2026 Convenors

Douwe van der Meer holds an MSc in Geophysics from Utrecht University (2002) and has built his career in New Ventures, first at Shell and, since 2011, at Nexen/CNOOC International. Alongside his industry work, he conducts research in plate tectonics and Earth system evolution, integrating these with the tectono‑stratigraphic development of sedimentary basins. He was awarded a PhD cum laude in 2017. In 2023, he received the IAGR Best Paper Award and medal for his work on isotope-based reconstructions of paleo–sea level.

Jonathan Redfern has more than 35 years’ experience across exploration, appraisal, regional new ventures, petroleum systems evaluation and strategic basin analysis, gained through senior industry roles, consultancy and academic leadership. He is Director of the North Africa Research Group at the University of Manchester (www.narg.org.uk), where he leads a large team of PhDs and Researchers who have been undertaking fieldwork / studies across North Africa for over 25 years, sponsored by leading energy companies.

Jonathan obtained his BSc from Chelsea College, University of London and a PhD from Bristol University. He began his career in the oil industry, and over a 15-year period worked globally, starting as a geologist in the North Sea for Fina UK, then moving internationally with Petrofina to Singapore, Libya and Italy and finally joining Amerada Hess working on international new ventures and as Chief Geologist in Indonesia.  He moved to academia in 1999 to follow his passion for teaching and research, developing the Petroleum Geoscience MSc at the University of Manchester, and to-date has supervised 38 PhDs to success. His research specialism includes North Africa regional geology, basin and petroleum system analysis, S2S studies, fluvial and glacial sedimentology.  He is a Chartered Geologist and the Editor in Chief of the Journal Petroleum Geoscience.

James Iliffe is a Petroleum Geoscientist with over 35 years’ experience in global exploration. Following his MSc. and PhD from U. South Carolina USA he began his career in Basin Modelling R&D and then non-proprietary studies for ERC Tigress and PGS Geoservices consultancies.

His move to IOCs started with Conoco USA, then back to the UK with BP, Nexen, and BG. He retired after 10 years with Shell International as a Global Advisor in Technical Assurance and Subject Matter Expert in Strat Traps and Seals. He has evaluated the petroleum potential of numerous basins but particularly, Libya, West Siberia, South Atlantic, South Caspian, South America and the Middle East. He is passionate about education and training and written and delivered courses in Petroleum Systems, Overburden characterisation, Strat Traps and Seals both at Universities and IOCs, and maintains a keen interest in Technology development seals and stratigraphic traps. James has published over 20 technical papers, edited two books, and is a Fellow of the Geological Society, GESGB, and EAGE. He currently teaches as an honorary lecturer at Aberdeen University and consults through his new company I-Geoscience Ltd.