Offshore Surveying – What’s It All About?
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Date
07 Nov 2025
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Organiser
Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics (LSGI)
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Time
14:00 - 15:30
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Venue
PQ303 Map
Speaker
Mr. Gordon JOHNSTON
Remarks
Moderator: Sr Dr. Lawrence LAU, Lecturer of LSGI
Summary
This is a very brief journey following the survey activities that occur in association with the timeline of offshore development. Offshore infrastructure is a complex and expensive activity with various challenges for the Surveyor and Geospatial Data specialist. The presentation will offer a glimpse of the offshore environment, at both the surveyor level and infrastructure level, and how things can develop – rightly or wrongly! Trends and opportunities are offered as a way of assessing the possible future direction of the sector.
Gordon Johnston has spent over 30 years in the surveying profession, initially as a Land Surveyor and then adapting to the demands of the Offshore Surveying world. He worked in the field initially and then moved from the field to a busy operational office role before eventually becoming the Chief Surveyor of a global survey company. He is now a consultant to various organisations from SMEs to International Energy companies and NGOs.
Keynote Speaker
Mr. Gordon JOHNSTON
Director at Venture Geomatics &
Member of RICS Governing Council (Land & Natural Resources)
Gordon is a Chartered Land Surveyor with over 30 year’s professional experience of Hydrographic and Land surveying and associated spatial data management. He is director of Venture Geomatics Limited a technical consultancy based in the United Kingdom providing support to the energy, engineering, and telecoms sectors. After graduating from the University of Glasgow he worked on projects worldwide becoming the global group Chief Surveyor of a large international survey company, before, in 2006, setting up an independent consultancy which continues today. His work involves many elements of spatial data across land, coastal and marine areas and Gordon is active in promoting and expanding the awareness and importance of marine natural capital and the blue economy. Gordon is a vice chair of FIG Commission 4 – Hydrography; is an FIG member of the FIG/IHO/ICA International Board on Standards of Competence for Hydrographic Surveyors and Nautical Cartographers (IBSC) which oversees the Standards at an international level, an external examiner and industry advisor to several UK tertiary educational institutions and he is a board member and Fellow of the Hydrographic Society of UK & Ireland and is a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Navigation.
