Ken Russell
Ken Russell is an operational geomechanics advisor with over 40 years of experience in exploration, development and production in the upstream oil and gas industry. After obtaining his degree from Aberdeen University in 1975, Ken worked for a variety of oil service companies in wireline operations, management and formation evaluation, before joining Schlumberger in 1995. Since 2000 he has worked principally in real-time geomechanics operations and developing acousto-geomechanical applications, taking on the role of geomechanics advisor and technical manager within the Europe-Africa area of operations.
Before forming his own company in 2014, Ken was one of Schlumberger’s principal instructors, delivering cross-discipline internal and external geomechanics training to petrophysicists, geologists, reservoir, petroleum, well construction and drilling engineers at operating company locations, training centers and operational centers worldwide. Through extensive operational and wellsite experience gained in the North Sea, Europe, Africa, South America and the Far East, he has gained a broad based knowledge of drilling, production, log data acquisition, analysis and interpretation that has allowed him to develop and deliver pragmatic solutions to the geomechanical challenges of drilling, sand production, fracturing and unconventional reservoirs, faced by operators.
His principal interests include the development and application of acousto-geomechanical techniques for the evaluation of anisotropic formations and fracture systems and the identification and prevention of wellbore instability. He is the Director and Geomechanics Advisor for Russell Geomechanics Limited in Aberdeen, Scotland, where he provides tutoring, mentoring and instruction services to the worldwide oil and gas industry.