Dr. Alex Bump

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Research Associate Professor
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Alex is a Research Science Associate in the Gulf Coast Carbon Center. His current work focusses on the application of petroleum exploration processes to the problem of finding, de-risking and developing geologic storage sites for CO₂. Prior to joining the BEG, he spent 16 years in global exploration with BP, including roles as an Advisor and as Head of Discipline for Structural Geology and Tectonics. In his time with BP, he worked over 50 basins on 5 continents and wrote and delivered over 100 courses in exploration, structural geology and tectonics. He holds a BA in Physics from Williams College and a PhD in Structural Geology and Tectonics from the University of Arizona. Outside of work, he is a triathlete by day, a woodworker by night, a dad always and a caffeine fan by necessity.

 

Research Interests

 

Adapting petroleum exploration tools to the screening and de-risking of geologic storage sites for CO₂

Basin analysis, focusing on structure, subsidence and heat flow

Dynamic topography and the impact of mantle processes on surface geology

 

Employment History

 

University of Texas, Bureau of Economic Geology, Austin, TX

Research Scientist Associate, Gulf Coast Carbon Center, 2019-

 

BP, Sunbury-on-Thames, UK

Head of Discipline, Exploration Structural Geology; Exploration Advisor, 2016-2018

Senior Exploration Geologist, Basin Analysis Team, 2015-2016

Senior Exploration Geologist, Angola Exploration Team, 2012-2015

Exploration Geologist, Exploration Access Group, 2009-2012

 

BP, Houston, TX

Exploration Geologist, Global Unconventional Resources Group, 2008-2009

Structural Geologist, Exploration & Production Technology Group, 2005-2008

Structural Geologist, Gulf of Mexico Shelf Exploration, 2005

Structural Geologist, Gulf of Mexico Deepwater Exploration, 2002-2004

 

University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ

Research Associate, 2001-2002

Research Assistant, 2000-2001

Teaching Assistant, 1996-2000

 

BP, Anchorage, AK

Intern Geologist, Prudhoe Bay Production Team, 2000

 

Mobil Oil, New Orleans, LA

Intern Geologist, Gulf of Mexico Deepwater Exploration Team, 1998

 

Education

 

Ph.D. Structural Geology and Tectonics (2001), University of Arizona

B.A. cum laude Physics (1993), Williams Coll

Junior year abroad (1991-1992), University of Graz, Austria

Honors and Professional Service

2003-2018, 21 spot bonuses for technical contributions, leadership, mentoring, and teaching

2018, Co-convenor, “Heat Flow, Subsidence and Continental Break-up: A Case-study Workshop,” Geological Society of London

2017, Coach of the Year, Ful-on Tri Club, 2017

2016-2018, Advisory Board member, Royal Holloway University of London, Petroleum MSc program

2016-2018, Committee member, Geological Society of London Library Users Group

2014-2018, BP project manager, BP-Cambridge Margins Project, a joint research program with Cambridge University

2013, Designer of BP exploration workflows for basin analysis, play evaluation and prospect description

2010-2013, Technical interviewer for geoscience recruiting, BP

2009, Chair, AAPG Reservoir Deformation Research Group

2008, Co-Chair, AAPG Reservoir Deformation Research Group

2005-2008, Global Course Custodian, 21st Century Structural Geology, BP

2006, Panelist, Careers in Geoscience, Williams College

2001, Speaker of the Month, Arizona Geological Society

2000, Outstanding Student Paper Award, Tectonophysics Division, AGU

2000, Outstanding Student Research Award, Structure and Tectonics Division, GSA

2000, Outstanding Student Research Award, GSA

1999, Organizer, seminar on selling a graduate degree in Geosciences, University of Arizona

1998-1999, Graduate Representative, Tectonics Search Committee, University of Arizona

 

Publications and Presentations

 

Articles and Books

Davis, G.H., and Bump, A., 2009, Structural geologic evolution of the Colorado Plateau, in Kay, S. (ed.), Backbone of the Americas: GSA Memoirs v. 204, p. 99-124.

Bump A., Kennan L. Fallon J., 2008, Deformation History of the Andean Foreland, Peru, and its Impact on Present Day Structure. Proceedings VI INGEPET, (EXPR-3-AB-05), 11p.

Bump, A.P., 2004, Three-dimensional Laramide deformation of the Colorado Plateau: competing influences of the Sevier thrust belt and the flat Farallon slab: Tectonics, v.23.

Bump, A.P., 2003, Reactivation, trishear modeling and folded basement in Laramide uplifts: Implications for the origins of intra-continental faults: GSA Today, v. 13, p. 4-10.

Bump, A.P. and Davis, G. H., 2003, Late Cretaceous to early Tertiary deformation of the northern Colorado Plateau: Journal of Structural Geology, v. 25, p. 423-442.

Bump, A.P., 2001, Kinematics, Dynamics, and Mechanics of Larmide Deformation, Colorado Plateau, Utah and Colorado [Ph.D. Dissertation]: Tucson, University of Arizona. 149p.

Ahlgren, S.G. and Bump, A. P., 2001, Regional to Reservoir-Scale Structure and Tectonics of the Colorado Plateau: Tucson, University of Arizona Geostructure Partnership 2nd Annual Field Conference Guidebook, 44p.

Davis, G.H., Bump, A. P., Garcia,p. E., and  Ahlgren, S. G., 2000, Conjugate Riedel deformation band shear zones:  Journal of Structural Geology. v. 22, p. 169-190.

 

Invited Talks

Bump, A.P., 2018, Geology of the 2015 Nepal Earthquake, Ullens School, Kathmandu.

Bump, A.P., 2017, BP Exploration Geology, Guild of Tallow Chandlers, London.

Bump, A.P. and Fugelli, E., 2016, BP Exploration Geology, BP Board of Directors, London.

Bump, A.P., 2013, Ride Across America, Fulham Prep School, London.

 

Talks and Posters

Bump, A.P., Prendergast, W., and Witt, A., 2018, The Thermal History of Benguela Basin: Observations and Effects: Heat Flow, Subsidence and Continental Break-up: A Case-study Workshop, The Geological Society

Bump, A.P., Prendergast, W., Porter, M. and Witt, A., 2017, Benguela Basin and the Prospectivity of Hyper-extended Margins: AAPG International Conference and Exhibition, American Association of Petroleum Geologists

Bump, A.P., Gill, B., Pearse, C., Dodd, T., Adams, N., 2016, Thermal Evolution of the Benguela Basin, Angola: The Roberts Conference, Passive Margins 2016, Royal Holloway University of London.

Bump, A.P., Gill, B., Pearse, C., Sabato-Ceraldi, T., Adams, N., 2016, Rifting, Subsidence and Evolution of the Benguela Basin, Angola: Rifts 3 conference, The Geological Society

Bump, A.P. 2014, Tectonic History of the Arabian Plate and the Distribution of Hydrocarbons: Passive Margins and Petroleum Systems: The David Roberts Memorial Symposium, Royal Holloway University of London.

Bump, A.P. Neal, L. Sabato-Ceraldi, T., and Spasojevic, S., 2014, Tectonics of Rifting and Break-up in the Central Segment of the South Atlantic, Angola and Brazil: Petroleum Geoscience of the West Africa Margi, The Geological Society

Bump, A.P. and Crosby, A., 2012, Subsidence History of the Arabian Plate: Setting the Stage for the World’s Largest Hydrocarbon Province: Industrial Structural Geology conference, The Geological Society

Fallon, J., and Bump, A. P., 2010, Detrital Zircon U/Pb dating of sandstones in Peru: Implications for provenence and paleogeography, 15th Peruvian Geological Congress.

Bump, A. P., 2009, The Atwater Foldbelt and its place in the global spectrum Deepwater Fold and Thrust Belts, AAPG Hedberg Research conference.

Bump A., Kennan L., and Fallon J., 2008, Deformation History of the Andean Foreland, Peru, and its Impact on Present Day Structure Proceedings VI INGEPET, (EXPR-3-AB-05), 11p.

Bump, A. P., Kennan, L., Fallon, J. A., 2008, Deformation history of the Andean foreland, Peru, and its impact on present-day structure:  AAPG annual meeting.

Bump, A. P., Hossack, J., Martinez, J. A., 2008, A pseudo-3D model of the Llanos foothills thrust belt, Colombia:  Fold-Thrust Belt Exploration conference, The Geological Society

Bump, A. P., 2007, Reverse faults, topography, and the mechanics of foreland basement-cored uplifts:  AAPG annual meeting.

Wiseman, T.R., Wagerle, R.N., Bump, A., Ballin, P., McCaslin, N., 2007,  Integrating multi-disciplinary reservoir description to characterize connectivity in a complex minibasin fill: Holstein Field:  AAPG annual meeting.

Davis, G. H. and Bump, A. P., 2006, Tectono-structural evolution of the Colorado Plateau:  Backbone of the Americas, A global meeting presented by The Association Geologica Argentina and The Geological Society of America,  Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, No. 2, p.80.

Bump, A. P. and Davis, G. H., 2005, Laramide deformation of the Colorado Plateau and the evolution of ancient fault arrays: GSA Abstracts with Programs, v. 37, p.378.

Bump, A. P., 2005, An informal survey of structural geology in the major oil companies: AAPG Reservoir Deformation Research Group Annual Meeting.

Bump, A. P., and Davis, G. H., 2002, Forward and inverse trishear modeling of the San Rafael and Waterpocket monoclines, Colorado Plateau, Utah: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Program, v. 34.

Bump, A. P., 2002, Kinematics, Dynamics, and Mechanics of Laramide Deformation, Colorado Plateau, Utah and Colorado: Invited talk, Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas.

Bump, A. P., 2002, Kinematics, Dynamics, and Mechanics of Laramide Deformation, Colorado Plateau, Utah and Colorado: Invited talk, Arizona Geological Society, Tucson, Arizona.

Bump, A. P., 2002, Kinematics, Dynamics, and Mechanics of Laramide Deformation, Colorado Plateau, Utah and Colorado: Invited talk, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York.

Stockli, D. F., Bump, A. P., Davis, G. H., Farley, K. A., Preliminary (U-Th)/He thermochronological constraints on timing and magnitude of Tertiary denudation of the Colorado Plateau: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Program, v. 34.

Bump, A. P., 2001, The Colorado Plateau and its role in the Laramide Orogeny:  Eos (Transactions of the American Geophysical Union), v. 82, p. F846

Bump, A. P., 2001, Three-dimensional Laramide deformation of the Colorado Plateau: competing influences of the Sevier thrust belt and the flat Farallon slab: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Program, v. 33, p. A326

Bump, A. P. and Pelletier, J., 2000, Reverse faults, topography, and the mechanics of foreland basement-cored uplifts:  Eos (Transactions of the American Geophysical Union), v. 81, p. F1198.

Bump, A. P., 2000, Laramide deformation on the northern Colorado Plateau:  Complex patterns from simple controls:  Geological Society of America Abstracts with Program, v. 32, p. A43.

Bump, A. P., Davis, G. H., Bilinski, G. E., Sanders, A. E, and Kidder, S. B, 2000, Progressive development of brittle and semi-brittle structures on the monument uplift, Utah, and their implications for regional strain:  Geological Society of America Rocky Mountain Section Abstracts with Program, v.32, p. A-4.

Bump, A. P., 1999, Late Cretaceous to Eocene integrated structural and geodynamic analysis of five Colorado Plateau uplifts, Utah:  AAPG Bulletin v. 83, p. 1883.

Bump, A. P., 1999, Strain analysis of the San Rafael Swell, Utah, and its implications for the development of Colorado Plateau uplifts:  Geological Society of America Abstracts with Program, v. 31, p. 238.

Bump, A. P., Ahlgren, S. G., and Davis, G. H., 1997, The Waterpocket Fold, a tale of two uplifts, Capitol Reef National Park, Utah:  Eos (Transactions of the American Geophysical Union), v. 78, p. F701.

Davis, G. H., Garcia, P. E., Bump, A. P., Ahlgren, S. G., and Swanberg, K. A., 1997, Detailed internal structure of a conjugate strike-slip deformation band shear zone system in Navajo sandstone at a salient in the Waterpocket Fold, Capitol Reef National Park, Utah:  Eos (Transactions of the American Geophysical Union), v. 78, p. F701.

 

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