Robert Raine’s Biography
- 2022 to ongoing: Senior Energy Geologist: BGS
- 2013 to 2022: Energy Geologist: BGS
- 2011 to 2013: Senior Reservoir Geologist: Ichron Limited
- 2008 to 2011: Reservoir Geologist: Ichron Limited
- 2004 to 2004: Geological Conservator: Lapworth Museum of Geology
- 2003 to 2008: Assistant Curator: Lapworth Museum of Geology
- 2003 to 2008: PhD: University of Birmingham
- 1999 to 2003: MSci Geology: University of Birmingham
Research interests
- Geothermal energy
- Heat storage
- CCS
- Science communication
- Petrography and geochemistry
- Sedimentology
- Biostratigraphy
- Permo-Triassic and Lower Jurassic stratigraphy
Current projects and collaborations
- 2023 to ongoing: GSNI Science Lead, GeoEnergy NI – Geothermal demonstration project. https://geoenergyni.org/
- 2022 to ongoing: Supervisor ICRAG PhD research project. Triassic Reservoir Quality and Geostorage Potential in the Irish Sea Basins.
- 2021 – ongoing: ATESHAC project. Aquifer thermal energy storage for decarbonisation of heating and cooling: Overcoming technical, economic and societal barriers to UK deployment (ATESHAC).
- 2013 to ongoing: Service Level Agreement with the Northern Ireland Department for the Economy – Providing energy related geoscientific data, advice and expertise to government, industry and academia
ORCID: 0000-0003-3483-7880
Key papers
- English, K L, English, J M, Moscardini, R, Haughton, P D W, Raine, R J, and Cooper, M R. 2024. Review of Triassic Sherwood Sandstone Group reservoirs of Ireland and Great Britain and their future role in geoenergy applications. Geoenergy, 2, geoenergy2023-042.
- English, J M, English, K L, Dumphy, R B, Blake, S, Walsh, J, Raine R, Vafeas, N A, and Salgado, P R. 2023. An Overview of Geothermal Energy and its Potential on the island of Ireland. First Break, 41, 33–43.
- Boomer, I, Azmi, A, Copestake, P, and Raine, R. 2021. Lower Jurassic (Hettangian–Pliensbachian) microfossil biostratigraphy of the Ballinlea-1 well, Rathlin Basin, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom. Proceedings of the Geologists’ Association, 132, 657–666.
- Boomer, I, Copestake, P, Raine, R, Azmi, A, Fenton, J P G, Page, K N, and O’Callaghan, M. 2021. Stratigraphy, palaeoenvironments and geochemistry across the Triassic–Jurassic boundary transition at Carnduff, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Proceedings of the Geologists’ Association, 132, 667–687.
- Raine, R, Copestake, P, Simms, M J, and Boomer, I. 2020. Uppermost Triassic to Lower Jurassic sediments of the island of Ireland and its surrounding basins. Proceedings of the Geologists’ Association, 132, 627–640.
- Raine, R J, Fenton, J P G, Boomer, I, Azmi, A, and Copestake, P. 2021. Uppermost Triassic to Lower Jurassic stratigraphy in the Lough Foyle Basin of County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Proceedings of the Geologists’ Association, 132, 641–656.
- Franklin, J, Tyrrell, S, O’Sullivan, G, Nauton-Fourteu, M, and Raine, R. 2020. Provenance of Triassic sandstones in the basins of Northern Ireland—Implications for NW European Triassic palaeodrainage. Geological Journal, 55, 5432–5450.
- Fyfe, L-J C, Schofield, N, Holford, S P, Heafford, A, and Raine, R. 2020. Geology and petroleum prospectivity of the Larne and Portpatrick basins, North Channel, offshore SW Scotland and Northern Ireland. Petroleum Geoscience, 26, 272–302.
- Andeski, A S, Benison, K C, Eichenlaub, L A, and Raine, R J. 2018. Acid saline lake systems of the Triassic Mercia Mudstone Group of County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Journal of Sedimentary Research, 88, 385–398.
- Raine, R J, and Smith, M P. 2017. Sabkha Facies and the preservation of a falling-stage systems tract At the Sauk II–III Supersequence boundary in the Late Cambrian Eilean Dubh Formation, NW Scotland. Journal of Sedimentary Research, 87, 41–65.
- Ulmer Scholle, D, Scholle, P, Scieber, J, and Raine, R J. 2014. A Color Guide to the Petrography of Sandstones, AAPG Memoir 109, 526pp.
- Derby, J R, Raine, R J, Runkel, A, and Smith, M P. 2012. Generalized map of the Great American Carbonate Bank in Early Ordovician (early Tremadocian) time: the “Stonehenge Transgression” or Rossodus Manitouensis Zone. In: Derby, J. et al. (eds.) The Cambro-Ordovician Sauk Sequence of Laurentia – The Geology and Petroleum Potential of the Great American Carbonate Bank. 5–13. AAPG & Shell.
- Raine, R J, and Smith, M P. 2012. Sequence stratigraphy of the Scottish Laurentian margin and the recognition of the Sauk megasequences in the Scotland–Greenland sector. In: Derby, J et al. (eds.) The Cambro-Ordovician Sauk Sequence of Laurentia – The Geology and Petroleum Potential of the Great American Carbonate Bank. 575–596. AAPG & Shell
- Raine, R J, Smith, M P, Holdsworth, B, and Strachan, R. 2011. Excursion 14: Durness, Balnakeil Bay and Faraid Head In: Goodenough, K & Krabbendam, M A. Geological Excursion Guide to the North West Highlands of Scotland. 161–180. Edinburgh Geological Society.
- Butler, R, Raine, R, and Smith, P. 2011. Excursion 15 – The Moine Thrust Zone at Loch Eriboll. In: Goodenough, K, and Krabbendam, M. (eds) A Geological Excursion Guide to the North West Highlands of Scotland. 181–197. Edinburgh Geological Society.
- Smith, P, and Raine, R. 2011. Excursion 1 – Loch Assynt and the Achmore duplex. In: Goodenough, K, and Krabbendam, M. (eds) A Geological Excursion Guide to the North West Highlands of Scotland. 37–52. Edinburgh Geological Society.
- Johnson, M, Parsons, I, Smith, P, Raine, R, and Goodenough, K. 2011. Geological framework of the North-West Highlands. In: Goodenough, K & Krabbendam, M. (eds) A Geological Excursion Guide to the North West Highlands of Scotland. 8–36. Edinburgh Geological Society.
- Davies, N S, Herringshaw, L G, and Raine, R J. 2009. Controls on trace fossil diversity in an Early Cambrian epeiric sea: new perspectives from northwest Scotland. Lethaia 42, 17–30.
- Herringshaw, L G, and Raine, R J. 2007. The earliest turrilepadid: a machaeridian from the Lower Ordovician of the Northwest Highlands. Scottish Journal of Geology 43, 97–100.
- Raine, R J. 2007. Palaeobiogeography of Cambro-Ordovician conodont faunas across Laurentia. The Palaeontology Newsletter 65, 103–106.
- Armstrong, H A, Raine, R J, and Smith, M P. 2006. Iapetus from coast to coast – ICOS 2006 Post-Conference Field Trip, Lapworth Museum of Geology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, 93 pp
Books
- Ulmer Scholle, D, Scholle, P, Schieber, J, and Raine, R J. 2014. A Color Guide to the Petrography of Sandstones, AAPG Memoir 109, 526pp.
Chapters
- Derby, J R, Raine, R J, Runkel, A, and Smith, M P. 2012. Generalized map of the Great American Carbonate Bank in Early Ordovician (early Tremadocian) time: The Stonehenge Transgression. In: Derby, J. et al. (eds.) The Cambro-Ordovician Sauk Sequence of Laurentia – The Geology and Petroleum Potential of the Great American Carbonate Bank. 5–13. AAPG & Shell.
- Raine, R J, and Smith, M P. 2012. Sequence stratigraphy of the Scottish Laurentian margin and the recognition of the Sauk megasequences in the Scotland–Greenland sector. In: Derby, J et al. (eds.) The Cambro-Ordovician Sauk Sequence of Laurentia – The Geology and Petroleum Potential of the Great American Carbonate Bank. 575–596. AAPG & Shell.
- Raine, R J, Smith, M P, Holdsworth, B, and Strachan, R. 2011. Excursion 14: Durness, Balnakeil Bay and Faraid Head In: Goodenough, K & Krabbendam, M A. Geological Excursion Guide to the North West Highlands of Scotland. 161–180. Edinburgh Geological Society.
- Butler, R, Raine, R, and Smith, P. 2011. Excursion 15 – The Moine Thrust Zone at Loch Eriboll. In: Goodenough, K & Krabbendam, M. (eds) A Geological Excursion Guide to the North West Highlands of Scotland. 181–197. Edinburgh Geological Society.
- Smith, P, and Raine, R. 2011. Excursion 1 – Loch Assynt and the Achmore duplex. In: Goodenough, K, and Krabbendam, M. (eds) A Geological Excursion Guide to the North West Highlands of Scotland. 37–52. Edinburgh Geological Society.
- Johnson, M, Parsons, I, Smith, P, Raine, R, and Goodenough, K. 2011. Geological framework of the North-West Highlands. In: Goodenough, K & Krabbendam, M. (eds) A Geological Excursion Guide to the North West Highlands of Scotland. 8–36. Edinburgh Geological Society.
Reports
- Raine, R J, and Reay, D M. 2021. Geothermal energy potential in Northern Ireland : summary and recommendations for the Geothermal Advisory Committee. Geological Survey of Northern Ireland, 27pp. (Unpublished)
- Raine, R, and Reay, D M. 2019. A review of geothermal reservoir properties of Triassic, Permian and Carboniferous sandstones in Northern Ireland. Belfast, UK, Geological Survey of Northern Ireland, 59pp. (INTERNAL REPORT 19/EM/01) (Unpublished)
- Waters, C N, Terrington, R L, Cooper, M R, Raine, R J, and Thorpe, S. 2016. The construction of a bedrock geology model for the UK: UK3D_v2015. British Geological Survey, 22pp. (OR/15/069) (Unpublished)
Skills
- Core description
- Geophysical logging
- Geophysical log interpretation
- Geological mapping
- Software: IP, IHS Kingdon, SKUA GOCAD, ARC Pro, QGIS, Petrog, MS Office
- Petrography: thin section, SEM, BSEM,
- Reservoir quality analysis
- Geochemistry
- Stratigraphy
Awards
- 2023 to 2027: Honorary Adjunct Senior Research Fellow at University College Dublin.
- 2016: Robert H Dott Sr. Memorial Award. For best Memoir. AAPG Memoir 109.
- 2008 to 2012: Honorary researcher at the University of Birmingham
- 2008: BSRG Farrell Fund
- 2005: Sylvester-Bradley Award from the Palaeontological Association
Boards and committees
- 2023 to 2024: Steering Group, Belfast Local Area Energy Plan
- 2022 to ongoing: DECC Geothermal Energy Advisory Group (GEAG), IGN representative.
- 2021 to ongoing: Northern Ireland Geothermal Advisory Committee (GAC)
- 2020 to 2021: Department for the Economy, Heat Policy Working Group
- 2020 to ongoing: Energy Geoscientists Working Group, IGI
- 2016 to 2019: Treasurer, Earth Science Ireland
- 2014 to 2018: Fieldtrip Secretary, Belfast Geologists’ Society
- 2009 to 2011: Publicity officer for The Micropalaeontology Society
- 2005 to 2009: Secretary of the Microvertebrate Group, The Microplaeontological Society
Professional association
- 2023 to ongoing: Chartered Professional Geologist (PGeo) with IGI
- 2013 to ongoing: Fellow of the Geological Society of London
- 2020 to ongoing: Member of the Geologists Association