Services
Stratigraphic insight for groundwater, environmental, and energy decisions
Every subsurface question, whether about water supply, contaminant migration, or reservoir performance, depends on how sediment layers were deposited and connected. We build that framework, then put it to work.
01
Groundwater & Aquifer Architecture
Defining aquifers, freshwater–saltwater boundaries, and stratigraphic controls on flow and transport.
Aquifers are not uniform layers of sand. They are stacked depositional systems cut by erosional surfaces that control where water flows, where it is stored, and where seawater can intrude. Using sequence stratigraphy, we correlate those surfaces across a basin to produce a predictive, three-dimensional picture of aquifer architecture.
This approach has underpinned groundwater studies of the Los Angeles Basin, the Dominguez Gap seawater barrier, and the Livermore-Amador Valley, giving water managers a geologic foundation for recharge, injection, and monitoring decisions.
Typical applications
- Groundwater resource assessments and basin boundary definition
- Seawater-intrusion pathway analysis for coastal aquifers
- Hydrostratigraphic frameworks for groundwater models
- Aquifer storage and recovery and recharge siting
02
Seismic Stratigraphy & Geomorphology
High-resolution interpretation of 2D/3D seismic to evaluate reservoir architecture and stratigraphic traps.
Seismic data records the shape of ancient landscapes: channels, deltas, submarine fans, and the unconformities between them. Seismic stratigraphy and geomorphology read those shapes to predict where reservoir-quality rock occurs and how it connects.
As Chevron’s Fellow in Seismic Stratigraphy and Geomorphology, Kenn led the development of tools, workflows, and best practices for this work and applied them to exploration and development opportunities on six continents, from deepwater Mexico and West Africa to Bangladesh and Western Australia.
Typical applications
- Sequence boundary and depositional-system mapping on 2D/3D seismic
- Stratigraphic trap and play evaluation
- Deepwater channel, lobe, and mass-transport complex interpretation
- Seismic geomorphology for lithology prediction
03
Environmental Sequence Stratigraphy
Strengthening conceptual site models (CSMs) and evaluating contaminant pathways for RIs and PSAs.
Contaminants follow the permeable pathways that geology provides. Environmental Sequence Stratigraphy (ESS) identifies those pathways by tying boring logs, CPT data, and cores to a stratigraphic framework, so investigations sample the right intervals and remedies target the right zones.
Kenn pioneered this approach in the 1990s and co-authored the USEPA guide that now defines it as a best practice for environmental site management.
Typical applications
- Conceptual site model development and refinement
- Remedial investigations (RIs) and feasibility studies
- Preliminary site assessments (PSAs)
- Contaminant migration pathway and plume evaluation
04
Reservoir Frameworks & Subsurface Modeling
Integrating seismic, logs, and core to build reliable subsurface frameworks.
A model is only as good as the framework beneath it. We integrate seismic interpretation with well logs and core descriptions to define sequence boundaries, flooding surfaces, and facies belts, producing a geologically consistent framework ready for reservoir, groundwater, or CO₂-storage modeling.
Typical applications
- Sequence stratigraphic correlation of wells and core
- Geologic frameworks for static and dynamic models
- Reservoir architecture and connectivity assessment
- Stratigraphic characterization for CO₂ injection and storage
Also available
Advisory & Training
Technical Review & Expert Consultation
Independent review of stratigraphic interpretations, conceptual site models, and subsurface frameworks prepared by others, drawing on four decades of evaluating projects for major operators, agencies, and consultants.
Short Courses & Workshops
Custom training in seismic stratigraphy, sequence stratigraphy, and Environmental Sequence Stratigraphy for technical teams, agencies, and professional societies. See teaching experience →
How we work
From data to decisions
01
Gather
Compile and review existing seismic, well logs, borings, cores, and prior reports.
02
Correlate
Identify key stratigraphic surfaces and correlate them across the site or basin.
03
Interpret
Build a predictive framework of depositional systems, flow units, and barriers.
04
Deliver
Provide cross-sections, maps, and clear recommendations your team can act on.
Let’s scope your project
Share a short description of the site or dataset and the decision you need to make.