Tim Wolterbeek

Background

About Tim Wolterbeek

Experienced geologist and experimentalist, interested in how chemical reactions, mechanical deformation and mass transport interact and impact one another in subsurface formations and constructions. For my PhD, I focused on fluid-rock interactions in the context of CO2 storage, specifically the effects of reaction and mechanical damage on wellbore sealing integrity. Currently I work on employing mineral reactions to engineer and modify the transport properties of wellbores and subsurface formations, for potential applications in reaction-driven fracture, expansive cement systems, and precipitation-mediated seepage remediation. I am skilled in various forms of permeametry, reactive transport and mechanical deformation experiments, as well as a range of microscopy and analysis techniques. As a postdoctoral researcher, I spend half of my time at Utrecht University and the other half in the Well Abandonment team at Shell Global Solutions International B.V. This close collaboration with technical experts from industry has given me a unique opportunity to obtain a thorough understanding of the challenges faced in accomplishing zonal isolation and subsurface containment, as well as gain valuable experience with technology maturation, valuation and deployment.