Core Conference 2025 Wrap-Up
The 2025 CEGA Core Conference featured outstanding presentations and core displays showcasing nearly 50 unique cores from across Canada. Presenters shared their expertise across a wide range of geoscience disciplines, sparking valuable collaboration and insightful debate among delegates. Our theme, “Establishing Connections: The Interplay of Rocks, Energy, and People,” reflected not only the technical discussions on the geological record and energy resources, but also the personal connections that make this conference so special. It is a place where we gather to learn, exchange ideas, and reconnect with friends and colleagues who share our passion for rocks and energy.
This year, we had a fantastic lineup of 21 presenters from industry, government, and academia, who shared insights across four diverse themes: unconventional reservoir characterization of the Montney and Duvernay; stratigraphic frameworks and basin evolution from the Devonian to the Cretaceous across Canada; reservoir characterization for energy storage and sequestration; and exploration of the deep subsurface, including the Basal Cambrian complex and basement rocks.
Over the course of two days, presentations explored depositional settings and stratigraphic correlations within the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin, geo- and thermochronological methods for basin analysis, ore deposits in the Yukon, and reservoir characterization in SAGD operations, and so much more! We are deeply grateful to all our presenters, who generously shared not only their time but also their expertise and diverse perspectives on the challenges and innovations shaping our evolving industry.
Turnout was exceptional and exceeded our expectations, with 613 delegates in attendance. It was a pleasure to welcome both familiar and new faces to the conference. The positive momentum continued into the Meltdown social, held offsite at the Canadian Brewhouse in the University District, where we caught up with colleagues, talked rocks, and celebrated the close of a successful event.
Congratulations to the two Pemberton Award winners for best overall presentation: Henry Galvis, for his presentation on the Duvernay Formation, and David Herbers and Tyler Hauck, for their presentation on the stratigraphy of the Basal Cambrian. Additionally, Maziyar Nazemi, along with co-authors Shahin E. Dashtgard, Paula Ramirez-Lopez, Francyne Bochi do Amarante, and James A. MacEachern, won the Baillie Award for best student presentation and the $1,000 prize. Maziyar’s presentation focused on the characterization and architecture of subsurface strata in the Whatcom Sub-basin of the Georgia Basin, and its implications for CO₂ storage in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia.
This conference would not have been possible without the generous support of our sponsors and advertisers. We extend our sincere thanks to our title sponsor, Tourmaline Oil Ltd., for their continued and invaluable support of the Core Conference. Core Laboratories sponsored the delicious coffee break snacks, while AGAT Laboratories provided the always-popular BBQ lunch. ROGII Inc. and Chinook Consulting Services returned as sponsors for the Core Meltdown social. APEGA sponsored the printed program book, and Pro Geo Consultants supported student participation through the student registration sponsorship. We are also grateful to our session sponsors: Strathcona Resources, Spur Petroleum, Cenovus Energy, and Saturn Oil + Gas. A special thank-you to our Premium Core Supporter and Core Supporter Level sponsors: Canamera Coring, Cenovus Energy, ConocoPhillips Canada, Green Imaging, and Imperial Oil. Finally, we are immensely thankful to the AER Core Research Centre for pulling core and granting us access to their world-class facility, as well as to the Saskatchewan Subsurface Geological Lab, the BC Energy Regulator’s Core Research Facility, and the Yukon Geological Survey for allowing us to borrow and showcase core samples.
It has been a true team effort to bring the 2025 conference together, and we were fortunate to have an amazing group of volunteers. Special thanks to: Scott MacKnight, Veren; James Burr, Spur Petroleum; Celine Chow, Saturn Oil + Gas; Carolyn Currie, Cenovus Energy; Lauren Eggie, Imperial Oil; Mastaneh Liseroudi, Natural Resources Canada; Ozzy Ofoegbu, Cenovus Energy; Colin Thiessen, AGAT Laboratories; and Michael Webb, Michael Webb Geoconsulting. We would also like to extend our appreciation to Kristy Casebeer, Kevin Webb, and the staff at the CEGA office for their invaluable support in organizing this event.
A huge thank-you to everyone involved—what a job well done!
And to all who attended the conference, thank you for being part of it. We look forward to seeing you at next year’s conference and to the new opportunities, connections, and conversations it will bring.
Carolyn Furlong and Daniela Becerra
2025 CEGA Core Conference Co-Chairs
