Natalia K. Fortunatova was born in 1947. In 1969, she graduated from S. Ordzhonikidze Russian State Exploration University (former MGRI). N. Fortunatova is Professor, Dr. habil. in Geology and Mineralogy, leading Russian specialist in stratigraphy, sedimentology, and lithology of carbonate deposits, prediction of and search for oil and gas fields; she is involved in exploration and prospecting for oil and gas in Middle Asia, Russia, and Bulgaria. She initiated studies of carbonate deposits in the south-western branch of the Gissar (Hissor) Range, Pamir Mountains, Great Balkan Range (Uly Balkan), and Kopet Dag, which formed the basis for the development of a new field of research: studies of oil and gas bearing carbonate sequences. She contributed much to the development of theory, methodology, and practice of structural modelling of oil and gas bearing sedimentary sequences; she is the author of 3D sedimentary-capacitance modelling of natural hydrocarbon reservoirs. Natalia is a member of the Moscow Society of Naturalists, Interagency Reef and Lithology commissions, Interagency Lithology Commission affiliated with RAS (1998–2003).

She is the author of more than 100 scientific publications, 14 monographs, and two inventions. Natalia was scientific tutor of more than 100 graduation works; a number of PhD and doctoral theses were defended under her supervision.

Career history:

1969–1981 — junior, then senior research fellow at the Department of Regional Geology, S. Ordzhonikidze Russian State Exploration University;

1995–2012 — Head of the Lithology Department, S. Ordzhonikidze Russian State Exploration University;

1981 — present — research fellow; Head of the Division for Geology and Petroleum Potential of Sedimentary Basins; Deputy Director General for Science in Russian Research Institute of Oil Exploration (VNIGNI).

Awards:

• Title of Honoured Oil Worker (1998)

• Title of Honoured Prospector (2012)

• Excellence in Subsoil Exploration Badge (2012)