Dr Michael Ala has been closely associated with the oil industry for more than 30 years both as

an exploration geologist with an independent oil company and as a consultant. He has a BSc in

Oil Technology and an MSc, PhD and DIC in Petroleum Geology from Imperial College.

In 1972 he joined Seagull Exploration International and was involved in exploration studies and

prospect evaluation in many parts of the world including Africa, northwest Europe, eastern

Mediterranean, the Caribbean, south America and the Middle East. In 1976 he became the

company’s General Manager in London, responsible for its north European and Middle Eastern

operations.

Since 1981 he has been a member of the academic staff in the Earth Science Department of

Imperial College, rising to the post of Director of the internationally recognized MSc Petroleum

Geoscience Course in 1994. Dr Ala has published more than 50 research and review articles,

covering the Middle East and West Africa, focusing on the petroleum geology and oil industry of

Iran and is on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Petroleum Geology. He was also Editor in

Chief of Seventy-Five Years of Progress in Oil Field Science and Technology, published in 1990.

Since 1982 he has been organizing and presenting numerous industrial training programs in

Europe, north Africa, west Africa and southeast Asia. Currently, Dr Ala is completing a textbook

entitled The Acquisition and Interpretation of Modern Openhole Logs.

He is co-founder (1988) and Director of Hydrocarbons Venture Limited, a UK based organisation

involved in consultancy and participation in exploration projects. Currently, he is Chairman of Azar

Energy Qeshm, a company he co-founded in 2003 with the aim of participating in the Iranian oil

and gas sector projects. In 2007 he joined the board of Dominion Energy as a non-Executive

Director. Dominion’s principal activity is the exploration and development of oil and gas fields in

north Africa in general and in Tunisia specifically.

 

Dr Michael Ala's comments about Obiz Pakistan (Pvt.) Ltd