Dr. F Javier Hernández-Molina's research focuses on deep marine sedimentation, particularly identifying bottom currents' depositional and erosional features in the ocean and relating them to oceanographic processes. These bottom-current deposits can potentially serve as hydrocarbon reservoirs or seals. His research aims to better understand these deposits and their implications for paleoclimatology, paleoceanography, slope stability, and hydrocarbon exploration. His background includes a degree in marine geology and over 25 years of research experience studying ancient and modern examples of bottom-current deposits around the world. His research collaborates with oil companies and could help improve prospects for deeper hydrocarbon exploration.

1. Could you explain what your research focuses
on, and why this is important?
Our research has been focused on deep marine
sedimentation. Some of our most interesting
findings have centred on our identification of
bottom currents’ depositional and erosional
features in the ocean, their deposits, and
their relation to different oceanographic
processes. The growing recognition of
these deposits also affects their increasing
significance with respect to palaeoclimatology
and palaeoceanography, slope stability and
hydrocarbon exploration.
An enormous quantity and extensive
distribution of contourite sands and/or
reworked sands has been reported. These sand
deposits can potentially serve as reservoir units,
as well as muddy contourites that may function
as hydrocarbon seals or source rocks and/or
unconventional reservoirs. These represent
a completely new and important exploration
Marine Geology researcher
and contourite expert Dr F
Javier Hernández-Molina
drills deep into the detail
of his work looking at the
sedimentary record of ocean
basins, and explains how such
studies could be invaluable
to hydrocarbon companies
and sedimentary basin
analysis alike
Improving
prospects:
bottom-
current
deposits, hydrocarbon
and sedimentary
basin analysis
The view from the derrick of the JOIDES Resolution drilling
ship in the Gulf of Cadiz during IODP Expedition 339. Credit:
John Beck, IODP/TAMU.
INTERNATIONAL INNOVATION
EARTH SCIENCES
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2. target for potential oil and gas reservoirs for
prospectors, who are increasingly looking
deeper and deeper into the ocean where these
bottom-current deposits are common.
Could you describe the experience and
professional background that brought you into
this field of research?
Well, I’ve always been fascinated by the ocean –
how it behaves, how it might have been different
in the past and how it’s evolved. That’s why I
started studying geology and specialised in
Marine Geology, and it is what motivated me to
pursue research in the field.
I finished my degree in 1993, and then I had
a grant to continue studying at the Spanish
Institute of Oceanography. I later moved onto
actively working in the Marine Science Faculties
of Cadiz and Vigo (Spain) with many research
stages spent in other scientific institutions
abroad. So I’ve spent a long time in the field –
25 years!
Why is it important to better understand
the sedimentological and oceanographic
processes governing contourites?
By definition, contourites are any kind of
sediments deposited or substantially reworked
by the persistent action of bottom currents. In
the ocean it is normal to have the influence of
the movement of the water masses against the
sea floor – so we are working on the present
features of the seafloor, but also getting an
insight into the long-term geological past. That
is important, because if we characterise how
the water moved against the ocean floor in the
past, we can decode what the ocean circulation
was like and really understand ancient ocean
dynamics and palaeoclimate. Understanding
these details would provide us with an overview
of the oceans’ evolution over time, and therefore
its likely future course. There are also potential
implications for companies; different types of
deposit, some of them potentially economically
valuable, are associated with different
geological features.
What are the implications of your research for
the oil industry?
We have been collaborating with different
companies. From December 2011 into 2012 we
developed an international project group, and
collaboration towards our present objectives
began. Since then, we have been collaborating
with several companies, including Repsol
and Gas Natural in Spain, Petrobras in Brazil,
ANCAP in Uruguay, the BP Group/Shell and
ExxonMobil in the UK, and Total in France.
These companies benefit from our consultation,
while we benefit from having access to a unique
dataset and eventually permissions for using it
for publication and research. However, we are
developing something new in the coming years,
a Joint Industry Project (JIP).
Your work has highlighted the need for
further, detailed investigations. In what
direction are you planning to
take your research?
We are working mainly in
Marine Geology. From time to
time we go to the sea to collect
data, and we are working in
different areas – but we are
also going into the field to
study ancient outcrops with
deep-water sedimentation and
bottom-current deposits (e.g.
Cyprus and Morocco). We try
to understand the enormous
variability in the spatial and
temporal facies changes in
depositional systems affected
by bottom currents, and
their role in determining the morphology
and sedimentary stacking pattern on
continental margins.
Future detailed work on contourite
sediments will allow us to better understand
the nature of bottom-current processes
and associated contourite deposition.
For example, ichnofabric and ichnofacies
analyses are useful for identifying
bottom-current deposits. This approach
has an impact on palaeoenvironmental
reconstructions and reservoir
characterisation, as bioturbation impacts
on permeability and porosity, implementing
effective strategies in exploitation from
reservoir strata. Another way to gain insights
into the complex interplay of seafloor
processes and bottom currents is to build
computer models that allow us to ‘play God’
and see what happens if we move currents,
change the bathymetry or cut off the
sediment supply. Professor David Waltham
has been writing sediment-modelling
programmes for 30 years and is excited by
the prospect of tackling the new topic of
contourite deposition.
Where do you see your research moving in
the next five to 10 years?
Research on bottom-current deposits will
improve our understanding of diagnostic
criteria and facies recognition from other
deep-water deposits. Furthermore, it will
provide advanced comprehension of the
sedimentary budget for contourite drifts,
their sediments sources and recognition
of fossil contourites in the ancient record
onshore. This new facies models should be
included in current models for deep-water
sedimentary record. The ‘Drifter’ research
group comprises several institutions,
some of them in the UK and some from
other countries. We would like to continue
expanding the group with the aim of fully
understanding bottom-current deposits,
especially the sandy deposits because
of their genetic implications and the fact
they are more interesting for industries.
Therefore, it is necessary to approach this
research from different points of view.
What lies beneath
Decoding the mysteries of deep-sea
sediment is a unique research goal in
that it is beneficial both to academia and
industry. Now, world-leading experts att
Royal Holloway, University of London,
UK, are in pursuit of fresh goals in
this field
THE BOTTOM OF the deep ocean is considered
by many scientists to be a featureless place,
dominated by fine grain sedimentation. Far
below the reach of the rich surface waters, this
zone supports a more limited range of life; in
appearance, it is reminiscent of the surface
of the Moon – and indeed, our knowledge of
this deep environment is as incomplete as our
understanding of the lunar surface. For some
investigators, however, this undersea landscape
is neither bland nor featureless – quite the
opposite. Marine geologists, petrochemical
prospectors, palaeontologists, (palaeo)
climatologists, physical oceanographers
and deep-water ecologists all operate in
this domain, deriving knowledge that is both
economically and academically valuable from
their investigations of the deep ocean floor.
Part of the secret lies in the formation of the
geological deposits and erosional features that
can be observed here. Just as the waves at the
beach create distinctive ridged patterns in the
sand, so too do the bottom currents in the deep
ocean on the sea-floor – and, by examining
the stratification and specific characteristics
of previous layers of sediment, geologists can
gain a clear insight into the past. The tectonic,
climate and sea-level changes all affect the
movement of ocean currents, and in turn, this
movement of ocean currents dictates sediment
deposition and erosion – so the deep ocean
floor can represent a pristine record of many
of the processes and products of the ancient
world, for those with the ability to read it.
THE READER
Dr F Javier Hernández-Molina is just such
a person. Reader in Sedimentary Geology at
Royal Holloway University of London (RHUL),
Hernández-Molina is an academic whose work
is strongly aligned with industry. He is involved
with the Continental Margins Research Group
(CMRG) in the Department of Earth Sciences
(RHUL) and his present research team ‘Drifters’
conducts detailed studies into bottom-
currents deposition (contourites) and erosion.
Contourites are defined as sediments deposited
or substantially reworked by the persistent
action of bottom currents on the deep ocean
floor – and have attracted interest from
collaborators both in academia and industry.
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3. “It’s important conceptually and because we
can understand the evolution of the ocean and
climate in the past, and how the morphology
and the evolution of marine basins have been
controlled by the ocean currents. But it’s also
important because bottom currents accumulate
thick sandy deposits in specific settings with
enormous potential interest for hydrocarbon
exploration,” Hernández-Molina says of
their work. He has been involved in some
International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP,
www.iodp.org) drilling proposals related to this
topic. In addition, he was a principal scientist
for IODP Expedition 339 (Mediterranean
Outflow) and, at present, is involved in two IODP
drilling proposals (732 and 771), which are both
related to the theme of better understanding
bottom-current deposits. Hernández-Molina
is also collaborating on other projects, such
as the IMMAGE, Argentine and Scotia Sea
proposals.
GEOLOGY GLOBAL TOUR
Investigations undertaken by Hernández-
Molina and his collaborators’ have taken
them to continental margins in the Antarctic,
Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Namibia,
Mozambique Channel, Tanzania, Morocco and
Iberian margins. They have been collaborating
with many national and international
researchers from myriad institutions,
including ECOSSE, Heriot-Watt University,
BAS and NOCS (UK); IGME, IEO, University of
Vigo and CSIC (Spain); IPMA and University
of Lisbon (Portugal); Naval Research
Laboratory, USA; SHN, University of Buenos
Aires and CONICET (Argentina); University
of Bordeaux (France); IFM-GEOMAR and
University of Bremen (Germany) and GEUS
(Denmark). Moreover, the Drifter team
has been collaborating with oil companies
such as REPSOL and Gas Natural (Spain),
PETROBRAS (Brazil), ANCAP (Uruguay);
EXXONMobil (UK); BG Group/Shell (UK) and
TOTAL (France) on the characterisation of
deep-water deposits.
ROCK STARS
Since the high-profile outputs of IODP
Expedition 339 and associated research
projects, Hernández-Molina and his
colleagues have focused their efforts on
widening the geographical scope of their
work. Further papers since the project have
investigated other margins in South America,
Antarctica and Europe, and have involved
enhanced academic collaboration, resulting
in comprehensive outputs that benefit the
fundamental science and other investigators,
as well as industry partners.
The Drifters research team is currently
working on a project supported by BG Group/
Shell (2014-2017) – now Shell – which is
examining the interaction between contourite
and turbidite deposits on the Uruguayan
Margin. The project is a speculative study
of the implications of such interactions in
these deep ocean systems for hydrocarbon
exploration. A second three-year project
funded by TOTAL, which commenced at the
beginning of 2016, focuses specifically on
contourites on the African and South-East
American margins. Currently, this world-
leading team is seeking new partners with
whom to collaboratively develop the field of
contourite research.
DRIFTER RESEARCH GROUP
The research group from RHUL is currently
working on a number of projects, focused
on contourite formations along continental
margins, which are the areas extending
from the coast, over the continental shelf, to
the floor of the deep ocean trough and the
continental slope, and rising towards the
abyssal plains. It is these last settings in
which most contourites are formed.
Similarly to previous authors (Heezen, BC,
Hollister, CD; Mc Cave, IN; Faugeres, J-C;
Viana, A; Stow, DAV; Shanmugam, G and
Rebesco, M; among many others), Hernández-
Molina and his team observed that a range
of erosional and depositional features could
be created by bottom currents, often with
quantifiable relationships to the current
velocity, the sediment grain size and the
sea floor irregularities. This prompted
the acquisition of new data, subsequently
augmented by synthesis with other published
studies. The group became interested in the
last years on sandy bottom-current deposits,
bottom-current reworked sands (BCRSs)
and their link to the behaviour of the bottom
currents immediately above the sea floor (the
benthic boundary layer).
The Drifter team therefore routinely
collaborates with high-profile industry
partners who provide the funding for much
of its cutting-edge work – but in fact,
Hernández-Molina cemented his position
as an expert in this field many years ago. In
2001, the team (Llave et al) published the first
in a long sequence of influential papers that
shared the findings of their expert studies into
contourites depositional systems (CDS).
JIP AND ATLAS OF CONTOURITES SYSTEMS
A Joint Industry Project (JIP) about
contourites – seismic recognition and
sediment characterisation of deep-water
Deep-water sandy contourites. ROV photograph from the
middle slope (450 metre water depth) in the Porcupine
Seabight. Courtesy of MARUM, Bremen, Germany.
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4. contourite depositional systems and their
implication for the oil industry – is being
organised by Principal Investigators,
Hernández-Molina and Professor Dorrik A V
Stow (ECOSSE, Heriot-Watt University, UK).
The project will enhance existing knowledge
of contourite systems, and will focus on the
applications of this knowledge in commercial
contexts. The researchers consider this
an essential ingredient for deep-water
hydrocarbon exploration. In relation to
this JIP, the Drifter team is co-organising
a specific session on the 100th
American
Association of Petroleum Geologists ACE:
‘Non-turbidite deepwater units as reservoirs,
seals and trap elements – Towards a
Paradigm Shift’ (Houston, April 2-5, 2017).
As part of the JIP, and associated activities of
the Drifter research group, the publication of
an Atlas of Contourites Systems is planned,
synthesising contourite systems worldwide,
with examples from both present and recent
continental margins, as well as from the
ancient record. The Atlas will include key
examples of contourite systems from outcrops
as well as from seismic and well data. If you
are interested in the development of Atlas or
would like to contribute to it, please contact
Javier at:
javier.hernandez-molina@rhul.ac.uk.
DEEP-WATER CONTOURITE DEPOSITIONAL
SYSTEMS
OBJECTIVES
• To understand bottom currents and associated
oceanographic processes, and to study depositional
systems affected by bottom currents to evaluate
their role in determining the morphology and
sedimentary stacking pattern on continental
margins
• To develop criteria for identifying contourite deposits
and their sedimentary/seismic facies association,
ichonofrabric, etc, with special focus on sandy
deposits from modern to ancient records
• To discover reservoir characteristics of contourites
and mixed systems and contourite play prediction
KEY COLLABORATORS
Dr D A V Stow, Heriot-Watt University, UK • Dr E Llave,
Instituto Geológico y Minero de España (IGME), Spain
• Dr F J Sierro, University of Salamanca, Spain • Dr D
Van Rooij, Ghent University, Belgium • J R F Gerard,
Repsol Exploracion SA, Spain • F Raisson, TOTAL
SA, France • Dr A R Viana, Petrobras, Brazil • Dr F J
Rodríguez-Tovar, University of Granada, Spain
FUNDING / DATABASE
Spanish, British and EU projects and IODP proposals /
Expeditions • Projects subsidised by oil companies
CONTACT
Dr Francisco Javier Hernández-Molina
Reader in Sedimentary Geology
Department of Earth Sciences
Royal Holloway University of London
Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX, UK
T +44 1784 443 582
E javier.hernandez-molina@rhul.ac.uk
http://bit.ly/Hernández-Molina
DR FRANCISCO JAVIER
HERNÁNDEZ-MOLINA is Reader
in the Department of Earth Sciences
at Royal Holloway, University of
London. He is a specialist in seismic
stratigraphy, sedimentary processes and basin analysis,
and is experienced in general core description and
sediment structures identification. His research has
special emphasis on the influence of bottom currents
along continental margins, as well as the study of
Contourite Depositional Systems.
RHUL’S DRIFTERS RESEARCH GROUP
CURRENTLY COMPRISES:
Dr F Javier Hernández-Molina (Seismic
analysis, Sedimentology)
Dr David Waltham (Computer modelling)
Dr Domenico Chiarella
(Sedimentology, tides and bedforms in
marine environments)
Dr Nicola Scarselli (Subsurface imaging
and evaluation)
Dr Anxo Mena (PostDoc, Sedimentology,
paleoceanography)
Adam Creaser, PhD Student (Mixed
System. Uruguayan margin. Funded by
BGGroup-Shell)
Antoine Thieblemont, PhD Student
(Contourite. Mozambique channel &
South Atlantic. Funded by TOTAL)
Lucia Perez Días, PhD Student
(Plate tectonic reconstructions and
global circulation)
Claudia Jones, MRes student (Sandy
contourites. Gulf of Cadiz)
Amelia Evans, MRes student (Sandy
contourites. Gulf of Cadiz)
Sataphon Suklap, MSc student (Ancient
contourites, Cyprus)
Brian Docherty, MSc student (Ancient
contourites, Cyprus)
Jun Sasamura, MSc student (Contourites,
Algarve Basin, Gulf of Cadiz)
Jamie Beagle, MSc student (Contourites,
Alentejo Basin. West of Portugal)
Leona Hyslop, MSc student
(Mixed System)
Paleobathymetric reconstruction for late Cretaceous
(Perez-Diaz and Eagle, in prep.).
Contourite drift (Hernández-Molina et al, 2016).
Contourites (Cyprus, 2015).
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