NETL welcomed an esteemed lecturer and other representatives from Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) May 28 to share insights on managing oil and natural gas data for unconventional resources.

Jeffrey Yarus, a CWRU lecturer and recently retired Halliburton Technology Fellow for Landmark, presented a talk entitled “Rethinking Geoscience, Industry and Academia: The Impact of Digitalization” to Lab employees at the invitation of NETL Senior Fellow Grant Bromhal. Yarus was accompanied by CWRU’s Chris Littman, business development director and operations manager of the Solar Durability and Lifetime Extension Center, and Beverly Saylor, professor of stratigraphy and sedimentology, for his visit to the Pittsburgh site.

Using his leading-edge teaching style, Yarus imparted valuable knowledge gained from more than 36 years working with major oil and technology service companies to NETL researchers focused on geological and environmental sciences, oil and gas, and more. His talk focused specifically on unconventional oil and gas, which refers to resources that require advanced or specialized methods for production. Shale gas and coal-bed methane are examples of unconventional natural gas resources. 

“Inviting lecturers and university officials to our sites facilitates a free exchange of ideas within the scientific community and fosters collaborative relationships,” said Michael Knaggs, NETL’s associate director for strategic partnerships. “Our researchers are able to learn from our visitors’ expertise and vice versa, plus guests can check out our world-class facilities and explore partnership opportunities.”

Yarus’ areas of expertise include earth modeling and geostatistics. He most recently served as the technical lead and senior manager for the DecisionSpace® Earth and Reservoir Modeling software available from Landmark, a Halliburton business line that provides data and analytics, science, software and other technology solutions for the energy exploration and production industry.

NETL’s mission is to discover, integrate, and mature technology solutions to enhance the nation’s energy foundation and protect the environment for future generations. The Lab often welcomes experts from industry, academia and other areas to share information that contributes to efforts to provide clean, reliable, and affordable energy to the American people.