About TDI-Brooks International
Our Background
Scientific Services on a Global Basis
Headquartered in College Station, TX, TDI-Brooks strives to provide a professional service to support each client and project by incorporating industry resources, relationships, technology, and safe practices. TDI-Brooks has a staff of nearly one-hundred individuals including fourteen Ph.D. level oceanographers, geochemists, biologists and geologists.
TDI-Brooks is a scientific data acquisition services company specializing in multi-disciplinary oceanographic projects; marine geochemical exploration for oil and gas; geotechnical and offshore survey projects, and high-end environmental chemistry for industry as well as for federal and state agencies. TDI-Brooks was formed in mid-1996 when our senior staff left management positions at a research center of Texas A&M University.
We started by developing our capabilities in the marine seabed geochemical exploration market, a market that we originated in the early 1980s while at the university. Most of our current industry revenue is geochemical, geotechnical, and environmental in nature, and comes from projects in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, and offshore Africa, South America Canada, Southeast Asia and the Mediterranean Sea. TDI-Brooks has federal projects from NOAA, US Fish & Wildlife Service, USEPA, USGS and BOEM. This is the premier coastal environmental monitoring program in the USA.
TDI-Brooks is also one of the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s three contract laboratories for trace organic residue analyses primarily in tissue samples. TDI-Brooks has also conducted projects for BOEM to study chemosynthetic communities at the seabed and to study deep-water corals at rigs, wrecks and reefs in the deep-water Gulf of Mexico.
We’re experts in our field
Effective 20, January 2017, TDI-Brooks International, Inc. acquired Engineering Firm certification with the State of Texas due to extensive experience in the area of offshore environmental, geotechnical, and geological site investigations, and expands offerings to include seafloor and subsurface soil engineering services.
TDI-Brooks mission is to safely deliver high-quality oceanographic services, including acquisition, sampling, analysis and scientific interpretation to the marine environmental, geochemical, geotechnical and survey marketplace.
TDI-Brooks owns and operates multiuse research vessels — R/V Proteus and R/V Brooks McCall. Our vessels are primarily engaged in geotechnical and geochemical coring and data acquisition, hazard surveys, environmental surveys, physical oceanography, heat flow, and high resolution site surveys for private and federal clients. All are specifically optimized for deep water operations with high speed winches, A-frames, multiple heavy coring rigs, subbottom profilers, precise navigation and USBL systems, and other kits for our surveys.
Our Mission
Our mission is to safely deliver high-quality oceanographic services, including acquisition, sampling, analysis and scientific interpretation, to the marine environmental, geochemical, geotechnical and survey marketplace.
Our Values
- We believe in pursuing true, systematic, effective safety, not pretend-safety.
- We believe in technical and business integrity.
- We believe in persevering until we deliver.
- We believe in delivering more value than our customer specifies.
- We believe in being relentless in our drive to improve.
- We believe in giving first and receiving later.
- We believe in treating our customers and suppliers as friends.
- We believe in treating our employees and business partners as family.
- We believe in honoring the commitments we make.
- We believe in showing good faith.
- We believe in having fun.
- We believe that our reputation is more valuable than our net worth.
Safety management
TDI-Brooks has created a Comprehensive Training Program with the goal of training, supporting and engaging our employees in a continual improvement process.

Safety Management
At TDI-Brooks, we realize that the strength of our safety system is heavily dependent on our front line employees. That is why we have worked hard to establish a two way dialogue between upper management and the employees on deck. To improve communications and reinforce the importance of safety practices, the vessels are visited regularly by members of upper management, and most of our office employees are expected to work offshore each year. TDI-Brooks has developed Core Safety Training for all employees who work on our vessels, both vessel crew and technical party. This main training provides an introduction to our Safety Management System and safety processes. Our Safety Management System extends well beyond our written manual into all aspects of our operations, including our shore side and land based operations.
Our Behavior Based Safety system is integral to our key safety policies and procedures, such as permit to work procedures, mentors for short service employees, toolbox talks, job safety analysis, safety observation cards and weekly HSE special topic training. Each aspect emphasizes each employee’s right and obligation to participate in planning the work, complete the job safely, report any potential issues and STOP WORK if it is unsafe, regardless of their position or seniority.
Employees are encouraged to participate in their own safety through monthly Risk Reviews, the HSE comments section in the weekly reports, Master’s Reviews, safety observation cards and contributions to the monthly safety newsletter.
A summary of our HSE statistics are available for download HSEStats (2017).
Anti-corruption
As a company we take great pride in our reputation for acting fairly and ethically wherever we conduct business, whether domestic or internationally. Our Code of Ethics and Integrity guides us in making the right decisions that impact our clients., our personnel and the communities where we live and work. We have a core set of values to guide us every day, and we pride ourselves on doing the right thing, even when its hard or not convenient.
An important part of our culture is recognizing that doing business with integrity is a shared responsibility for all of us at TDI-Brooks. Every person working at TDI-Brooks, whether as an employee, consultant, agent, contractor or in any other capacity, has a responsibility to act with the highest level of integrity and sound judgement regarding any form of ethics or bribery which would negatively impact our company core values.

Anti-Corruption
TDI-Brooks trusts that what we do is important – and how we do it is even more so. Guided by our strong values of integrity we work hard to earn the high regards of our partners, investors and clients around the globe. As we strive to continually deliver strong business results, we want to guarantee we achieve those results in the proper way. We are proud to say we take zero tolerance approach to corruption in all its forms and do not accept corruption or bribery in our business or in those we do business with.
TDI-Brooks abides by a strict code of business ethics and integrity. Our anti-corruption standards clearly prohibit bribery and corruption in all our business dealings.
TDI-Brooks prohibits making or accepting, facilitation payments or “kickbacks” of any kind to government officials, foreign agencies, political parties, or party officials. TDI-Brooks, its subsidiaries and other affiliated companies are committed to complying with all applicable laws in their operations, including, but not limited to, the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FPCA). The FPCA is a U.S. law that prohibits bribes to government officials (including political candidates and political parties) in order to influence their acts or decisions. The FPCA also prohibits payments to intermediaries or agents when the payments may be used to direct improper payments to foreign officials.
Further, TDI-Brooks intends not to just act in accordance with those legal requirements, but to conduct its business in accordance with the utmost level of honesty and integrity. All employees are expected to report any suspected illegal or unethical business activity.
No TDI-Brooks employee, agent, contractor, vendor, or other affiliated Third Party may directly or indirectly, offer, guarantee, pay, grant or authorize any financial or other advantage to any other person or organization, with the intent to secure an improper advantage for TDI-Brooks. Likewise, no employee, agent, contractor or vendor may accept payment from a Third Party if they know or suspect that it is offered or provided with an expectation that a business advantage will be provided in return.
Clients & partnerships
Federal Clients
- Geoscience Australia (Australia)
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
- Office of Naval Research (ONR)
- Oil and Natural Gas Commission (India)
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- U.S. Military Sealift Command (MSC)
- U.S. Mineral Management Service (MMS)
- U.S. National Institute of Health
Private Clients - Other
|
|
Private Clients - Oil Companies
|
|
State Clients
- California Fish & Game
- Delaware River Basin Authority
- Orange County, California
- Rutgers University
- Texas A&M Research Foundation
- Texas A&M University
- University of Mississippi
- University of Utah, EGI
Countries worked
Countries Worked
Argentina Australia Bahamas Belize Brazil Cameroon Canada Chile China Congo Cuba Gambia French Guiana Grenada Guyana Honduras Indonesia Israel |
Jamaica Japan Madagascar Mauritania Malaysia Mexico Morocco Mozambique Namibia Nicaragua Nigeria Papua New Guinea Saudi Arabia Senegal South Africa Suriname USA Venezuela |
Partnerships
In conjunction with our offshore geotechnical programs, TDI-Brooks offers a comprehensive suite of high-quality analytical services and scientific interpretation with a focus on petroleum geochemistry, surface geochemical exploration, oil spill response, environmental chemistry, and environmental assessments.
We have established a highly technical, state-of-the-art laboratory facility in College Station, Texas, staffed with competent and highly accomplished staff proficient in geochemical and environmental chemistry as well as in biological, geological and physical oceanography.
Our Staff
TDI-Brooks has a staff of nearly one-hundred individuals including Ph.D. level oceanographers, geochemists, biologists and geologists. Some of our senior staff continue to have academic appointments. About a third of the staff is part of our affiliated laboratory, B&B Labs. The other staff are involved in our offshore research and survey operations.
Professional Associates
- Dr. Jean Audibert, Sr. Geotechnical Engineer
- Dr. Neil Summer, Sr. Geologist, Shallow Water Projects Director
International Staff
- Mr. Rodrigo Corzo, Managing Director-Latin America
Management and Administrative Staff
- Dr. James Brooks, President/CEO, Cell 979-220-3798
- Dr. Bernie B. Bernard, Vice President/Chief Technology Officer
- Mr. Peter Tatro, Director of Operations, Cell 979-446-4284
- Ms. Melissa Wood, Marketing and Business Development Manager, Cell 713-208-1734
- Mr. Chris King, Secretary/Director of Information Technology
- Dr. James Howell, HSE Manager
- Ms. Shannon Smith, Vessel Systems Manager/Assistant HSE Manager
- Dr. Thomas J. McDonald, Senior Project Manager
- Mr. Brad Bernard, College Station Office Manager/Project Manager
- Dr. Gary Wolff, Data Manager
- Mrs. Gail Mills , Controller
- Mrs. Gina Harp, Assistant Controller
- Ms. Debbie Paul, Administrative Assistant
- Ms. Emily Evans, Administrative Assistant
Laboratory Staff
- Mr. Juan Ramirez, Environmental Lab Manager/Project Manager
- Mr. Nick Clark, PE, Geotechnical Lab Manager/Project Manager *
- Mr. Mike Gaskins, Geochemical Lab Manager
- Ms. Solis, Diana, Offshore Geochemistry/Geotechnical Lab Manager *
- Dr. Les Bender, MetOcean Project Manager *
- Ms. Donell Frank, Quality Assurance Manager
- Dr. Hillary Agbo, Environmental Laboratory Analyst I *
- Mr. Chase Brewster, Laboratory Technician *
- Ms. Yiwei Miao, Analytical Chemist
- Mr. Mark Garner, Instrumentation Engineer
- Mrs. Amanda Brewster, Sample Custodian
- Mr. Douglas Johnson, Radiation Safety Officer
Field Staff
- Mr. Daniel Brooks, Geologist, CPT Specialist, Project Manager
- Mr. James R. Brooks, Vessel Deck Chief
- Mrs. Megan Brooks, Field Logistics Coordinator
- Mr. Michael Kullman, GIS/Geophysical Survey Manager
- Mr. Kevin Swart, Geoscientist/Survey Manager
- Mr. Kenneth Craigue, Hydrographic Surveyor
- Dr. Roger Fay, Compliance Manager
- Mr. Charlie Emerson, Port Engineer
- Dr. Daniel Adkison, Field Operations Manager
- Mr. Peter Hitchcock, Field Party Chief
- Mr. Andrew Howard, Field Party Chief
- Mr. Brion Dolan, Field Party Chief
- Mr. Chris Opel, Vessel Captain
- Mr. Mark Mitcheltree, Vessel Captain
- Mr. William Vuilleumier, Vessel Captain
- Mr. Joe Perez Jr., Vessel Chief Mate
- Mr. Brian Hillberry, Vessel Mate
- Mr. Cameron Wythe
- Mr. Chance Hubbell
- Mr. Timothy Mattern, Coring/Marine Technician
- Mr. Paul Clark, Navigator
- Mr. Larry Lane, Deck Chief/Winchman
- Mr. Kenneth Allen
- Mr. Miles Hopkins, Coring/Marine Technician
- Mr. Forest King, Coring Technician
Marine Engineering
- Mr. Ivan Svrcek, Mechanical Engineer
- Mr. Joe Brandesky, Senior Engineer Specialist*
- Mr. Adam Ariganello, Engineering Specialist*
- Mr. Matthew Mattern, Engineering Specialist*
IT Department
- Mr. Chris King, Secretary/Director of Information Technology
- Mr. Daniel Vitale, Senior Programmer/IT Engineer & Support, Navigator*
- Mr. William Lewright, Programmer/IT Engineer & Support, Navigator*
- Mr. Carl Perkins, Systems Administrator
Facilities
- Mr. Ron Yoakum, Facilities Manager
- Mr. Drew Gorney, Facilities
- Mr. Paul Gorney, Facilities
- Mr. Camerino Serrato, Facilities
- Mr. Juan Nieto, Facilities
- Mr. Kurt Brandesky, Facilities
Posters

Many of our commonly used posters are available through the links below.
Publications
We have a number of our scientific publications available on our publications page. These articles are an excellent source of information about geochemical, geotechnical, SGE, and heat flow studies, as well as a other related topics.
We have available
Contact Us
TDI-Brooks International, Inc.
14391 S. Dowling RD
College Station, TX 77845
Email: info@tdi-bi.com
Phone: +1 (979) 693-3446