Experienced Management & Technical Team

Our constantly growing team of professionals has distinct entrepreneurial spirit, building on the advances made in the oil and marine sectors in Norway, but with the mining industry and green energy transition in mind.


Jon Sandnes – EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN
Fridtjof Jebsen – FOUNDER & CEO/CFO

Executive with 35+ years experience from the oil and gas business. Latest managerial role was as Managing Director of DEA Norge AS. Holds a Master Degree in Chemical Engineering & Industrial Economics from the Norwegian Institute of Technology.

Entrepreneurial Executive with 30+ years experience from oil & gas / energy / natural resources  and management consulting. Initially with Saga Petroleum (1991-99), thereafter trusted Strategy and BD Advisor within oil & gas / energy (2000->) and Managing Partner of PetroAdvisor AS. Founder & CEO of Tellus Petroleum (2012-17). Holds a MSc from NTNU and MBA from University of Colorado.

Dag Helland-Hansen – CO-FOUNDER & CHIEF EXPLORATION OFFICER
Lars Lorenz – CHEIF GEOPHYSICIST

Executive with 25+ years experience from the oil industry in Norway and internationally, from companies like EMGS, AkerBP, Svenska, Idemitsu and Chevron. Holds a MSc from NTNU and Heriott-Watt.

Holds a M. Sc. degree in Applied Geophysics from NTNU in Trondheim, Norway. Has extensive experience in the use of CSEM from a wide range of geological and geographical environments, and is an acknowledged industry expert. He has arguably some of the most hands-on experience in all practical aspects of the technology on a global basis.

Trygve Botn – DECISION QUALITY & INVESTMENT ADVISOR
Venche Bjerkreim – SENIOR EXPLORATIONIST

Decision Science expert with 20+ years experience from the energy industry, primarily with Chevron. Founder of ThinQ Decisions and Fellow and member of the Board of Director at Society of Decisions Professionals. Trygve holds a MSc in International Business from BI Norwegian School of Management

Geoscience expert with 30+ years experience from the oil & gas companies like MOL, Ithaca, Saga Petroleum and Conoco. Holds a MSc from NTNU and University of Illinois Chicago.

Tore Øian – SAMPLING & CORING AND OFFSHORE OPERATIONS MANAGER

Experience from Equinor | Wintershall Dea | Marathon | Halliburton. A long career as Drilling Manager on the NCS, including operations in the Barents sea. Currently consultant Drilling Supervisor for Equinor. MSc Petroleum Engineering, University of Stavanger.

Key international technical expert consultants:

  • Dougal Jerram, Geology and Volcanic Processes
  • Lee Fairchild, Regional Geology
  • Douglas Paton, Structural Geology
  • Joao Carvalho, Mineral Geology
  • Tony Wass, Data Acquisitions

Advisory Board

We seek to build the best possible knowledge base for our business conduct.

For this purpose we have an advisory board to provide guidance, expertise and strategic insight.

We have gathered a team of national and international experts within unique experiences applicable for Deep Sea mining.
Eric Attias – RESEARCH PROFESSOR & HEAD OF GEOSCIENCE AT OCEEMLAB

Graduate in geology & geophysics from the University of Southampton. B.Sc in Marine Science and Oceanography, RAI Israel. Currently responsible for OCEEMlab at the University of Texas, Austin, USA. OCEEMlab specialize in EM data acquisitions and data processing. Eric has also considerable experience with AUVs operations worldwide.

Ragnar Hagen – Ex CHAIRMAN OF SIBELCO NORDIC AS

Master’s degree in Mining Geology. Previous positions: Global Geology & Mining Head / Sibelco Group, Vice President Operations Northern Europe / Sibelco Group, COO / Sibelco Nordic, Managing Director / Titania AS

Odd Strømsnes – CEO AT BERGEN CARBON SOLUTIONS

Master’s degree Heriot-Watt University, previous positions: CEO Havfram, Managing Director Technip Norway, VP Offshore & Subsea services TechnipFMC, VP Projects REC.

Harald Bakke – Ex OWNER & CEO OF EAB ENGINEERING

MSc in Engineering. Former head since 1980 of subsea engineering contractor EAB Engineering, now a SLB group company.