Dr. Christopher Nicholas

• C. J. Nicholas, Field Geology Handbook, 1st, Department of Geology, TCD, 2020, 1 - 108ppBook, 2020
• C. J. Nicholas & I. R. Newth, Summary Technical Evaluation of Exploration Area 4B, Ugandan Lake Edward, Dominion Petroleum Limited, June, 2009, p1 - 125Report, 2009
• C. J. Nicholas, Paleogene Clastics in East, Central and West Jamaica, Tullow Oil, Dublin, August, 2015, p1 - 71Report, 2015
• C. J. Nicholas, Geological Field Reconnaissance of the onshore Dahomey Embayment, Republic of Benin, United Oil & Gas, Dublin, March, 2019, p1 - 42Report, 2019
• C. J. Nicholas, Tectono-stratigraphic model for the evolution of onshore Republic of Benin, United Oil & Gas, Dublin, June, 2019, p1 - 38Report, 2019
• C. J. Nicholas, Petroleum prospectivity of pre-Tertiary play systems in the Republic of Zambia, Southern Africa, United Oil & Gas, Dublin, February, 2019, p1 - 57Report, 2019
• C. J. Nicholas, SONAHYDROC: Upstream hydrocarbon exploration in the Democratic Republic of Congo 2018-2023, SONAHYDROC SA, DR Congo, April, 2018, p1 - 85Report, 2018
• C. J. Nicholas, The onshore geology of Exploration Area 1: Murchison Falls National Park & Pakwach Basin, northern Lake Albert, Uganda, Entebbe, Uganda, Tullow Oil, London, August, 2013, p1 - 110Report, 2013
• Coxall, H. K., Dunkley-Jones, T., Jones, A., Lunt, p., MacMillan, I., Marliyani, G. I., Nicholas, C. J., O'Halloran, A., Piga, E., Sanyoto, P., Rahardjo, W. and Pearson, P. N., The Eocene - Oligocene transition in Nanggulan, Java: lithostratigraphy, biostratigraphy and foraminiferal stable isotopes, Journal of the Geological Society, London, 2021Journal Article, 2021
• C. J. Nicholas, Gold concentrations in vein ore samples, Kilima, Rungu-Wamba, DR Congo, October, 2021, 17ppReport, 2021
• McCabe, R., Nicholas, C. J., Fitches, B., Wray, D., and Pearce, T., Chemostratigraphic and Mineralogical Examination of the Kilwa Group Claystones, Coastal Tanzania: An Alternative Approach to Refine the Lithostratigraphy, African Journal of Earth Sciences, 197, 2023, p1 - 22Journal Article, 2023
• C. J. Nicholas, Field Report on the Geological Survey of Semliki, northern Lake Albert, Southern Lake Albert and Pakwach Basin, in the Albertine Graben, Entebbe, Uganda, Petroleum Authority Uganda, 2023, p1 - 190Report, 2023
• C. J. Nicholas, 3 Day Short Lecture Course: Tectono-sedimentary Evolution of the Albertine Rift, Albertine Rift - Short Lecture Course, Entebbe, Uganda, 14th - 16th Sept 202, 2022, Petroleum Authority UgandaInvited Talk, 2022
• C. J. Nicholas, Sedimentary Dynamics in the Albertine Rift Valley, Equatorial East Africa, Memoir, Geological Society London, Geological Society London, 2024, 900ppppBook, 2024
• C. J. Nicholas, 'Albertine Rift Geological Excursion Guide to the Pakwach Basin & Murchison Falls National Park, Northern Lake Albert.', Petroleum Authority Uganda, Petroleum Authority Uganda, 2023, - 38Fieldwork collection, 2023
• C. J.Nicholas, 'Albertine Rift Geological Excursion Guide to the Kaiso-Tonya Area, Southern Lake Albert Basin, Uganda.', Petroleum Authority Uganda, Petroleum Authority Uganda, 2023, - 34ppFieldwork collection, 2023
• C. J. Nicholas, 'Albertine Rift Geological Excursion Guide to the Semliki Area, Southern Lake Albert Basin, Uganda.', Petroleum Authority Uganda, Petroleum Authority Uganda, 2023, - 30ppFieldwork collection, 2023
• Pearson, P. N., Nicholas, C. J., Singano, J. M., Bown, P. R., Coxall, H. K., van Dongen, B. E., Huber, B. T., Karega, A., Lees, J. A., Msaky, E., Pancost, R. D., Further Paleogene and Cretaceous sediment cores from the Kilwa area of coastal Tanzania: Tanzania Drilling Project Sites 6 to 10, Journal of African Earth Sciences, 45, 2006, p279 - 317Journal Article, 2006
• MacGabhann, B. A., Murray, J. & Nicholas, C. J., Ediacaria booleyi - weeded from the Garden of Ediacara?, Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 286, 2007, p277 - 295Journal Article, 2007
• Pearson, P. N., Nicholas, C. J., Singano, J. M., Bown, P. R., Coxall, H. K., van Dongen, B. E., Huber, B. T., Karega, A., Lees, J. A., Msaky, E., Pancost, R. D., Pearson, M., and Roberts, A. P., Paleogene and Cretaceous sediment cores from the Kilwa and Lindi areas of coastal Tanzania: Tanzania Drilling Project Sites 1 - 5, Journal of African Earth Sciences, 39, 2004, p25 - 62Journal Article, 2004
• Pearson, P. N., Ditchfield, P. W., Singano, S., Harcourt-Brown, K. G., Nicholas, C. J., Olsson, R. K., Shackleton, N. J., and Hall, M. A., Warm tropical sea surface temperatures in the Late Cretaceous and Eocene epochs, Nature, 413, 2001, p481 - 487Journal Article, 2001
• Nicholas, C. J., Onshore geology of southern coastal Tanzania: Lessons for offshore exploration, 2nd Conference on the Petroleum Potential and Investment Opportunities in East Africa - EAPC '05, Entebbe, Uganda, East African Community Secretariat, 2005, pp25 - 25Conference Paper, 2005
• Nicholas, C. J., Murray, J., Goodhue, R. & Ditchfield, P. W., Nitrogen and carbon isotopes in conodonts: Evidence of trophic levels and nutrient flux in Paleozoic oceans, 48th Palaeontological Association Annual Meeting, Lille, 2004, pp126 - 126Conference Paper, 2004
• Nicholas, C. J., Pearson, P. N., Bown, P. R., Dunkley Jones, T., Huber, B. T., Karega, A., Lees, J. A., McMillan, I. K., O'Halloran, A., Singano, J. M., Wade, B. S., Stratigraphy and sedimentology of the Upper Cretaceous to Paleogene Kilwa Group, southern coastal Tanzania, Journal of African Earth Sciences, 45, 2006, p431 - 466Journal Article, 2006
• Pearson, P. N., van Dongen, B. E., Nicholas, C. J., Pancost, R. D., Schouten, S., Singano, J. M., Wade, B. S., Stable warm tropical climate through the Eocene epoch, Geology, 35, (3), 2007, p211 - 214Journal Article, 2007
• Nicholas, C. J., Cenozoic petroleum geology of southern onshore coastal Tanzania, Extended abstracts, conference proceedings, 21st Colloquium on African Geology, Maputo, Mozambique, July, 2006, 2006Meeting Abstract, 2006
• Nicholas, C. J., Pearson, P. N., Ditchfield, P. W., Singano, J. M. , Structural evolution of southern coastal Tanzania since the Jurassic, Journal of African Earth Sciences, 48, 2007, p273 - 297Journal Article, 2007
• Nicholas, C. J. and Pearson, P. N., Robert Jameson on the Isle of Arran, 1797-1799: in search of Hutton's 'Theory of the Earth', Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 287, 2007, p31-47-Journal Article, 2007
• Bown, P. R., Dunkley Jones, T., Lees, J. A., Pearson, P. N., Randell, R., Coxall, H. K., Mizzi, J., Nicholas, C. J., Karega, A., Singano, J. M., Wade, B. S., A Paleogene calcareous microfossil Konservat-Lagerstatte from Kilwa Group of coastal Tanzania, Geological Society of America Bulletin, 120, 2008, p3 - 12Journal Article, 2008
• Pearson, P. N. and Nicholas, C. J., 'Marks of extreme violence': Charles Darwin's geological observations at St Jago (Sao Tiago), Cape Verde islands, Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 287, 2007, p239 - 253Journal Article, 2007
• Nicholas, C. J. and Gold, S. E. P., Ediacaran - Cambrian Sirab Formation of the Al Huqf region, Sultanate of Oman, GeoArabia, 17, (1), 2012, p49 - 98Journal Article, 2012
• Nicholas, C. J., Exploring Geology on the Isle of Arran, 1st Edition, UK, Cambridge University Press, 2000, 1 - 234ppBook, 2000
• Nicholas, C. J., The Sr isotopic evolution of the oceans during the 'Cambrian explosion', Journal of the Geological Society, London, 153, 1996, p243 - 254Journal Article, 1996
• Butterfield, N. J. and Nicholas, C. J., Burgess Shale-type preservation of both non-mineralizing and 'shelly' Cambrian organisms from the Mackenzie Mountains, northwestern Canada, Journal of Paleontology, 70, 1996, p893 - 899Journal Article, 1996
• Nicholas, C. J., New stratigraphical constraints on the Durness Group of NW Scotland, Scottish Journal of Geology, 30, 1994, p73 - 85Journal Article, 1994
• Nicholas, C. J., Henwood, A. A. and Simpson, M., A new discovery of early Cretaceous (Wealden) amber from the Isle of Wight, Geological Magazine, 130, 1993, p847 - 850Journal Article, 1993
• Clarke, N. D. L., Nimmo, F. and Nicholas, C. J., A new occurrence of Scottish plesiosaurian remains from the Island of Skye, Scottish Journal of Geology, 29, 1993, p197 - 199Journal Article, 1993
• Pearson, P. N. and Nicholas, C. J., Defining the base of the Cambrian: the Hicks - Geikie confrontation of April 1883, Earth Sciences History, 11, 1992, p70 - 80Journal Article, 1992
• Evans, S. E., Manabe, M., Cooke, E., Hirayama, R., Isaji, S., Nicholas, C. J., Unwin, D. and Yabumoto, Y., An Early Cretaceous tetrapod assemblage from Japan, New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin, 14, 1998, p183 - 186Journal Article, 1998
• Hellawell, J & Nicholas, C. J., Acid Treatment effects on the stable isotopic signature of fossils, Palaeontology, 55, (1), 2012, p1 - 10Journal Article, 2012, DOI , URL , TARA - Full Text
• Nicholas, C. J., Abeinomugisha, D. & Newth, I. R., Petroleum Exploration in the Lake Edward - Lake George basins, Albertine Graben, Uganda, EAPC 2009 Conference Papers, East African Petroleum Conference 2009, Mombasa, Kenya, edited by East African Community Secretariat , East African Community Secretariat, 2009Conference Paper, 2009
• Luke Handley, Aoife O'Halloran, Paul N. Pearson, Elizabeth Hawkins, Christopher J. Nicholas, Stefan Schouten, Ian K. McMillan, Richard D. Pancost, Changes in the hydrological cycle in tropical East Africa during the Paleocene- Eocene Thermal Maximum, Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 329-330, 2012, p10-21Journal Article, 2012, DOI , TARA - Full Text
• Pearson, P. N., and Nicholas, C. J. , Layering in the Paleocene/Eocene boundary of the Millville core is drilling disturbance, Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences., 111, (2), 2014, pE1064-E1065Journal Article, 2014, DOI
• Hudson, W. E. and Nicholas, C. J. , The Pindiro Group (Triassic to Early Jurassic Mandawa basin, southern coastal Tanzania): Definition, Palaeoenvironment, and stratigraphy, Journal of African Earth Sciences, 92, 2014, p55 - 67Journal Article, 2014, DOI
• Nicholas, C. J, Geology and stratigraphy of the south-eastern Lake Edward basin (Petroleum Exploration Area 4B), Albertine Rift Valley, Uganda, Journal of Maps, 12, (2), 2016, p237-248Journal Article, 2016, DOI , TARA - Full Text

Chris" research focus over the past 17 years has been on the structural evolution and sedimentary dynamics of the Albertine Rift, which is the northern sector of the EARS Western Arm, investigating how tectonics and glacial " interglacial driven climatic cyclicity in East Africa together form a coupled dynamo that drives and controls the sedimentary fill of an early continental rift basin. Chris has conducted many geological field surveys and mapping in the Albertine Rift, both in Uganda and DR Congo (DRC). Chris was also Chief Geologist for Dominion Petroleum Uganda, during its hydrocarbon exploration of the Lake Edward basin and has worked with most of the Industry Companies, Government Ministries and Corporations operating across East, Central and West Africa. From 2015 to 2019, Chris helped and advised in the restructuring of the state oil company in DR Congo, SONAHYDROC (formerly COHYDRO), and provided a strategic exploration plan for the next 5 years. With the drive now away from hydrocarbon investment in the Developed World, this has opened opportunities for Exploration Field Geologists to apply their expertise to prospecting for other natural resources in the Equatorial Tropics, and Africa in particular. Thus, 2018 saw the first involvement of Chris in the mining of precious minerals, devising a detailed mining and financial plan for placer diamond and gold mining in Banalia Province, central DRC. This was followed more recently, in 2021, with another project on gold ore concentrations in hydrothermal veins at Kilima, Rungu-Wamba, DR Congo, and an appraisal of the Alia Gemstone mine in southern Kenya, where there is the occurrence of the rare emerald-like precious gemstone, Tsavorite.

• Title

  Geology of Exploration Area 4B, SE Lake Edward, Uganda
  Summary
  Funding Agency

  Dominion Petroleum Ltd.
  Date From

  2007
  Date To

  2009
• Title

  Geology of southern Lake Edward, Democratic Republic of Congo
  Summary
  Funding Agency

  Soco International plc.
  Date From

  2010
  Date To

  2013
• Title

  Rifting, sea level and environmental history of the East African margin during the past 300 million years
  Summary
  Funding Agency

  Enterprise Ireland (Basic Research Grant)
  Date From

  2001
  Date To

  2005
• Title

  Stratigraphy and sedimentology of the Ara Group in outcrop and its implications for play development in the South Oman Salt Basin
  Summary
  Funding Agency

  Petroleum Development Oman/Shuram Oil & Gas
  Date From

  2006
  Date To

  2010
• Title

  Structural evolution and petroleum geology of the Mandawa Basin, southern coastal Tanzania
  Summary
  Funding Agency

  Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (with Dominion Petroleum)
  Date From

  2006
  Date To

  2010
• Title

  Geology of Kidumba & Mihambia, Mandawa Basin, southern coastal Tanzania
  Summary
  Funding Agency

  Dominion Petroleum Ltd.
  Date From

  2006
• Title

  Selous Basin Project
  Summary
  Funding Agency

  Dominion Petroleum Ltd
  Date From

  2007
  Date To

  2009
• Title

  Major global climate fluctuations recorded at low latitude on the Indian Ocean margin during the Paleogene (65-24 million years ago)
  Summary
  Funding Agency

  Science Foundation Ireland (Research Frontiers Programme)
  Date From

  2006
  Date To

  2010
• Title

  Sedimentary response to coupled East African climate change and active rifting in the Lake Edward basin, Albertine Rift, Uganda
  Summary
  Funding Agency

  Ministry of Energy, Uganda
  Date From

  2010
  Date To

  2012
• Title

  Nitrogen and carbon isotopes in modern and fossil aquatic ecosystems
  Summary
  Funding Agency

  Science Foundation Ireland (Basic Research Grant)
  Date From

  2004
  Date To

  2009
• Title

  Geological evolution of the southern Tanzanian continental margin
  Summary
  Funding Agency

  European Science Foundation / IRCSET
  Date From

  2007
  Date To

  2011

• Member of the Royal Dublin Society
• Member of the Board of the National Museum of Ireland 2015
• Member of the Geological Society of Africa
• Member of the Science & Technology Committee, Royal Dublin Society onwards

• Former Chief Geologist for Dominion Petroleum Ltd., now acting as Geological Advisor
• Former Chief Geologist for Dominion Petroleum Ltd., now acting as Geological Advisor