Zara has been at GeoScience for over 15 years in the Oilfield Geomechanics group.  She graduated with a BSc in Physics from Imperial College, London and proceeded to be awarded an MSc in Structural Geology and Rock Mechanics also from Imperial College.

A PhD followed entitled “Dynamic Characterisation of the Caving Process around Longwall Coal Mines using Integrated Microseismology and Numerical Modelling” from Liverpool University. This included spending 6 months as a Visiting Scientist in the Mining Geoscience Group of CSIRO in Brisbane, Australia, which was a great experience and allowed her to participate in a live microseismic monitoring project.

Zara then moved to Camborne School of Mines in Cornwall, where she spent 6 years working as a Postdoc on various projects including using FLAC2D to model microseismic emissions from a Middle Eastern gas reservoir. She also carried out geotechnical fieldwork and 3D Discrete Fracture Network modelling for use in geomechanical projects on slope stability, block caving and mine pillar stability.

Joining GeoScience in 2007 required another steep learning curve to delve into the world of drilling wells and oilfield geomechanics. In this time, she has worked on over a hundred wellbore stability studies, as well as 2D numerical modelling studies to solve issues related to underground storage, depleted reservoirs, well casing collapse and salt creep.