Firmground Pty Ltd is an independent geological consultancy based in Nelson integrating extensive sedimentological, ichnological and borehole-image studies in the development of geological models for exploration, appraisal and development in the Oil and Gas industry. The company is particularly focussed on the sedimentological and ichnological interpretation of core, core calibration with wireline and borehole images, and the construction of field- and basin-scale facies and sequence stratigraphic models for reservoir modelling.
Since Firmground was formed in 2001 due to a growing demand for quality sedimentological work, the company has undertaken numerous projects on basins in Australia, New Zealand and overseas. Firmground is also a world leader in the application of trace-fossil studies or ichnology in petroleum reservoirs. Both managing directors of Firmground; Carl Stark and Fiona Burns, have over 20 years’ experience in the oil and gas industry.
Carl Stark
Carl Stark (B.Sc., M.Sc.) specialises in integrating core, wireline and borehole images, for both single-well and multi-well reservoir studies. He joined Z&S (Asia) in Perth focusing on sedimentological studies involving high-resolution resistivity tools. Since then he has worked for Oolithica in Aberdeen on sedimentology and petrographic studies, and for Schlumberger in Perth, Western Australia. Carl established Firmground in 2001. He has collaborated on projects worldwide including a number of basins offshore Australia, SE Asia and onshore/offshore NZ.
Fiona Burns
Fiona Burns (B.Sc., M.Sc, Ph.D.) possesses particular expertise in the application of trace-fossil analysis to sedimentology, depositional modelling and high-resolution sequence stratigraphy. She worked for Z&S (Aberdeen) in 1999-2000 and then as a Senior Research Fellow and lecturer in Sedimentology and Petroleum Geology between 2001 and 2006 at UWA and Curtin University in Perth, Western Australia. Since 2001 she has been consulting for Firmground. She has collaborated on various projects worldwide, including a number of basins offshore Australia, onshore Papua New Guinea, and onshore/offshore NZ.