Staff profile

2016-2020; “Academic Master”, Project of Subject Innovation and Talents Attraction in Higher Education (111 Project), China University of Petroleum, Qingdao

2014 – 2018 — Director, Centre for Research into Earth Energy Systems 

2013 – present — Professor, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Durham

1990 – 2013 — Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Professor of Petroleum Geoscience, Newcastle University

2007 – 2008 — Advisor, Overburden Characterisation, BP (part time)

2001 – 2016 — Honorary Professor, Institute of Petroleum Engineering, Heriot Watt University

1997 – 1999, 2001 – 2002 — Director, Dept. of Fossil Fuels and Environmental Geochemistry, Newcastle University, UK

1994 — Visiting Professor, École Normale Superieure, Paris, France

1984 – 1990 — Inorganic Geochemist, British Petroleum Research Centre

1983 – 1984 — Royal Society European Exchange Fellow, CRPG, Nancy, France.

1983 — Ph.D. Marine Geochemistry, Imperial College, London

1978 — B.Sc. Environmental Science, University of East Anglia

Career Research Highlights

I am a geoscientist with a particular interest in shales and mudstones. After PhD and postdoctoral research in marine and isotope geochemistry, I spent several years with BP and many at Newcastle University, before joining the department in 2013. With students and RAs, I have worked on many problems linked to the physical and chemical properties of fine-grained sediments, including seals to petroleum reservoirs and CO2 storage sites, leakage, gas shales, and pore pressure estimation. Aiming to apply high quality science to help answer industrially and societally important questions, much of my work has an industrial context and involves collaboration with a diverse range of earth and other physical scientists. I have been involved with and led several, major Joint Industry Projects, have published around 100 peer-reviewed papers and was awarded the Wallace E. Pratt Memorial Award for Best Paper in AAPG Bulletin in both 2009 and 2013.

Committee and Society Service

2009 - 2010; Panel Member, United Arab Emirates National Research Foundation

2005-present; Member, Petromaks Review Committee, Research Council of Norway

Conferences and Workshops

2017; Unconventional Hydrocarbons Theme: Co-convenor, AAPG ICE, London

2014; Organising Committee: SPE Conference on Exploration and Development of Shale and Shale-Associated Reservoirs, Vienna

2013; Organising Committee: EAGE/SEG Research Workshop Geology/Rock Physics Control on Seismic VTI/TTI Model Building, with Particular Focus on Shale, Paris

2013; Geochemistry of Energy Theme: Co-convenor, Goldschmidt: Geochemical Society

2012; Geochemistry of Energy Theme: Co-convenor, European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers

2012; Organizing committee: Conference on Deep-Water Continental Margins: The final exploration frontier, The Geological Society of London

2008: Co-convenor; EAGE Research Workshop on Shale

2009: Co-convenor; SPE-AAPG-SEG Pore Pressure Workshop

2009; 2012: Co-convenor; EAGE Fault and Top Seal Research Workshop

2010: Convenor; EAGE Research Workshop on Shale

Editorial Roles

2008 - 2017; Associate Editor, Marine Petroleum Geology

2010 - 2017; Associate Editor, Petroleum Geoscience

Invited Keynotes

2021; NPF, Norway

2018; Houston Geological Society, USA

2015; LowPerm2015, Rueil Malmaison

2015; Euroclay2015, Edinburgh

2015; Petroleum Geology of NW Europe, London

2015; Geomechanical and Petrophysical Properties of Mudrocks, London

2014; North Africa Oil and Gas Summit

2014; ECSSR 20^th Annual Energy Conference: Future Energy Trends: Innovation, Markets, and Geopolitics, Abu Dhabi

2014; “The Environmental Challenges of the Mexican Energy Reform”, CentroMarioMolina, Mexico City

2014; Shale UK 2014, London

2014; Fourth EAGE Shale Workshop, Porto

2013; British Sedimentological Research Group Annual Meeting, Hull

2013; Society of Exploration Geophysicists D&P Forum, Integrated Geophysics for Unconventional Resources, Krakow

2012; Statoil Research Summit, Trondheim

2012; Bulgarian Energy Forum and commentator, Bulgarian Parliamentary Energy Committee, Sofia

2012; Gordon Conference on Organic Geochemistry

2012; UK Shale Summit, London

2012; ENI G&G Well Operations Technology Transfer Workshop, Milan

2012; IGEM European Shale Gas Conference, Durham

2012; "Shale Petrophysics", Statoil Shale Petrophysics Workshop

2012; "Shale Gas in Europe: Some Key Research Challenges", IGEM European Shale Gas Conference

2011; "Source rocks; Character, Prediction and value, The Geological Society of London

Membership of Organizations and Societies

2003 - 2017; Member, European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers

2006 - ongoing; Member, American Association of Petroleum Geologists

Prizes and Awards

2013; Wallace E. Pratt Memorial Award for Best Paper in AAPG Bulletin 2011, American Association of Petroleum Geologists

2009; Wallace E. Pratt Memorial Award for Best Paper in AAPG Bulletin 2007, American Association of Petroleum Geologists

Recent and Current Grants

2018-2022; Impact of hydraulic fracturing in the overburden of shale resource plays: Process-based evaluation (SHAPE-UK), £250k, NERC

2015-2019; Quantifying Controls of Pore Systems in Carbonate-rich Shales, £20k, Shell

2015-2016; Relationships between observed hydrocarbon column heights and seal capacity, £50k, Woodside

2012-2016; Multi-scale Characterisation of the Bakken Formation, £100k, Statoil

2012 - 2016; GeoPOP Phase 3, £550k, funded by Industry

2010 - 2013; Caprocks Phase 3; £1.1 million; with Leeds, Cardiff and Heriot-Watt Universities, funded by Industry

2009 - 2012; GASH (Shale Gas Europe), funded by Industry

2008 - 2011; Shale Gas Canada; with Calgary University, funded by Industry

2008 - 2011; CASE Studentship: Origin of ultra-high pore pressure, funded by NERC and Shell

2007 - 2010; Quartz Cementation, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and BP

2006 - 2009; Caprocks: Phase 2; with Heriot-Watt and Cardiff Universities, funded by a consortium of 6 Oil Majors

2005 - 2008; Ph.D. Studentship; Non-mechanical compaction of mudstones, funded by NERC and BP

2005 - 2008; NERC in-kind Grant: "Toward process-based design of passive systems for treatment of acidic mine and spoil heap drainage". Co -PI with Adam Jarvis

2006 - 2008; Caprocks: Phase 2, funded by a consortium of 6 Oil Majors

2004 - 2007; NERC Standard Grant: UK Carbon Capture and Storage Consortium

2002 - 2005; Caprocks: Phase 1. With Heriot-Watt and Cardiff Universities, funded by a consortium of 8 Oil Majors

Research Interests

My interests are mainly rooted in petroleum geoscience, although I also have a background in environmental geochemistry. My work focusses especially on fine-grained sediments, including seals to petroleum reservoir and CO2 storage sites, gas/oil shales, fluid flow including leakage and migration.

Authored book

• Aplin, A., & Macquaker, J. (2010). #20, Getting Started in Shales. AAPG/Datapages

Chapter in book

• Aplin, A., & Moore, J. (2016). Observations of pore systems of natural siliciclastic mudstones. In T. Schäfer, R. Dohrmann, & H. Greenwell (Eds.), Filling the gaps - from microscopic pore structures to transport properties in shales (33-44). Clay Minerals Society. https://doi.org/10.1346/cms-wls-21.3
• Bernard, S., Wirth, R., Schreiber, A., Bowen, L., Aplin, A., Mathia, E., …Horsfield, B. (2013). FIB-SEM and TEM investigations of an organic-rich shale maturation series (Lower Toarcian Posidonia Shale): Nanoscale pore system and fluid-rock interactions. In W. Camp, E. Diaz, & B. Wawak (Eds.), Electron microscopy of shale hydrocarbon reservoirs (53-66). AAPG

Journal Article

• Graham, S. P., Aplin, A. C., Rouainia, M., Ireland, M. T., & Armitage, P. J. (2023). A micromechanical investigation of diagenetically-induced changes to the anisotropic elastic properties of calcareous mudstones. Geomechanics and Geophysics for Geo-Energy and Geo-Resources, 9(1), Article 107. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40948-023-00634-z
• Obradors-Prats, J., Calderon Medina, E., Jones, S., Rouainia, M., Aplin, A., & Crook, A. (2023). Integrating petrophysical, geological and geomechanical modelling to assess stress states, overpressure development and compartmentalisation adjacent to a salt wall, gulf of Mexico. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 155, Article 106352. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2023.106352
• Charlton, T., Rouainia, M., Aplin, A., Fisher, Q., & Bowen, L. (2023). Nanoindentation of Horn River Basin Shales: The Micromechanical Contrast Between Overburden and Reservoir Formations. Journal of Geophysical Research. Solid Earth, 128(3), Article e2022JB025957. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022jb025957
• Oye, O. J., Aplin, A. C., Orland, I. J., & Valley, J. W. (2023). Low volumes of quartz cement in deeply buried Fulmar Formation sandstones explained by a low effective stress burial history. Geoenergy Science and Engineering, 221, Article 211383. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoen.2022.211383
• Li, Y., Zha, M., Song, R., Aplin, A. C., Bowen, L., Wang, X., & Zhang, Y. (2021). Microstructure and pore systems of shallow-buried fluvial mudstone caprocks in Zhanhua Depression, east China inferred from SEM and MICP. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 132, Article 105189. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2021.105189
• Charlton, T., Goodarzi, M., Rouainia, M., Aplin, A., & Cubillas, P. (2021). Effect of Diagenesis on Geomechanical Properties of Organic‐rich Calcareous Shale: A Multiscale Investigation. Journal of Geophysical Research. Solid Earth, 126(7), Article e2020JB021365. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020jb021365
• Graham, S., Rouainia, M., Aplin, A., Cubillas, P., Fender, T., & Armitage, P. (2021). Geomechanical characterisation of organic-rich calcareous shale using AFM and nanoindentation. Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering, 54, 303-320. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-020-02261-6
• Böker, U., Dodd, T., Goldberg, T., & Aplin, A. (2020). Microbial cycling, migration and leakage of light alkanes in the Nile Delta tertiary fan. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 121, Article 104578. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2020.104578
• Atar, E., Aplin, A. C., Lamoureux-Var, V., März, C., & Wagner, T. (2020). Sedimentation of the Kimmeridge Clay Formation in the Cleveland Basin (Yorkshire, UK). Minerals, 10(11), Article 977. https://doi.org/10.3390/min10110977
• Oye, O. J., Aplin, A. C., Jones, S. J., Gluyas, J. G., Bowen, L., Harwood, J., …Valley, J. W. (2020). Vertical effective stress and temperature as controls of quartz cementation in sandstones: Evidence from North Sea fulmar and Gulf of Mexico Wilcox sandstones. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 115, Article 104289. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2020.104289
• Rexer, T. F., Mathia, E. J., Aplin, A. C., & Thomas, K. M. (2020). Supercritical methane adsorption and storage in pores in shales and isolated kerogens. SN Applied Sciences, 2(4), Article 780. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42452-020-2517-6
• Atar, E., März, C., Schnetger, B., Wagner, T., & Aplin, A. (2019). Local to global controls on the deposition of organic-rich muds across the Late Jurassic Laurasian Seaway. Journal of the Geological Society, 176(6), 1143-1153. https://doi.org/10.1144/jgs2019-031
• Obradors‐Prats, J., Rouainia, M., Aplin, A., & Crook, A. (2019). A diagenesis model for geomechanical simulations: formulation and implications for pore pressure and development of geological structures. Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, 124, 4452-4472. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018jb016673
• Mathia, E. J., Rexer, T. F., Thomas, K. M., Bowen, L., & Aplin, A. C. (2019). Influence of Clay, Calcareous Microfossils and Organic Matter on the Nature and Diagenetic Evolution of Pore Systems in Mudstones. Journal of Geophysical Research. Solid Earth, 124(1), 149-174. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018jb015941
• Atar, E., März, C., Aplin, A. C., Dellwig, O., Herringshaw, L. G., Lamoureux-Var, V., …Wagner, T. (2019). Dynamic climate-driven controls on the deposition of the Kimmeridge Clay Formation in the Cleveland Basin, Yorkshire, UK. Climate of the Past, 15(4), 1581-1601. https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-15-1581-2019
• Oye, O. J., Aplin, A. C., Jones, S. J., Gluyas, J. G., Bowen, L., Orland, I. J., & Valley, J. W. (2018). Vertical effective stress as a control on quartz cementation in sandstones. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 98, 640-652. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2018.09.017
• Brodie, M. W., Aplin, A. C., Hart, B., Orland, I. J., Valley, J. W., & Boyce, A. J. (2018). Oxygen Isotope Microanalysis By Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry Suggests Continuous 300-million-year History of Calcite Cementation and Dolomitization in the Devonian Bakken Formation. Journal of Sedimentary Research, 88(1), 91-104. https://doi.org/10.2110/jsr.2018.1
• Obradors-Prats, J., Rouainia, M., Aplin, A., & Crook, A. (2017). Hydromechanical modeling of stress, pore pressure and porosity evolution in fold-and-thrust belt systems. Journal of Geophysical Research. Solid Earth, 122(11), 9383-9403. https://doi.org/10.1002/2017jb014074
• Day-Stirrat, R. J., Aplin, A. C., Kurtev, K. D., Schleicher, A. M., Brown, A. P., & Środoń, J. (2017). Late diagenesis of illite-smectite in the Podhale Basin, southern Poland: Chemistry, morphology, and preferred orientation. Geosphere, 13(6), 2137-2153. https://doi.org/10.1130/ges01516.1
• Hattori, G., Trevelyan, J., Augarde, C., Coombs, W., & Aplin, A. (2017). Numerical simulation of fracking in shale rocks: current state and future approaches. Archives of Computational Methods in Engineering, 24(2), 281-317. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11831-016-9169-0
• Goodarzi, M., Rouainia, M., Aplin, A., Cubillas, P., & de Block, M. (2017). Predicting the elastic response of organic-rich shale using nanoscale measurements and homogenisation methods. Geophysical prospecting, 65(6), 1597-1614. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2478.12475
• Obradors-Prats, J., Rouainia, M., Aplin, A., & Crook, A. (2017). Assessing the implications of tectonic compaction on pore pressure using a coupled geomechanical approach. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 79, 31-43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2016.10.017
• Goulty, N., Sargent, C., Andras, P., & Aplin, A. (2016). Compaction of diagenetically altered mudstones - Part 1: Mechanical and chemical contributions. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 77, 703-713. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2016.07.015
• Obradors-Prats, J., Rouainia, M., Aplin, A., & Crook, A. (2016). Stress and pore pressure histories in complex tectonic settings predicted with coupled geomechanical-fluid flow models. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 76, 464-477. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2016.03.031
• Goodarzi, M., Rouainia, M., & Aplin, A. (2016). Numerical evaluation of mean-field homogenisation methods for predicting shale elastic response. Computational Geosciences, 20(5), 1109-1122. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10596-016-9579-y
• Mathia, E., Bowen, L., Thomas, K., & Aplin, A. (2016). Evolution of porosity and pore types in organic-rich, calcareous, Lower Toarcian Posidonia Shale. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 75, 117-139. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2016.04.009
• Newport, L. P., Aplin, A. C., Gluyas, J. G., Greenwell, H. C., & Gröcke, D. R. (2015). Geochemical and lithological controls on a potential shale reservoir: Carboniferous Holywell Shale, Wales. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 71, 198-210. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2015.11.026
• Haines, T., Neilson, J., Healy, D., Michiea, E., & Aplin, A. (2015). The impact of carbonate texture on the quantification of total porosity by image analysis. Computers and Geosciences, 85, 112-125. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cageo.2015.08.016
• Gasparik, M., Rexer, T., Aplin, A., Billemont, P., DeWeireld, G., Gensterblum, Y., …Zhang, T. (2014). First international inter-laboratory comparison of high-pressure CH4, CO2 and C2H6 sorption isotherms on carbonaceous shales. International Journal of Coal Geology, 132, 131-146. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coal.2014.07.010
• Rexer, T., Mathia, E., Aplin, A., & Thomas, K. (2014). High-pressure methane adsorption and characterization of pores in Posidonia shales and isolated kerogens. Energy and Fuels, 28(5), 2886-2901. https://doi.org/10.1021/ef402466m
• Rexer, T., Benham, M., Aplin, A., & Thomas, K. (2013). Methane adsorption on shale under simulated geological temperature and pressure conditions. Energy and Fuels, 27(6), 3099-3109. https://doi.org/10.1021/ef400381v
• Harwood, J., Aplin, A., Fialips, C., Iliffe, J., Kozdon, R., Ushikubo, T., & Valley, J. (2013). Quartz cementation history of sandstones revealed by high resolution SIMS oxygen isotope analysis. Journal of Sedimentary Research, 83(7), 522-530. https://doi.org/10.2110/jsr.2013.29
• Armitage, P., Worden, R., Faulkner, D., Aplin, A., Butcher, A., & Espie, A. (2013). Mercia Mudstone Formation caprock to carbon capture and storage sites: petrology and petrophysical characteristics. Journal of the Geological Society, 170(1), 119-132. https://doi.org/10.1144/jgs2012-049
• Matthies, R., Aplin, A., Boyce, A., & Jarvis, A. (2012). Geochemical and stable isotopic constraints on the generation and passive treatment of acidic, Fe-SO4 rich waters. Science of the Total Environment, 420, 238-249. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2012.01.034
• Tueckmantel, C., Fisher, Q., Grattoni, C., & Aplin, A. (2012). Single- and two-phase fluid flow properties of cataclastic fault rocks in porous sandstone. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 29(1), 129-142. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2011.07.009
• Matthies, R., Aplin, A., Horrocks, B., & Mudashiru, L. (2012). Occurrence and behaviour of dissolved, nano-particulate and micro-particulate iron in waste waters and treatment systems: new insights from electrochemical analysis. Journal of environmental monitoring, 14(4), 1174-1181. https://doi.org/10.1039/c2em10846a
• Day-Stirrat, R., Flemings, P., Yao, Y., Aplin, A., & van der Pluijm, B. (2012). The fabric of consolidation in Gulf of Mexico mudstones. Marine Geology, 295-298, 77-85. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.margeo.2011.12.003
• Armitage, P., Faulkner, D., Worden, R., Aplin, A., Butcher, A., & Iliffe, J. (2011). Experimental measurement of, and controls on, permeability and permeability anisotropy of caprocks from the CO2 storage project at the Krechba Field, Algeria. Journal of Geophysical Research. Solid Earth, 116(B12), Article B12208. https://doi.org/10.1029/2011jb008385
• Mudashiru, L., Aplin, A., & Horrocks, B. (2011). Voltammetric methods for the speciation of dissolved iron and determination of Fe-containing nanoparticles in mine-water discharge. Analytical Methods, 3(4), 927-936. https://doi.org/10.1039/c0ay00688b
• Aplin, A., & Macquaker, J. (2011). Mudstone diversity: origin and implications for source, seal and reservoir properties in petroleum systems. AAPG Bulletin, 95(12), 2031-2059. https://doi.org/10.1306/03281110162
• Day-Stirrat, R., Dutton, S., Milliken, K., Loucks, R., Aplin, A., Hillier, S., & van der Pluijm, B. (2010). Fabric anisotropy induced by primary depositional variations in the silt/clay ratio in two fine-grained slope fan complexes; Texas Gulf Coast and Northern North Sea. Sedimentary Geology, 226(1-4), 42-53. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sedgeo.2010.02.007
• Yang, Y., & Aplin, A. (2010). A permeability – porosity relationship for mudstones. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 27(8), 1692-1697. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2009.07.001
• Matthies, R., Aplin, A., & Jarvis, A. (2010). Performance of a passive treatment system for net-acidic coal mine drainage over five years of operation. Science of the Total Environment, 408(20), 4877-4885. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2010.06.009
• Armitage, P., Worden, R., Faulkner, D., Aplin, A., Butcher, A., & Iliffe, J. (2010). Diagenetic and sedimentary controls on porosity in lower Carboniferous fine-grained lithologies, Krechba field, Algeria; A petrological study of a caprock to a carbon capture site. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 27(7), 1395-1410. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2010.03.018
• Day-Stirrat, R., Milliken, K., Dutton, S., Loucks, R., Hillier, S., Aplin, A., & Schleicher, A. (2010). Open-system chemical behavior in deep Wilcox Group mudstones, Texas Gulf Coast, USA. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 27(9), 1804-1818. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2010.08.006
• Morrison, M., & Aplin, A. (2009). Redox geochemistry in organic-rich sediments of a constructed wetland treating colliery spoil leachate. Applied Geochemistry, 24(1), 44-51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2008.11.001
• Day-Stirrat, R., Aplin, A., Srodon, J., & van der Pluijm, B. (2008). Diagenetic reorientation of phyllosilicate minerals in Paleogene mudstones of the Podhale Basin, southern Poland. Clays and Clay Minerals, 56, 98-109. https://doi.org/10.1346/ccmn.2008.0560109