At Ternan Energy, our multidisciplinary approach relies on bringing together experts from diverse backgrounds to deliver comprehensive solutions for our clients.
We recently sat down with our newest team member James Harrison, Senior Geophysicist, to discuss his role and the integration of geophysical expertise with geotechnical knowledge in offshore wind development.
Thank you for taking the time to talk to us James. Tell us a bit about your background.
My career began, following an MSc in structural geology and geophysics at the University of Leeds, starting as a production geophysicist with Shell. I was responsible for interpreting geophysical seismic data for various oil and gas assets.
I then moved into offshore consulting, optimising the acquisition and managing Simultaneous Operations (SIMOPs) for 3D, 4D and Ocean Bottom Nodes (OBN) seismic surveys globally.
My most recent experience with both Fugro and Rovco/Beam was focused on the acquisition, QC, processing, interpretation and reporting of shallow geophysical data such as Sidescan Sonar, Magnetometer, Sub-bottom profiler and Ultra High Resolution Seismic data.
What is your role at Ternan?
As Senior Geophysicist I bring a wide range of responsibilities that span the entire geophysical data lifecycle, primarily the analysis of geophysical data.
Beyond Geophysical data analysis, I am actively involved in project development from the earliest stages, looking at project proposals and scopes of work to assist our clients.
Once data is acquired, my role extends to interpretation and reporting, or quality checking contractor interpretations when external specialists are employed. What sets my role apart is the integration aspect that defines Ternan’s approach: all these interpretations and reports are fed into ground models and that’s where we integrate with geotechnical analysis as well.
What projects will you be working on for Ternan?
I will be working on a range of projects as both a Geophysicist and a Project Manager with the wider Ternan team. I’ll be involved in supporting offshore geophysical acquisition and onshore geophysical interpretation and reporting projects, however, with Ternan’s integrated geoscience focus I’m excited to have the opportunity to work with the team’s geotechnical experts to provide well-rounded geoscience solutions.
What will be new with geophysical surveys?
Geophysical survey technology is always improving and there are some exciting developments on the horizon. In terms of offshore acquisition I believe we will see a greater focus on autonomous solutions, including Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs) and Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) that either work independently or to support a manned vessel to improve operational efficiency. This will help to reduce risk and environmental impact of these projects.
There has also been a strong industry focus on AI and machine learning. This is where Ternan’s boulder picking tool, used to interpret boulders on Sidescan Sonar data, will come into its own. The technology promises to decrease the amount of hours spent manually interpreting the data sets and the potential for human error.
How will you be working with the wider team?
Within my first month at Ternan, I have already met the whole team. I’ve been working with Samarth Bachkheti to understand the development of AI tools within Ternan, and also met with the Edinburgh University students that have been contributing to the project. In the coming weeks I will be preparing some of the data sets and testing the outputs.
The Ternan approach is great, the focus on integrating across all the geoscience disciplines is what attracted me to work here. Having such a great bank of experience, knowledge and experts, I am really keen to learn from the geotech experts. Going forward my input into that will be the interpretation and processing of geophysical data. This integration allows for something that many companies in the industry struggle to achieve: comprehensive ground truthing. We ensure that geophysical interpretations are validated against actual ground conditions, resulting in more accurate and reliable data for our clients.
I have also worked with Euan Marjoribanks and René Morris on the business development side, meeting with clients and discussing upcoming potential projects that I can provide input in from my experience.
What benefits are there for Ternan Clients?
The integrated approach at Ternan Energy delivers tangible benefits for our clients that extend beyond what traditional single-discipline consultancies can offer. The ground truthing capability ensures that geophysical interpretations are validated against real subsurface conditions, providing clients with more reliable data for their decision-making processes.
My additional geophysical expertise ranged from offshore acquisition and quality control to the onshore processing, interpretation and reporting of data.
I bring added value through my range of experience in both oil and gas and renewables. I’ve worked on projects globally and not just in UK waters, working both offshore and onshore as a client, consultant and a contractor. This breadth of experience allows me to understand projects from multiple perspectives, from the end client’s needs to the service provider’s capabilities.
What are your views on the future of Offshore Wind?
The future is exciting with potential new projects and opportunities on the horizon. I’m really keen to continue working in offshore wind and I see Ternan as the perfect place to do that, as we continue to grow and work with some of the industry’s biggest offshore wind operators. Offshore wind represents the future of the UK energy industry and I’m excited to play a part in that.
As the industry moves toward more autonomous systems and AI-driven analysis, this foundation of integrated expertise will become even more crucial for delivering successful projects. Ternan continues to demonstrate that the future of offshore wind lies not just in individual technical capabilities, but in the seamless integration of diverse expertise to solve complex challenges and deliver reliable, cost-effective solutions for our clients.
“My first month with Ternan has been fantastic, from the warm welcome each team member has shared to the opportunity to meet with a range of clients and discuss their upcoming projects. I can’t wait to share my expertise and work with industry leading colleagues producing results for our clients.”
Ternan Energy specialises in integrated geophysical and geotechnical solutions for offshore wind development. If you’d like to find out more about how we can help with your projects please email james.harrison@ternan-energy.com