About Mark Ibram

I am a geophysicist and company director with more than 40 years of experience supporting oil and gas operators, regulators and service companies across the full seismic project lifecycle.

Through Seismarque Ltd, I provide independent technical assurance, project management and advisory services covering seismic acquisition, processing, imaging, interpretation support and subsurface studies. My objective is simple: to help clients maximise the value of their seismic data while ensuring projects remain technically robust, commercially focused and aligned with business objectives.

My career has included technical and leadership roles within major operators, consultancies, service companies and independent oil companies. During a ten-year career with BP, I served as Processing Team Lead for the North Sea Seismic Delivery Team and as BP’s Eastern Hemisphere Technical Expert for Multi-Component Seismic, leading and assuring complex seismic processing programmes and helping introduce leading-edge imaging technologies into business workflows.

Since establishing my consultancy practice, I have supported projects for major international operators, independent oil and gas companies and the UK regulator, the North Sea Transition Authority (formerly the Oil and Gas Authority). These assignments have included seismic processing oversight, contractor management, technical assurance, survey design, reprocessing studies, seismic analysis studies and the management of large-scale acquisition and processing programmes.

Specialist Expertise

My experience includes:

• Seismic processing project management
• Processing QA/QC and technical assurance
• Ocean Bottom Node (OBN) and Ocean Bottom Cable (OBC) seismic
• 3D and 4D seismic programmes
• Multi-component and converted-wave seismic
• Survey design and feasibility studies
• Velocity model building and seismic imaging
• Rock physics, AVO and fluid substitution analysis
• Seismic interpretation support
• Independent technical reviews and expert advice

I have worked on projects ranging from frontier exploration through appraisal and field development to reservoir monitoring, including work across the UK Continental Shelf, West of Shetland, the Norwegian Continental Shelf, West of Ireland, North Africa and the Middle East.

Technical Expertise with Commercial Awareness

In addition to consultancy work, I founded and directed an exploration company that successfully secured and managed a UK offshore licence. This experience provided first-hand exposure to the commercial, regulatory and investment challenges facing operators and investors, enabling me to combine technical excellence with a practical understanding of business requirements.

My recent work has included advanced OBN and 4D seismic projects, evaluation of fibre-optic acquisition technologies, seismic reprocessing studies, rock physics analysis, fluid substitution modelling and the development of Python-based software tools to support geophysical workflows.

Qualifications and Professional Contribution

I hold a BSc (Hons) in Geological Geophysics with Mathematics from the University of Reading and a Diploma in Economics from the Open University.

I have authored and presented numerous technical papers, delivered industry training courses, and served as an External Examiner and Industry Advisor for the University of Aberdeen’s MSc Geophysics programme.

How I Can Help

Whether you require independent technical assurance, specialist seismic expertise, project management support or an experienced advisor for a complex geophysical project, I can provide objective, practical guidance tailored to your technical and business needs.

Please get in touch via the Contact page to discuss your project requirements. A detailed professional profile is available on request.