About Mole Underground
ABOUT MOLE UNDERGROUND
geological and mining technological project management and consultancy for a sustainable future
Mole Underground supports private companies, governments and authorities with geological and mining knowledge and project management expertise during (the preparation of) the development of sustainable energy storage in solution mined subsurface salt caverns.
Having worked for the salt cavern industry for over 15 years and based on my solid geological and mining engineering knowledge and many years of project management expertise, I can bring your subsurface projects further, am able to overcome technical hick-ups and make your projects a real success.
Vision
As my career has always moved around the interface between geology / mining technology and project management, I combine general (salt) geological and (solution) mining engineering knowledge and expertise with a solid understanding and expertise in project management. I strongly support the philosophy that complex subsurface projects, especially when dealing with many internal and external stakeholders and associated risks, may only lead to success when (technically) managed by a project manager with a solid knowledge of the subject (i.e. the subsurface) and the uncertainties, risks and controversies mining projects always bring along.
Fields of expertise
Salt mining technology and salt geology
Any salt mining project, whether related to solution mining or storage, always starts with the geology. Technologically almost any problem can be solved and any challenge overcome, but if the geology prevents a mining development, you have to accept that.
In addition, geology is always about modelling, visualisation and dealing with uncertainties. In risk management mining technology and geology come together, with mining technology often providing the solution to address and reduce geological risks and uncertainties.
Energy storage in salt caverns (oil, gas, compressed air, hydrogen)
Salt caverns provide unique liquid and gas tight containments for storing large quantities of fluids and gases. During the hydrocarbon era many caverns were developed to store crude oil, gas oil, propane and natural gas. In the transition to renewable energy, hydrogen is expected to play a crucial role as a (long term) storage medium for (renewable) energy, as a transport medium or as a fuel. Salt caverns are ideal for large-scale storage of hydrogen.
Furthermore energy can be stored in caverns in the form of compressed air (CAES)in order to balance the electricity grid and increase the efficiency of wind farms and solar panels.
Preparing and developing cavern storage facilities requires good knowledge of geology, mining technological aspects, the relevant laws and regulations and technical and societal issues, including stakeholder management. Having managed the only oil storage project in the Netherlands and having been involved in the preparation of storage caverns for natural gas, hydrogen and compressed air, I bring along all expertise required for a successful storage project.
Project management of complex geological and mining technology projects
Subsurface projects are by definition complex because they often involve many internal and external stakeholders, visible or less visible risks and uncertainties, and new or lesser known technologies. In my opinion, these projects can only be successful if they are (technically) led by a project manager with a solid understanding of the topic (i.e. the subsurface) and the uncertainties, risks and controversies mining projects always involve.
Having managed several projects, mainly during the crucial preliminary project phases (often called front end loading (FEL), pre-project planning (PPP) or front-end engineering design (FEED)), and based on a solid background in project management (IPMA), I am well able to manage the technical part of the project, always keeping an eye on all project management challenges (planning, organization, finance, information and communication).
Dutch mining legislation
Dutch laws and regulations regarding mining works compiles a series of both mining laws and rules (Mining Act, Mining Decree and Mining Regulation), and other related laws and regulations, which relate to the surroundings, the environment, water aspects, spatial planning, nature conservation and external safety). From time to time, one of these laws and regulations is renewed or replaced, leading to changing requirements, processes and legal situations.
Having managed the Twente gasoil storage project (2012-2016) through a procedure coordinated by the national government (RCR procedure) and having encountered and solved more or less all conceivable problems, I can say that the Dutch mining regulations hardly has more secrets.
Well integrity
For any salt mining or cavern storage project, wells form the interconnection between the underground cavern and the surface. Being man-created it is known to be the most vulnerable part of any salt mining or cavern storage system. Therefore, aspects like Well Integrity Management, well life cycle design and the use of state-of-the-art techniques and technology are crucialwhen developing salt mining or cavern storage projects.
Having managed the compliance-driven Hengelo Well Integrity Program within Nouryon, which arose after the discovery of several leaky boreholes, led to a detailed study of the integrity of all more than 300 open wells and 200 abandoned wells and resulted in a solid root cause analysis of the main causes, I can say that I am well versed in this field. Although I don't pretend to be a well engineer, I do know when and where to get one!
Work experience
I studied geology in Utrecht at the Faculty of Earth Sciences (MSc degree in 1999) and completed two post-graduate courses in business administration (2000-2002). In mid-2001 I started my professional geological career at the Dutch Directorate-General of Public Works and Water Management (Rijkswaterstaat) of the Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management, in Delft as project manager raw materials supply. In 2004 I switched to the environmental technical consultancy firm MWH (formerly Syncera; now part of Stantec) in Zwolle and Arnhem as project manager for sustainable use of the subsurface in the broadest sense of the word. In 2009 I became Technical Leader in the field of geology and subsurface and senior project manager. In the meantime, I have obtained several project management certificates (IPMA C / D).
In September 2012, I joined the Mining Department of AkzoNobel Industrial Chemicals (now Nouryon) as a Geologist / Project Manager. In addition to providing internal salt geological advice, I have led complex projects in the field of storage in salt caverns (gas oil, gases and compressed air) and well integrity. In August 2017, as Manager Mining Projects, I became responsible for all mining projects in AkzoNobel's cavern fields in Denmark and the Netherlands. After the split off of AkzoNobel's Specialty Chemicals division in October 2018 to become company Nouryon, and following an internal reorganization at the end of 2018, my job was limited in November 2019 to Lead Expert Mining Projects, only providing geological and mining technology support in several cavern storage projects.
In 2020 I decided to leave Nouryon and in October of the same year I started my own company Mole Underground, offering geological and mining technology project management and consultancy services.