Speakers

Christopher R. Clarkson is a professor and the Ovintiv/Shell Chair in Unconventional Gas and Light Oil research in the Department of Earth, Energy, and Environment, and an adjunct professor with the Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering at the University of Calgary.

His work focus in the industry was on exploration for, and development of, unconventional gas (UG) and light oil (ULO) reservoirs. His research focus, since coming to the University of Calgary in 2009, has been on advanced reservoir and hydraulic fracture characterization methods for UG-ULO, such as rate- and pressure-transient analysis, flowback analysis, DFIT analysis, and reservoir sample analysis. He is also interested in the application of these advanced characterization methods to the evaluation of transitional and clean energy pathways using the subsurface, such as carbon capture and storage, hydrogen production and storage, and geothermal energy.

Clarkson currently leads an industry- and government-sponsored consortium called “Tight Oil Consortium," focused on unconventional light oil reservoirs, and has recently initiated a consortium called “Transitional Energy Consortium”, focused on subsurface transitional energy pathways (‘STEPs’). Clarkson has co-developed a micro-credential program titled “Subsurface Evaluation for Clean Energy” (using funding received from the Government of Alberta) which is designed to educate hydrocarbon industry professionals on how their skillsets can be applied to the evaluation of clean energy pathways using the subsurface.