Who we are
Quantum Marine Minerals was founded in 2021 by a core team with long and extensive oil industry and geoscience experience in Norway and internationally. The target is to become a world class operator and partner of choice in the emerging seafloor mineral industry.
The name was changed to Quantum Wetstone in 2025, following Wetstone Global Inc. investment in the company.
Wetstone Global, headquartered in New York, is an international deep-sea minerals company with operations across multiple jurisdictions. Wetstone combines autonomous exploration technologies, industrial partnerships and world-class investors to set a new standard for sustainable seabed mineral development.
Together, we bring deep Norwegian geoscience expertise and decades of global experience in energy, offshore and marine technology.
Experienced Management & Team
Our constantly growing team of professionals combines a strong entrepreneurial spirit with solid experience from Norway’s oil and marine industries, applying this expertise to the emerging fields of seabed mining and the green energy transition.
Board and Management
Jon Sandnes
Executive Chairman
Executive with 35+ years experience from the oil and gas industry, including Saga Petroleum and Norsk Hydro. Managing Director of DEA Norge AS. Master’s Degree in Chemical Engineering & Industrial Economics, Norwegian Institute of Technology (NTNU).
Contact details:
+ 47 976 90 885
jon.sandnes@quantum-wetstone.no
Fridtjof Jebsen
Founder, CEO & CFO
Entrepreneurial executive with 30+ years of experience across energy, natural resources and strategy consulting. Founder & CEO of Tellus Petroleum (2012–17). Formerly with Saga Petroleum and PetroAdvisor AS. Holds an MSc from NTNU and an MBA from the University of Colorado.
Contact details:
+ 47 959 90 989
fridtjof.jebsen@quantum-wetstone.no
Dag Helland-Hansen
Co-founder & Chief Exploration Officer
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 in geophysics and reservoir engineering.
Contact details:
+ 47 414 74 029
dag.helland-hansen@quantum-wetstone.no
Graham Talbot
Board Member
Chairman & CEO of Wetstone
and a seasoned financial
executive across energy,
utilities and maritime
industries. Former CFO of
Atlas Corp/Seaspan, Abu
Dhabi Power Corporation and Maersk Energy/Maersk Oil. Long tenure with Shell.
Brings deep expertise in capital markets, governance and global industrial development.
Core Team
Quantum Wetstone’s core team combines deep experience from offshore exploration with advanced expertise in marine geology and technology. Together, they ensure safe, efficient, and responsible deep-sea operations.
Lars Lorenz
Chief Geophysicist
MSc in Applied Geophysics from NTNU. Industry expert in CSEM methods with hands-on global experience in data acquisition and interpretation.
Dougal Jerram
Chief Geologist & Volcanologist
British geologist, author and award winning earth scientist. Founder of DougalEARTH, specialist in volcanics, rock textures and rifted basins. Professor at the University of Oslo, known for his blend of academic research, consultancy, media outreach, and science communication. PhD in Geology at University of Liverpool.
Douglas Paton
Structural Geology
Director of TectoKnow with 20 years experience of
applied structural geology and tectonics. Research experience from Conoco Phillips, GFZ-Ptsdam and Chevron. Professor structural geology and analysis, University of Leeds. PhD in Geology at University of Cambridge.
Lee Fairchild
Regional Geology
Senior geological advisor at Gorge Geotechnical, in Oregon US. Extensive international experience and expertise in structural geology, tectonic analysis and fault analysis working in companies like ExxonMobil and Chevron. PhD in Geology from University of Washington.
João Carvalho
PhD, Economic Geologist, Deep Focus
Specialist in AI solutions for deep sea mineral exploration and benthic habitat mapping. Geologist researcher at Creminer-LARsys and FCUL, with focus on VMS deposits. Ph.D in Geology at the University of Lisbon.
Tore Øian
Offshore Operations, Sampling & Coring Manager
Long career as Drilling
Manager on the Norwegian
Continental Shelf with
Equinor, Wintershall Dea and
Marathon. MSc in Petroleum
Engineering, University of
Stavanger.
Tony Wass
Senior Subsea Engineer
Professional subsea engineer and offshore project manager with 25 years’ experience using AUVs, ROVs & Towed Arrays for mineral exploration. Participated in multiple deep sea mineral research cruises
Worldwide. Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical),
Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, ON, Canada.
Øyvind Fjukmoen
Marine Biologist, Principal Consultant, DNV
Øyvind is a skilled marine biologist whose main field of expertise involves ecology of seabed communities, visual mapping techniques, risk assessments and mitigation. M.Sc. Marine Biology.
Trygve Botn
Decision Quality & Investment Advisor
Decision Science specialist
with 20+ years in Chevron
and as founder of ThinQ
Decisions. Board member of
the Society of Decision
Professionals.
Torbjørn Blom-Hagen
Finance Advisor
Has more than 20 years of international experience from finance, business development and M&A. He has held senior roles in Aker Solutions, Multiconsult and Kongsberg Group, as well as CFO positions in several early phase technology companies. He has an MSc Engineering from NTNU in Norway an MBA from INSEAD in France.
Advisory Board
Quantum Wetstone’s Advisory Board unites leading international experts from academia and industry to help shape the future of deep-sea mineral exploration and extraction. Their combined experience in geology, marine technology, and sustainability ensures that our approach is both science-based and forward-looking.
Eric Attias
Research Professor & Head of Geoscience, OCEEMlab
Graduate in GEOLOGY & GEOPHYSICS from the University of Southampton. B.Sc in Marine Science and Oceanography, RAI Israel. OCEEMlab specialize in EM data acquisitions and data processing. Eric has also considerable experience with AUVs operations worldwide.
Ragnar Hagen
Former Chairman, Sibelco Nordic AS
Master’s degree in Mining Geology. Previous positions include Global Geology & Mining Head / Sibelco Group, Vice President Operations Northern Europe / Sibelco Group, COO / Sibelco Nordic, Managing Director / Titania AS.
Prof. Bram Murton
Professor in Marine Geology, NOC, UK
Expertise is in oceanic crust and the formation of mineral deposits including volcanic and tectonic processes, hydrothermal circulation and metalliferous mineralization. Use and develop a combination of technologies including remote and autonomous underwater vehicles, sea-floor geophysics, geology, petrology and geochemistry to investigate sub-oceanic mantle melting, volcanic activity and the formation and fate of sea-floor mineral deposits.
Jens Laugesen
Environmental Specialist Consultant
Formerly with DNV, 1999-2024. PhD NTNU 2007. MSc i Environmental Sciences Wageningen University (Nederland) 1994. MSc KTH (Stockholm, Sverige) og Eidgenössische Technische Hochshule (Zürich, Sveits) i 1984.
Odd Strømsnes
CEO, Bergen Carbon Solutions
Extensive track-record from energy and marine operations. Master’s degree Heriot-Watt University. Previous positions include: CEO Havfram, Managing Director Technip Norway, VP Offshore & Subsea services TechnipFMC, VP Projects REC.
Harald Bakke
Former Owner & CEO, EAB Engineering
MSc in Engineering. Former head since 1980 of subsea engineering contractor EAB Engineering, now a SLB group company.