Western Canada’s First Oil Discovery
It took nearly a year for the cable-tool rig to reach a total depth of 427m. The Lineham No. 1 well had oil shows throughout the drilling process, and oil…
In the News
Cornwall’s Geological Treasures
“Land’s End”: is there a more evocative place name in the world? A visit to England’s furthest south-west corner reveals a land of extremes, with a wildly beautiful coast, picturesque…
GeoTourism: Gotland
Blue sky, turquoise sea, white coral beaches, a warm pleasant breeze; who could ask for more? The Caribbean is, however, oceans away. You are on Gotland, the largest island in…
An Underexplored Salt Province
A thirty year independence struggle with Ethiopia means that the natural resources of Eritrea remain largely untapped, but there is ample evidence that this now peaceful country is highly prospective…
Kurdistan: Safe and Secure, with Billion Barrel Prospects
Where in the world can you still find undrilled billion barrel prospects? Iraqi Kurdistan is one answer. But what is it like to work in an area thought by many…
The Qatar Oil Discoveries
In January 1940 (now 70 years ago), with the discovery of the onshore Dukhan oil field, Qatar joined the Middle East’s oil club. In 1960 (50 years ago), Qatar’s first…
The Smell of Crude Oil
Very few places on Earth combine stupendous scenery, recreation, and oil production. But in the central Colorado Plateau of southeast Utah, the San Juan River has carved two deep canyons…
Iraq: Resource Base
The Iraq Petroleum conference of September 2007 in Dubai and the Iraq Energy Expo & Conference of December 2008 in Baghdad were attended by many international oil companies. In April…
From Dinosaur Tracks to Oil
Just 25 km west of Denver, the Dakota Hogback at Dinosaur Ridge offers an opportunity to explore striking rock exposures and vistas, ancient dinosaur tracks, and oil seeps at the…
The Great Crew Change
The professional workforce in the hydrocarbon industry is aging and over half of today’s workforce will retire within the next 10 years. This ‘brain gap’ must be addressed before it…
Rotunda Geology Museum
Inspiring and educating future geoscientists is vital to ensure that innovation in Earth science can continue. The Rotunda Museum in Scarborough in the UK, as well as being the world’s…
The Valhall Story
Renowned North Sea geologist Richard Hardman looks back at the 1975 discovery of the billion barrel Valhall Field. Perhaps the most surprising thing about the discovery of the Valhall field…