Title:
Discovering and Commercializing Unconventional Reservoir Plays Larger and More Prolific than the Permian Basin and Marcellus Shale – The Promise ofInternational Unconventionals
Date: October 5, 2026
Time: 5:30-8:30
Location: Norris Conference Center - CityCentre (816 Town and Country Blvd #210, Houston. TX 77024)
Cost
Members: $55
Non-members and Walk-ups: $65
Students: $45
Speakers:
Abstract:
Today, unconventional reservoirs in the Permian Basin produce more than 5 million barrels of oil per day, while the Marcellus Shale delivers more than 25 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day. These volumes are so enormous that it is difficult to imagine an unconventional play capable of surpassing them. Yet history suggests otherwise. This presentation will demonstrate why much larger and more prolific unconventional plays are likely to be discovered outside the United States. Think larger hydrocarbon accumulations, thicker pay zones, and even more prolific sweet spots. In theory, international unconventional resources should represent an explorer’s dream. In practice, however, unconventional exploration outside the United States has struggled to gain traction, with only a handful of countries making significant progress. The reasons have largely been above-ground challenges: infrastructure, supply chains, regulatory frameworks, service capacity, water availability, and the ability to replicate the highly efficient U.S. unconventional development model. That is about to change. The rapid evolution of unconventional technologies, including four-milelong laterals, optimized proppant placement, advanced hydraulic fracturing and completion systems, and the ability to drill more than 21,000 feet of section in 48 hours is fundamentally changing the economics of international unconventional development. When these technologies are applied to reservoirs that are as good as, or better than, the best Tier-1 acreage in the United States, technology can overcome many of the above-ground challenges that have historically constrained international development. The time has come for international unconventionals to fulfill their promise. The time has come to discover unconventional plays larger than the Permian Basin and Marcellus Shale. Now is the time when an explorer’s dream becomes reality.
About the Speakers:
Douglas Valleau is President of Strategia Innovation and Technology Advisors, LLC, with 49 years of experience in the oil and gas industry. He works with industry, national laboratories, and universities to advance breakthrough innovations in geoscience and engineering. Previously, he served as Chief Geologist and Director of Unconventional Technology at Hess Corporation and held technical and leadership positions with ConocoPhillips, Burlington Resources, Maxus, BHP, Monsanto, and Gulf Oil.
Mr. Valleau is an Emeritus Certified Petroleum Geologist in Texas and a recipient of the AAPG Distinguished Service Award. He is an active member of AAPG, SEG, SPE, and the Houston Geological Society.
He serves as the AAPG representative on the URTeC Management Committee and as a member of the URTeC Executive Advisory Board and Technical Program Committee. He also chairs the Editorial Advisory Board of World Oil magazine and serves on the University of Florida Department of Geology Academic Advisory Board.
Greg Leveille was ConocoPhillips’ Chief Technology Officer from March 2016 through January 2021. In this and prior senior leadership roles, he profoundly influenced the direction of the company by: (a) leading the organization that assembled ConocoPhillips’ acreage positions in the sweet spots of the Eagle Ford and Bakken unconventional reservoir plays, (b) helping influence ConocoPhillips to relentlessly focus on lowering cost of supply by vigorously pursuing technology advancements and other forms of innovation, and (c) causing increased emphasis to be placed upon accelerated adoption of successful innovations, thereby reducing time to value realization. Leveille is a lifetime member of SPE, served previously as the chairman of SPE’s U.S. Advisory Council, and was also chairman of the Executive Advisory Board for the Unconventional Resources Technology Conference (URTeC).
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