Paul Farrimond

Paul Farrimond

Director & Technical Advisor

Paul joined IGI in 2005 with a broad background in organic and petroleum geochemistry. His particular expertise is in molecular petroleum geochemistry, including oil-oil and oil-source rock correlation, petroleum biodegradation and source rock characterisation. He has over forty years of experience in biomarker geochemistry including the application of multivariate statistical techniques to molecular geochemical data. He has worked on oils and source rocks from many areas of the world, and his previous research experience has ranged from Precambrian rocks to modern sediments, soils, water and even bacteria!

Paul now works part time, providing technical advice and input to various aspects of IGI’s business, and is a Director of the company.

Background: Paul has a B.Sc. (Hons.) in Geology and Chemistry (1983) and a Ph.D. in Organic Geochemistry (1987) from the University of Bristol, UK. His Ph.D. and subsequent Post-Doctoral research (1987-1988) concerned the application of molecular geochemistry to understanding past sedimentary depositional environments and climate change. In 1988 he was appointed as a Lecturer in Geochemistry at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, and promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2002. He left academia for IGI in 2005 where he became a Director in 2011.

Onwards and Upwards

“Onwards and upwards” is an English idiom that means keeping going and reaching towards greater achievements in future, typically after some sort of setback. It ably sums up the positive feeling within IGI at the moment.

Our friend Dan Cornford

(by Paul Farrimond & Rich Price)

We said one last goodbye to Dan two weeks ago at North Devon Crematorium. After the service, we headed back to Dan and Julie’s home (formerly the IGI offices) on a gloriously warm September’s day.

Dan Cornford

It is with deep sadness that we must share the news that Dan passed away on Thursday 10th September after a short illness. Our thoughts and most sincere condolences are with Dan’s family during this most difficult time.

Geochemistry

Molecule of the month - 25-Norhopanes

By Paul Farrimond

25-Norhopanes have been reported in biodegraded oils since the late 1970s, and Seifert & Moldowan (1979) proposed that the methyl group at C-25 in the regular hopanes was removed by microbial demethylation associated with the degradation at the oil/water contact of an oil accumulation.

Geochemistry

Molecule of the Month - Benzohopanes

By Paul Farrimond

These aromatic biomarkers are unfortunately rarely used in petroleum geochemistry. They have the five-ring structure of the hopanes but with an aromatic ring fused to the E-ring in place of the normal side chain.

Technical Note Geochemistry

Molecule of the Month - Oleanane

By Paul Farrimond

Oleanane is present in only some oils and source rocks. It occurs as two isomers – 18α(H) and 18b(H) – and is typically found as a doublet peak in the m/z 191 mass chromatogram eluting just before the C30 αb hopane.

Technical Note

Molecule of the Month - Norhopane

By Paul Farrimond

The C29 hopane, 30-norhopane, is not only a member of the series of regular hopanes but also of a less common series that lack the methyl group at C-22 in the side chain, the 30-norhopanes.