Michael Welch

Michael Welch is a Senior Researcher at the Danish Offshore Technology Centre (Technical University of Denmark) specializing in Geology and Geophysics. His research focuses on fracture mechanics, fluid flow dynamics, and geomechanical modeling in subsurface environments.

Research Interests: Welch investigates fracture propagation across material interfaces, subcritical crack growth, and fluid flow variations in fractured reservoirs. His work integrates seismic data analysis, discrete fracture networks (DFN), and phase-field modeling techniques.

• Key areas: Fracture network validation, geomechanical controls on chalk/marl reservoirs, mechanical failure risk assessment for CCS operations
• Methodologies: Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics (LEFM), poroelastic modeling, photogrammetry hardware development

Collaborations: Active in international projects related to North Sea geology, Netherlands diapir structures, and Danish Central Graben analysis.