Con Son Basin, offshore Vietnam. In: Petroleum Geology of Southeast Asia. Special Publication of the Geological Society, 126, 89-106.
Roques, D., Matthews, S.J. & Rangin, C. 1997. Constraints on strike-slip motion along the Vietnam margin offshore Da Nang: implications for the opening of the East Vietnam Sea and regional hydrocarbon potential. In: Petroleum Geology of Southeast Asia. Special Publication of the Geological Society, 126, 341-353.
Samuel, M.A., Harbury, N.A., Jones, M.E. & Matthews, S.J. 1995. Inversion controlled uplift of an outer-arc ridge: Nias Island, offshore Sumatra. In: Basin Inversion, Special Publication of the Geological Society, 88, 473-492.
Matthews, S.J. & Bransden, P.J.E. 1995. Late Cretaceous and Cenozoic tectonostratigraphic development of the East Java Sea Basin, Indonesia. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 12, 499-510.
Matthews, S.J. & Todd, S.P. 1993. A tectonostratigraphic model for the southern Nam Con Son Basin, offshore Vietnam. In: Proceedings 1st International Conference on Stratigraphy of the Continental Shelf of Vietnam.
Bransden, P.J.E & Matthews, S.J. 1992. Structural and stratigraphic evolution of the ZEast Java Sea, Indonesia. In: Proceedings Indonesian Petroleum Association, 21st Annual Convention. 417-453.

Gulf of Mexico
Peel, F.J., & Matthews, S.J. 1999. Structural styles of traps in deepwater fold / thrust belts of the northern Gulf Of Mexico. AAPG International Conference and Exhibition, 12-15 September 12-15 1999, Birmingham, England.
Matthews, S.J., Bevan, T.G., Hall. S.H. & Valderrama, M. 1998. Evaluation of structural models for deep-water fold belt evolution in the northern Gulf of Mexico. AAPG Hedberg Research Conference: Integration of geologic models for understanding risk in the Gulf of Mexico, 20-24 September 1998, Galveston, Texas, USA.

Iran
Daly, M.C., Matthews, S.J., Goff, J. & Ruiz, C. 2004. Detachment, and a future for Middle East petroleum exploration. Continental Tectonics: A discussion meeting in memory and celebration of the life and work of Mike Coward. 27-28 May 2004. The Geological Society, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London, UK.
Ruiz, C.C., Matthews, S.J., Goff, J.C., Jones, R.W., Whiteley, N.J., Shamshiri, M., Farmani, F. & Jahani, S. 2004. Mid Miocene - Recent tectonostratigraphic evolution of the northeast Dezful Embayment, southwest Iran. GEO 2004 6th Middle East Geosciences Conference and Exhibition, 7-10 March, Kingdom of Bahrain.

Norway
Roberts, A.M., Corfield, R.I., Kusznir, N.J., Matthews, S.J., Hansen, E-K & Hooper, R.J. 2009. Mapping palaeostructure and palaeobathymetry along the Norwegian continental margin: More and Voring Basins. Petroleum Geoscience V15, 27-43

Oil & Gas Structural Geology
Needham, D.T., Matthews, S.J. & Butler, R.W.H. 2004. Oil & gas in compressional belts. Marine and Petroleum Geology V21, 783-784.
Matthews, S.J., Bentham, P., Buddin, T., Gibson, R. & Purnell, N. 2002. Structural model assessment in deep-water compressional settings: exploration impact in the Gulf of Mexico and Amazon Slope Basins. AAPG Annual International Meeting Cairo, Egypt October 27-30, 2002, Cairo, Egypt.

Scotland (NW)
Butler, R.W.H. & Matthews, S.J. 2009. Moine Thrust Belt, Dundonnell. In: Lewisian, Torridonian and Moine Rocks of Scotland. Geological Conservation Review Series, 296-299.
Butler, R.W.H. & Matthews, S.J. 2009. Moine Thrust Belt, Slioch – Heights of Kinlochewe. In: Lewisian, Torridonian and Moine Rocks of Scotland. Geological Conservation Review Series, 302-307.
Butler, R.W.H. & Matthews, S.J. 2009. Moine Thrust Belt, Meall a'Ghiubhias. In: Lewisian, Torridonian and Moine Rocks of Scotland. Geological Conservation Review Series, 307-311.
Butler, R.W.H., Matthews, S.J. & Morgan, R.K. 2007. Structural evolution of the Achnashellach culmination, southern Moine Thrust Belt: testing the duplex model. In: Deformation of the Continental Crust: The Legacy of Mike Coward. Special Publication of the Geological Society, 272, 103-120.
Butler, R.W.H., Holdsworth, R.E. & Matthews, S.J. 2006. Styles of basement involvement in the Moine Thrust Belt, NW Scotland. Geological Society of America Special Papers V414, 133-151.

Steve Matthews

Retired Director & Consultant Geologist(Frontier Structure Ltd.)

Retired Director
& Consultant Geologist
(Frontier Structure Ltd.)