Research Interests 

Petrographic microscopy 

X-ray diffraction 

Hydrothermal alteration mineralogy 

Clay mineralogy 

SEM microscopy 

QEMSCAN® microscopy

Petrography

XRD interpretation

QEMScan analysis

Clay joined EGI in 2004 as an undergraduate researcher/draftsman. In 2009 he was promoted to research scientist in geology. Clay holds an undergraduate degree (B.Sc.) and Masters (M.Sc.) in geology, both from the University of Utah. Clay’s primary research interest is in the mineralogy and geochemical evolution of geothermal reservoirs. Secondary minerals provide information on the geometry of the reservoir, the extent of fluid-rock interactions, fluid processes occurring in the reservoir, permeability distributions, and the chemical and thermal evolution of the fluids. Because fluid-rock interactions alter the physical and chemical properties of the rocks, they have a strong influence on the results of geophysical surveys. As part of the EGI geothermal group, he has conducted X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy, and petrographic investigations of geothermal reservoirs throughout the world for government and private organizations such as the DOE, US Navy GPO, Chevron, Terra-Gen Power, Ram Power, US Geothermal, Magma Energy Corp, GeoGlobal Energy, Cirque Energy, and others.