About RESPEC
As part of a multidisciplinary subsurface team, RESPEC professionals are fully trained in all core sciences to deliver applied knowledge in geophysics, geochemistry, reservoir modeling, rock mechanics, and data analytics.
Where We've Worked
RESPEC has extensive experience with both hydrothermal and sedimentary projects in more than a dozen countries worldwide.
Hydrothermal systems are the most exploited geothermal resource worldwide, harnessing the energy from hot water solutions rising from cooling magma. Sedimentary basins are reservoir rocks with sufficient temperature, thickness, porosity, and permeability at a depth that is economical to drill.
The following map highlights some of our projects.
Map Project Legend
Hydrothermal Systems
Sedimentary Basins
Direct use and thermal storage
Lithium Extraction
Matt Minnick, PhD
Geothermal and Carbon Capture and Storage Lead
Matthew Minnick leads the Geothermal and Carbon Sequestration Reservoir Engineering team at RESPEC. With 17 years of experience in geothermal resource, reservoir, and wellfield design experience, Matthew leads multidisciplinary teams and manages innovative geothermal projects around the world.
His geothermal experience ranges from traditional high-enthalpy systems in the Taupō Volcanic Zone of New Zealand and volcanic arc systems in Colombia, South America, to low-enthalpy, sedimentary heat reservoirs and direct-use applications in the United States and Canada. He is the chief reservoir engineer on multiple prominent geothermal projects in Canada, including the Deep Earth Energy Production Corp. (DEEP) project in Saskatchewan and the Tu Deh-Kah project in British Columbia, where he developed some first-of-their-kind geothermal wellfield design solutions. He currently leads a geothermal project at Baker Lake, Nunavut, that involves drilling one of the Canadian Shield’s first and deepest thermal characterization boreholes. He is also on the technical review committee for the Latin America Geothermal Development Fund.
Dan Hoyer, PE, PhD
Geothermal Senior Advisor
Dan Hoyer is an accomplished senior geothermal executive with 44 years of experience in drilling and geothermal projects. He has experience using drilling and surface equipment for exploring, designing, constructing, starting up, and operating wells; power generation and resource gathering systems; and direct-use projects.
Dan was the project manager to target, drill, and test six exploration wells that successfully discovered two geothermal resources. Dan led and participated as an Owner’s Engineer in developing, designing, constructing, and starting up six power plants and resource production facilities.
William M. "Bill" Rickard
Principal Consultant
Bill Rickard has extensive experience in 24 countries on six continents and more than 80 geothermal fields worldwide. He has been involved in the geothermal industry for more than 40 years. He specializes in project management, drilling management, rig supervision, troubleshooting, well workovers, and problem well diagnosis. He has an established record of reducing costs through innovative engineering, and successfully managing geothermal exploration and drilling programs. Bill’s experience working as a drilling engineer in the United States and overseas has given him the ability to communicate easily with both project management and well site personnel. He has also used his knowledge to develop and teach geothermal drilling technology courses and conduct geothermal research and development efforts.
Before starting his own company, now part of RESPEC, Bill worked for 14 years for Union Oil Co and Unocal Geothermal, where he began as a field engineer and then became district drilling manager and division drilling training coordinator. He has a Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering from Montana Technological University and has published many technical papers. He is a registered Professional Engineer and has served on the Geothermal Resources Council (GRC) Board of Directors, the Geothermal Energy Association Board of Directors, and the GRC Policy Committee Executive Board. He is also a member of the American Association of Drilling Engineers and the Society of Petroleum Engineers and has received the GRC 2020 Pioneer Award.
Richard Holt
Principal Geothermal Consultant
Richard Holt is a consulting geothermal reservoir engineering with over 25 years full-time in the geothermal industry. Richard’s educational background includes a MS degree from Stanford University and a BS degree from University of California Berkeley, both in Petroleum Engineering. Richard has provided consulting services on over 100 different geothermal fields in 20 countries, including all producing geothermal projects in the USA. Richard has worked directly with all types of resources found in the global geothermal industry, from low-enthalpy pumped hydrothermal wells in sedimentary rocks, to super-critical hypersaline high-enthalpy wells in fractured volcanics.
Sami Atalay
Principal Consultant
Sami Atalay is a seasoned petroleum and natural gas engineer with 18 years of comprehensive experience in geothermal and oil and gas drilling and workover operations. His technical proficiency encompasses an array of drilling practices, including underbalanced drilling, casing and liner cementing, directional drilling, and well control. Sami has made significant contributions to numerous projects across the United States, Indonesia, Taiwan, Djibouti, and Turkey, demonstrating his ability to manage complex drilling programs and deliver results on time and within budget. His expertise is further highlighted by his successful execution of challenging projects, such as drilling the deepest geothermal well in Indonesia and optimizing drilling performance in sour environments. Sami’s contributions to the field are also recognized through his publications and participation in international workshops and seminars.
Mary Mann, P.Geo
Senior Staff Geologist
Mary Mann is a Professional Geologist specializing in geothermal energy. She has experience in all stages of geothermal energy development—greenfield exploration program design and fieldwork, thermal gradient, slim well, production/injection well drilling, targeting, well site geology, and drilling project planning. Prior to GRG (now RESPEC), she was the resource manager for a geothermal operating company, playing a key role in exploration program planning, conceptual model building, well targeting, resource monitoring and compliance, and drilling project management. Before that, she gained experience with the collection and interpretation of geophysical data, including EM and potential fields data, while working for a geophysical consulting firm. Mary is a graduate of the University of Nevada, Reno, with a Bachelor of Science in Geology. She has a background in hydrology, including as a Fulbright Scholar studying water quality and domestic water well siting to benefit rural populations in Niger.
Evan Renaud, M.S., P.Geo
Project Geologist
Evan Renaud is an accomplished geologist experienced in investigating conventional and unconventional sedimentary reservoirs through technical field positions, office roles, and university research. In his master’s research, Evan focused on applying these learnings to the geothermal industry and assessing the feasibility of repurposing a mature gas field into a source of geothermal power. He accomplished this by characterizing a hydrothermal dolomite reservoir through core description, rock sampling, mapping, and simulating the flow of hot water within a hydrothermal dolomite reservoir. He has continued his career in the energy industry by providing robust geological interpretations for application in the geothermal, energy storage, oil and gas, and potash industries.
Brett Dueck, P.Eng
Drilling Engineer
As a geological engineering graduate from the University of Saskatchewan, Brett Dueck’s background covers drilling, mining, petroleum, and geotechnical studies. In the past 11 years, he has specialized in the mineral industry, primarily focusing on drilling management and well engineering. Brett has worked on projects for many companies, specifically projects related to potash and mineral drilling programs, brine injection wells, and hydrogeological drilling studies. His services include well design, permitting/regulatory coordination, drilling cost estimates, and subcontractor management. He also performs the project management and health, safety, and environmental setup for these projects. He has contributed to due diligence, Joint Ore Reserves Committee, and National Instrument (NI) 43-101 documents by assisting in resource estimates, drilling reviews, and report compilation.
Devin Harshad, P.Eng
Drilling, Completions, and Workover Engineer
Devin Harshad is a Professional Engineer who has worked in the oil and gas industry for nearly 20 years. Over the past 10 years, Devin has focused on drilling and completions engineering and project management in the unconventional energy industry worldwide. His professional experience includes managing multidisciplinary engineering and operations teams in large-scale projects while being a lead contributor in drilling, completions, and workover management. Devin has worked on wells across the globe, including in Australia, Argentina, Canada, Southeast Asia, and Uzbekistan. As a lead engineer and supervisor on numerous projects, he strives to execute his projects safely and on time to increase productivity and reduce capital requirements. As a drilling engineer with RESPEC and having developed a passion for sustainable energy, he aims to augment his experience with innovative projects in solution mining, underground gas storage, and geothermal energy. Devin continues to expand his knowledge of carbon management in the energy industry through the Greenhouse Gas Management Institute.
Douglas Murray, PE
Principal Mechanical Engineer
Doug Murray is a Principal Mechanical Engineer with more than 40 years of experience in mechanical engineering design and construction management in Southcoast Alaska. He has an extensive background in building mechanical systems throughout Southeast Alaska, including adjusting, troubleshooting, and commissioning mechanical systems. Doug's work helps building owners see a complete picture of their mechanical systems choices, including initial costs, servicing, operation, and life expectancy. Doug is well-versed in alternate energy systems, including biomass, electric, air source heat pumps, and geothermal source heat pumps with both vertical and horizontal closed-loop fluid transfer.
About RESPEC
/ 55 Years in Business
/ 600+ Employee-Owners
/ 13 Doctorates
/ 110 Graduate Degrees
/ 500+ Certifications
/ 30 Offices in the U.S. and Canada
RESPEC is a client-focused consulting and services company that integrates engineering and science with applied technology to solve complex challenges for private and public clients through collaboration and partnership. Since our founding in 1969, our 100-percent employee-owned company has grown to include four divisions: Mining & Energy, Water & Natural Resources, Data & Technology Solutions, and most recently, Infrastructure.
We integrate these branches by connecting our experts to create smart solutions. Our approach is simple—we strive for long-lasting, mutually rewarding relationships. Our clients are our lifeline. To cultivate client relationships, we are committed to maintaining high standards of integrity, quality, and technical insight.