Christopher R. Clarkson is a professor and the Encana-AITF Chair in Unconventional Gas and Light Oil research in the Department of Geoscience and an adjunct professor with the Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering at the University of Calgary. His work focus in industry was on exploration for and development of unconventional gas (UG) and light oil (ULO) reservoirs. His research focus since coming to U of Calgary in 2009 has been on advanced reservoir characterization methods for UG-ULO, such as rate- and pressure-transient analysis, flowback analysis, and core analysis. He is also interested in simulation of enhanced recovery processes in UG-ULO, and how these processes can be used to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Clarkson leads an industry-sponsored consortium called “Tight Oil Consortium”, focused on these research topics for unconventional light oil reservoirs in Western Canada.

Clarkson holds a Ph.D. degree in geological engineering from the U. of British Columbia, Canada. The author of numerous articles in peer-reviewed scientific and engineering journals, Clarkson received the Rossiter W. Raymond Memorial Award from AIME and the Alfred Noble Prize from ASCE for his paper “Application of a New Multicomponent Adsorption Model to Coal Gas Adsorption Systems” published in the Society of Petroleum Engineers Journal (September, 2003). Clarkson was an SPE Distinguished Lecturer for the 2009/2010 lecture season.

Clarkson is currently serving as the Theme Leader for the “Energy Innovations for Today and Tomorrow” Theme supporting the U of Calgary’s Energy Research Strategy.