About

Academic Background

RAS-Utah

Good problems begin in the field, and good solutions must fit observations and measurements from the field—Arvid Johnson

Professional Experience

Certifications

  • Licensed Professional Geologist TRPG_header(#11755) by the Texas Board of Professional Geoscientists (since April 2014).
  • Certificate, The University of Texas at Austin, “Human Dimensions of Organizations, with concentration in Organizational Improvement,” (March 2017).
  • Certificate, Rice University, “Strategic Project Management,” (May 2019).
  • Certificate, University of California Berkeley School of Law Executive Education, “ESG: Navigating the Board’s Role,” (July 2021). The course was ‘geared towards current and aspiring directors who are building their foundational knowledge of the role of corporate boards in ESG oversight.’

Continuing Professional Development (non-exhaustive list)

  • Technical Classes
    • Various technical classes in structural and seismic interpretation, petrophysics, pore pressure prediction, logging methods, ConocoPhillips.
    • “Well Integrity Management for Salt Caverns,” Solution Mining Research Institute, April 2017.
    • “Embracing Uncertainty: Probability in Risk Management,” Workshop led by Douglas Hubbard and Sam Savage, Chevron, Houston, November 2017.
    • “How to Be an Effective Expert Witness,” Workshop led by James J. Mangraviti, Jr. Esq., SEAK, Inc., Naples, FL, December 2017.
  • Hydrogen
    • “An Overview of Underground Hydrogen Storage.” Webinar sponsored by SPE, Shadi Salahshoor (GTI Energy), February 13, 2023.
    • “Underground Hydrogen Storage: Enabling a Hydrogen Economy at Scale.” Webinar sponsored by InterPore, Karin de Borst (Shell), May 9, 2023.
    • Participated in the US Department of Energy virtual workshop on “Bulk Storage of Gaseous Hydrogen,” Washington, DC, February 10–11, 2022.
    • “Enabling your Transition – Can you Decarbonize with Hydrogen?” Wood webinar, September 2, 2021.
    • “Oil & Gas Majors in Hydrogen,” Reuters, September 22, 2021.
  • Technical classes sponsored by SPE:
    • “When Rocks Stop Leaks: Geological Barriers in Well Integrity” — SPE technical class led by Matteo Loizzo, January 2018.
    • “Storage: The New Frontier of Integrity – What’s in it for Oil and Gas?” — SPE technical class led by Nicolas Bonnier, October 2018.
  • Webcast series sponsored by S&P Global Platts:
    • “Green Shoots: A Growing Hydrogen Economy,” March 18, 2020.
    • “Future of Energy in Focus: The Path Towards a Net-Zero Carbon Circular Economy,” Energy Transition Webinar, September 1, 2021.
  • Webcast series sponsored by PetroLern/Teverra:
    • “Geomechanical Assessment of Caprock Integrity for Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage Operations (CCUS),” March 20, 2021.
    • “Seven Sins of the Classic Wellbore Stability Models,” Hamed Soroush, October 26, 2021.
  • Webinar series sponsored by Greenberg Traurig, LLP:
    • “The Coming Hydrogen Revolution in Europe: Opportunities and Challenges,” DEEP.KBB and REBEL, November 12, 2020.
    • “Post-Election Impact on U.S. and Mexico Energy and Environmental Matters,” January 26, 2021.
    • “Hydrogen Infrastructure Challenges and Case Studies: Bumpy Road or Expressway to a Clean Fuel Future?” DEEP.KBB and Rebel Group, March 11, 2021.
    • “Hydrogen Infrastructure and Storage Projects,” DEEP.KBB and REBEL, June 10, 2021.
    • “Live from 2022 World Hydrogen North America Congress: A Conversation with Conference Participants,” April 5, 2022.
    • “Navigating the Hydrogen Horizon: Regulatory Update,” Webinar series sponsored by Greenberg Traurig, LLP,  September 26, 2023.
  • Webinar series sponsored by SPE:
    • “Geomechanical Challenges Associated with Massive Storage of CO2,” Mark Zoback, December 3, 2021.
    • “SPE Workshop: Well Integrity in a Changing World (preview),” April 28, 2022.
  • Webinar series sponsored by SPE/IOGCC:
    • “Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Webinar for Regulators” — IOGCC, June 29, 2021.
    • “CCS – CO2 Storage Management and Key Technical Challenges Regulators Face – Monitoring, Modeling, Sampling & Containment,” December 7, 2021.
    • “Development and Deployment of Low-Carbon-Intensity Hydrogen at Scale,” December 15, 2022.
    • “Technical Challenges of CO2 Regulatory Approval Procedures.” Webinar sponsored by SPE/IOGCC, October 4, 2023.
  • Various:
    • 2019 SPE Gulf Coast Section Geomechanics Congress on Recent Advancements in Petroleum Geomechanics, Houston, Texas, May 17, 2019.
    • “2021 Proxy Season: Trends and Insights,” National Association of Corporate Directors, June 17, 2021.

Patents

  • Amendt, D.V., P.K. Paul, S. Busetti, and R.A. Schultz (2012), Integrating rock ductility with fracture propagation mechanics for hydraulic fracture design. Intellectual property invention record (IR) patent application, Docket No. IR–41681–USPRO, initiated November 30, 2010, approved by ConocoPhillips for filing for U.S. Patent on November 21, 2011, on file at the U.S. Patent Office, serial number 61/828368.
  • Schultz, R.A., K.A. Soofi, and P.H. Hennings (2013), Satellite geodesy and reservoir performance. Intellectual property invention record (IR–42277) patent application, initiated December 18, 2013; approved by ConocoPhillips for filing for U.S. Patent on February 25, 2014; filed for U.S. Patent on December 18,2014; International (PCT) Patent Application Serial Number PCT/US2015/061565 filed November 19, 2015.

Board of Directors

  • American Rock Mechanics Association (ARMA), 2021–2027.

Advisory Committees and Funding Agency Panels

  • International Energy Agency (IEA), Hydrogen Technology Collaboration Programme (Hydrogen TCP), Task 42: Underground Hydrogen Storage Workplan.
  • International Gas Union: Gas Storage Working Committee (WOC2; invited US participant), Korean Triennium, China Triennium.
  • Interstate Oil & Gas Compact Commission (IOGCC):
    • Appointed by David Porter, Chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission and Official Representative for the State of Texas.
    • Member of the Natural Gas and Liquids Storage Work Group, States First (now State Oil & Gas Regulatory Exchange), and the Ground Water Protection Council, which was tasked with reformulating guidelines for regulations for safe storage of natural gas in underground spaces as part of the US national energy infrastructure (2016–2017).
    • Standing Committees on Energy Resources, Research, and Technology (ERRT); and Environment & Safety (2016–present).
  • Weatherford International Customer Advisory Board (2015).
  • NASA:
    • Review Panel, Planetary Geology and Geophysics Program (1997–2000, 2010).
    • Planetary Cartography and Geologic Mapping Working Group (PCGMWG) (1998–2000).
    • Review Panel, Mars Data Analysis Program (1998–2000; 2009–2010).
    • Mars ‘98 Surveyor Lander Instrument Science Review Panel, Washington, D.C. (1995).
    • Working Group on Kinematics and Mechanics of Structural Landforms on Mars (1988–1989).
  • National Science Foundation (NSF):
    • Invited participant, NeSS02, NSF-convened workshop on “Neutrinos and Subterranean Science,” Washington, D.C., which set policy directions for U.S. underground laboratories for high-energy physics, geobiology, and geoscience (2002).
    • Panel for CAREER Awards (national recognition of outstanding young scholars), Directorate for Engineering, Division of Civil and Mechanical Systems, Geomechanical, Geotechnical, and Geo-Environmental Systems Program (G3S), in Washington, D.C. (1997).
  • American Geophysical Union (AGU):
    • Invited member, Edward A. Flynn III Award Committee (for unselfish cooperation in research) (1996–1998).
    • Member, Physical Properties of Earth Materials focus group (1996–present; Steering Group (1996–1998).

Honors and Awards

  • Recipient of the Presidential Citation in recognition of the American Rock Mechanics Association (ARMA)’s Monthly News Crew, shared with Wencheng Jin, Wenzhuo Cao, Jerjes Porlles, Hui Wu, and Teeratorn Kadeethum (2023).
  • Recipient of the Presidential Citation for dedicated service managing the technical program for the 52nd US Rock Mechanics/Geomechanics Symposium, American Rock Mechanics Association (2018).
  • Elected Fellow of the Geological Society of America (2016).
  • Recipient of the 2016 Completions Optimization and Technology Region Award from SPE’s Gulf Coast North America Region.
  • Recipient of multiple awards at ConocoPhillips including Special Recognition Award for Subsurface Containment Analysis of Yuzhno Khylchuyu (YK) field, Russia; SPIRIT Award for Innovation, with Indonesia Water Management Team, for wastewater disposal and field assessment for subsurface containment assurance (highest award at ConocoPhillips for teams that add value through sustained, large-scale integrated effort); Certificate of Appreciation for Company-Wide Knowledge Sharing.
  • Awarded Foundation Professor of Geological Engineering and Geomechanics (one of the highest honors given to faculty at the University of Nevada to recognize outstanding and sustained excellence in teaching, research, and service) as recognized authority on geological engineering, structural geology, geomechanics, and planetary geosciences.
  • Most Cited Author, Elsevier: Multiple papers published in Tectonophysics and Journal of Structural Geology have been top downloads following their publication.
  • Founder and Charter Member, American Rock Mechanics Association (1996).
  • National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council postdoctoral fellow, at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland.
  • David Ross Fellow, Purdue University: Selected for 2-year fully-paid fellowship to support doctoral research following a university-wide competition.

Selected Activities

  • American Rock Mechanics Association (ARMA):
    • Board of Directors (Bylaws, Finance, Membership Committees)
    • Founding Chair, Underground Storage and Utilization Technical Committee, including pioneering the use of social media such as LinkedIn and YouTube to host videos and related materials for ARMA (2020–present).
    • Founding Chair, Distinguished Service Award Selection Committee (2020–2021).
    • Served as Technical Program Chair for the 2018 ARMA Rock Mechanics/Geomechanics Symposium in Seattle- the best one yet!
    • Founder and Charter Member (1996).
  • Editorial Service:
    • Editorial Boards
      • GeoScience Engineering
      • Lithosphere
    • Associate Editor, Journal of Geophysical Research, rock mechanics
    • Guest Editor
      • Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering
      • Journal of Structural Geology
    • Co-Editor, Interpretation, special section on “Natural Fracture Interpretation: What to Look For” (with S.E. Laubach, J.E. Olson, and R. Marrett); papers were published as individual contribution
  • NASA:
    • Organizer, the Canyonlands Grabens Initiatives, multi-university expeditions in 1996, 1997, and 1999.
    • Invited host and organizer for the international NASA/USGS Venus/Mars Geologic Mappers Meeting in Reno (1996).

Memberships



Back to Top