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David Charles Mudge 1949 - 2020

Stratigrapher, petroleum geoscientist and eminent North Sea geologist

David Charles Mudge, who died on 2nd October 2020 at the age of 71, was a geologist’s geologist.  While he will be long remembered in international geological circles for his contributions to Paleogene stratigraphy and the geology of the North Sea and West of Shetlands, to us he was most of all a kind, thoughtful family man characterized by a deep love of his science. 

Education and early career

Dave was brought up in Aldershot, Hampshire and attended Swansea University, obtaining a First in geology in 1970. He went on to obtain his PhD on the Lower Inferior Oolite of the Cotswolds under the mentorship the great stratigrapher Derek Ager. This fruitful association resulted in the publication of several GA guides on the Cotswolds that are still used today. While at Swansea, Dave met and married his lifelong soulmate Sally. 

Despite a leaning towards the petroleum industry, Dave’s first job was with English China Clay - taking the family to St. Austell, but also launching Dave into a series of adventures round the world, from the Amazon jungle to Egypt. The international travel was exciting, but perhaps not ideal for a young family. The crunch came when Sally received a call from Beirut, with gunfire echoing in the background; Dave saying “I’m just off out into the field – if you don’t hear from me don’t worry – no news is good news”.  This was the crunch for Sally, and she decided it was time to gently suggest a change in career direction.

Oil industry

Dave joined the oil industry in 1977, taking up a post with the British National Oil Corporation (BNOC) in Glasgow.  BNOC was the UK’s short-lived attempt to set up a national oil company, like Norway’s Statoil. It later rebranded itself as Britoil, and was eventually absorbed into BP in the 1980s. Tony Doré joined fresh from college at the same time, and remembers those days vividly: 

“Dave and I were stuck in the same hotel for 2 months while we tried to find somewhere for our families to live. We struck up a great friendship, playing snooker in our rather grand and fusty lodgings, and discussing our mutual interests in traditional geology and fossil collecting. We spent many a happy weekend scouring the excellent localities around Glasgow. What I remember most of all about that period, though, was the fun. Dave had a great sense of humour, and laughter - among other things - helped us to cope with being thrown into the deep end of corporate life and experiencing for the first time the somewhat unique culture of the petroleum industry.  

“There was a serious side, too.  We were both quite competitive, not just in finding the best fossils, but also in trying to make our marks as geologists, for example by writing scientific papers.  However, Dave had a head start on me on that one! Early in his oil industry career he started writing the series of stratigraphic papers on the North Sea Paleogene on which his reputation would be founded. They were the forerunners of his much-quoted collaborations with Philip Copestake and Jonathan Bujak on the same topic.

“Eventually I jumped ship to move to Norway, and I have fond memories of Dave, Sally and their three young sons coming to visit us and boating on the fjords. After that my contacts with Dave were more sporadic, although I always maintained that, when we met, we always picked up exactly where we left off. Unfortunately, losing Dave has exposed the flaw in that argument. I always thought we would have more time. Knowing Dave was a privilege, and seeing him work taught me discipline in marshalling geological arguments – a legacy that remains to this day.”

Collaborations

Dave eventually left BP in 1989 to work from home as an independent, a decision that he never regretted. His office was atop his house in Glasgow, looking out to the Highlands. It goes without saying that Dave was ahead of his time in this mode of working, and the fact that he made a success of it is a ray of hope for those of us who, at time of writing, find ourselves in the same position out of necessity. His first home-grown company was Nevis Associates, together with his ex-Britoil colleague Mike Fisher. In 1991 he began one of his most productive collaborations, with biostratigrapher Jonathan Bujak. Jonathan recalls:

“Dave and I first met in 1991. I had recently returned to the UK from a number of posts in Canada. It was the beginning of a thirty-year collaboration – a natural fit in which we combined his expertise in sequence and lithostratigraphy with mine in biostratigraphy, one that we gradually expanded as we integrated our stratigraphy with tectonics and seismic, then with volcanics, plate tectonics, palaeoceanography and climate. But it was more than just a collaboration – it was a true friendship. David was very generous and thoughtful, happy to reach a consensus, to try and do the best possible science that would stand the test of time. The result was a succession of Palaeogene studies published together, ranging from the NE Atlantic to the North Sea to the Hampshire Basin.

“Then we moved on to the northwest Atlantic region, publishing together on areas such as the Labrador Sea and Norwegian-Greenland Sea. The picture that emerged was of a region dominated by uplift of the Greenland-Iceland hotspot, resulting in separation of the North Sea and Faroe-Shetland Basin from the North Atlantic. But it was also a world that was changing from warm, greenhouse climates towards our present icehouse world – a picture that became clear as we sat and talked, or walked our dogs down by the loch, sharing our ideas and then integrating them into charts and maps of a lost world.

“Then there were the trips overseas. To Venezuela where we put together studies on the onshore and offshore region, not to mention relaxing with local friends in their villa high above Puerto la Cruz after a day’s work, talking and enjoying a rum and coke as the sun went down. Or after a geological meeting in Calgary, taking a road trip through the Rockies to view fossil localities and the magnificent mountain scenery with their glistening turquoise lakes and maybe a moose or a bear if you were lucky (or unlucky). So many memories. So many good times.”

Ternan

In 2003, Dave joined forces with Katrine Holdoway and several others from the company Production Geoscience Limited (PGL) to found Ternan, a consultancy specifically designed to provide regional expertise to new entrants to the North Sea who wished to increase their portfolios through licensing round applications. Katrine writes: 

“Dave would make regular trips to PGL’s offices in Banchory, even in the depths of winter, to work with the team and keep everything on track. The Ternan regional studies use a play fairway approach to evaluate all the main hydrocarbon plays in a basin, enabling rapid screening of opportunities, whether for licensing rounds or acquisition. The initial studies for the UK Central North Sea and Northern North Sea were very successful, and to our surprise were also in demand from established major companies who also needed help with the 'big picture'.  

“Things were changing on the Norwegian continental shelf too at that time, with new entrant companies needing Ternan’s help with the regional framework. Heading into deeper water, the Ternan team undertook the Atlantic Ireland report for the Irish Government, commissioned to promote Irish exploration.  Dave’s expertise and commitment were instrumental in the award of this project.  

“The huge volume of work completed by Dave and the Ternan team from 2003 to 2009 is testament to Dave’s vision and hard work, his depth of experience and ability to integrate data from multiple sources. His maps are legendary: very distinctive in style and meticulously crafted.  However, his use of near-obsolete software for drafting made life challenging for his colleagues, let alone the transition to ArcGIS.  But it was worth it!  We all enjoyed the time with Ternan, and gained so much from the experience.”

The Ternan days also gave younger geoscientists the opportunity to benefit from Dave’s experience.  One of these was Henk Kombrink, who writes:
“Ever since I met Dave at Petex in 2014, he has been a true mentor, and it is thanks to him that I learned so much about the North Sea. When my company LR Senergy tendered for a major project with the Oil & gas Authority (OGA) in 2016, we were desperate to include Dave (and hence Ternan), because we knew it would be a game-changer. Dave, then contemplating retirement, wasn't sure if he wanted to commit to another three-year project, and rightfully so!  Luckily, allegedly with a nudge from Sally, he joined the project, literally on the eve of the submission deadline. So, with his help and endorsement we won the tender, of which the importance can hardly be underestimated in the light of the oil downturn and the associated lack of work for the team at the time. I benefited enormously from working with him, discussing the project and geology in general. I visited Dave and Sally in September last year to thank him, and her, for giving three years to this monster project. Dave, a gentleman as ever, made it seem as if it was just an afternoon of work.”

Legacy

Dave was always generous with his time and ideas, filled with energy and enthusiasm for his work. But above all, he was a family man. The hub of his house was the kitchen with Sally talking in her sweet Welsh lilt, Dave in his rich Hampshire tones, and the boys – James, Jonathan and Robert – with their Scottish accents, a vibrant, happy place that was always welcoming. Dave is survived by his wife Sally, his three sons and the four grandchildren he indulged and adored. He leaves a geological legacy and lifestyle model for the rest of us to remember and treasure.

By Jonathan Bujak, Tony Doré, Katrine Holdoway and Henk Kombrink

This obituary first appeared in the magazine of the Geologists’ Association.