Abstracts

• 42138 Career Perspectives for Geoscience Students and Industry Professionals The oil and gas industry is highly cyclical, and industry veterans like to say that they’ve weathered many downturns before, and that we’ll return to prosperity again in the near future. But it’s not that simple. In the 2010’s, our industry has experienced many structural changes – in many technical areas, in data management, in financial markets and expectations, in political volatility, and in public perception. This isn’t just a price cycle. And while onshore U.S. fortunes are buoyed by tight oil and gas development, the situation is still painful in many other parts of the world, particularly in Canada. We know that there will be substantial demand for oil and gas for decades to come, and that industry will need to respond to provide safe, reliable supplies of hydrocarbon products. But what comfort is this to students and laid-off professionals looking to work right now? How long can they hang on? Career Perspectives for Geoscience Students and Industry Professionals
  Career Perspectives for Geoscience Students and Industry Professionals
• 50709 Listening to Advocates Advocates on either side of politicized issues tend to develop statements and positions that are not supported by facts and observations – and thus mislead people who want to understand important situations and issues. Unconventional oil and gas development and hydraulic fracturing in particular attract such strong advocacy positions. In this presentation, we look at video clips and other advocacy statements, both for and against unconventional oil and gas development – and then have a hard look at each to assess the boundaries between promoting a position and stating the facts. Listening to Advocates
  Listening to Advocates
• 42140 Outlook for Energy – A View to 2040 Energy forecasting is complex. All credible forecasts show global consumption of fossil fuels expanding through 2040 and beyond, with gas expanding most rapidly, oil levelling off, and coal possibly declining. Citizens in the most-developed countries show ever-increasing demand for energy despite increasing efficiencies, while people in developing nations strive to achieve the energy-rich lifestyles of North America and Europe. Some analysts speak of energy transitions and a “post-carbon” or “decarbonized” world. But there is little evidence that we are in such a transition. Expanding energy demands dictate that oil and gas production must increase in addition to the current rapid expansion of renewable power generation. In North America, we are seeing significant pushback as governments begin to ask citizens to put real money on the table through carbon taxes, instead of just protesting against energy companies and expressing cost-free sentiments. We’ll examine the realities and consider some challenges around energy supply in the coming decades. Outlook for Energy – A View to 2040
  Outlook for Energy – A View to 2040
• 42136 Unconventional Energy: How it Changes the Game This presentation is pitched to non-technical and geoscience / engineering undergraduates. We introduce the concepts of unconventional oil and gas, and discuss how their abundance and development has changed the “game” – energy supply fundamentals – in North America and worldwide. Environmental issues – affecting water, air and land – associated with unconventional oil and gas development are discussed in detail, with a Canadian focus. We conclude with a brief discussion addressing anti- and pro-development advocacy around unconventional development and the environment. Unconventional Energy: How it Changes the Game
  Unconventional Energy: How it Changes the Game
• 42137 Unconventional Oil and Gas in Canada: Geology and the Environment Unconventional oil and gas plays in Canada are focused in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin, where geoscientists have extensive and intensive knowledge of petroleum systems, and abundant available datasets. We’ll review several tight sandstone and carbonate, shale, and CBM plays – although the Montney, Duvernay, Bakken, Cardium and Viking dominate production and investment because of their massive in-place resources and proven productivity. Environmental issues – affecting water, air, and land – are very important to unconventional development in Canada. Canadian regulation and mitigation strategies very successfully address these issues, but work is ongoing to improve industry’s interactions with the environment. Unconventional Oil and Gas in Canada: Geology and the Environment
  Unconventional Oil and Gas in Canada: Geology and the Environment