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Development Training Course on

Tight, Shale, and Unconventional Oil & Gas Resources

Technologies, Reservoir Behavior, and Commercial Development Strategies

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Why Choose Us

The Tight, Shale, and Unconventional Oil & Gas Resources Course gives petroleum engineers, geoscientists, and reservoir professionals a comprehensive, technically rigorous understanding of unconventional resource development — from geological fundamentals and reservoir characterisation through to drilling, hydraulic fracturing, production optimisation, and field development economics.

Unconventional resources have fundamentally transformed the global energy landscape. Shale oil, tight gas, coalbed methane, and heavy oil plays now represent a significant and growing share of the world's hydrocarbon production and the professionals who can characterise, drill, complete, stimulate, and optimise these reservoirs are among the most in-demand technical specialists in the industry.

This course addresses every dimension of that technical challenge — covering nano-scale pore systems, rock mechanics, horizontal well design, multistage hydraulic fracturing, decline curve analysis, artificial lift in unconventional wells, and the environmental, regulatory, and digital technology considerations that shape how these resources are developed responsibly and profitably.

The Tight, Shale, and Unconventional Oil & Gas Resources Course is built for professionals who want the depth of technical knowledge and practical insight to contribute meaningfully to unconventional resource development across any basin or geography.

Why Choose Tight, Shale, and Unconventional Oil & Gas Resources
Course Goals

What are the Goals?

The Tight, Shale, and Unconventional Oil & Gas Resources Course is designed to develop comprehensive technical capability across unconventional resource geology, reservoir characterisation, drilling and completion technologies, hydraulic fracturing, production optimisation, and field development economics.

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

  • Define and distinguish between tight oil, shale oil, shale gas, coalbed methane, and heavy oil and compare them with conventional reservoir types
  • Explain the geological framework of shale and tight formations, source rock properties, and reservoir quality challenges
  • Evaluate petrophysical properties of unconventional reservoirs including porosity, permeability, nano-scale pore systems, and natural fractures
  • Apply core analysis, well log interpretation, seismic applications, and reservoir modelling to unconventional system evaluation
  • Assess rock mechanics, stress regimes, geomechanical considerations, and uncertainty in unconventional reservoir characterisation
  • Apply horizontal drilling fundamentals, well placement principles, and landing zone optimisation strategies
  • Design and evaluate completion strategies and multistage hydraulic fracturing programmes including fracture fluids, proppants, and pumping schedules
  • Analyse hydraulic fracturing mechanics, fracture geometry and propagation, and stimulation design optimisation
  • Apply production forecasting, decline curve analysis, artificial lift selection, and enhanced recovery concepts to unconventional wells
  • Evaluate the economics, cost drivers, break-even analysis, environmental considerations, and digital technology applications shaping unconventional field development

Who is this Training Course for?

The Tight, Shale, and Unconventional Oil & Gas Resources Course is designed for petroleum engineering, geoscience, and reservoir management professionals who work with or want to develop technical expertise in unconventional oil and gas resource development.

This course is suitable for:

  • Petroleum engineers involved in the drilling, completion, stimulation, or production management of unconventional wells
  • Reservoir engineers developing characterisation, modelling, and production forecasting capability for shale and tight reservoirs
  • Geoscientists and petrophysicists evaluating unconventional play geology, source rocks, and reservoir quality
  • Drilling engineers designing horizontal wells and managing the specific challenges of tight and shale formations
  • Production engineers optimising flowback, artificial lift, and long-term production performance in unconventional wells
  • Asset managers and development planners responsible for full-field optimisation and economic evaluation of unconventional projects
  • HSE and environmental professionals managing the regulatory and environmental dimensions of unconventional resource development
  • Graduate petroleum engineers and geoscientists building a structured technical foundation in unconventional resources
Learning Approach

How will this Training Course be Presented?

The Tight, Shale, and Unconventional Oil & Gas Resources Course is delivered through a technically structured, domain-by-domain learning approach that progresses from unconventional resource fundamentals and reservoir characterisation through to drilling, completion, hydraulic fracturing, production optimisation, and field development economics. Each day addresses a distinct technical phase of unconventional resource development building a complete, integrated understanding of the full development lifecycle.

Global case studies, reservoir modelling discussions, hydraulic fracturing design exercises, and decline curve analysis are integrated throughout connecting technical frameworks to the real unconventional plays that are shaping global hydrocarbon production.

Delivery methods include:

  • Instructor-led sessions covering unconventional resource geology, petrophysics, rock mechanics, and reservoir characterisation principles
  • Global case study analysis drawing on North American, Middle Eastern, and emerging basin unconventional play examples
  • Reservoir modelling and uncertainty assessment workshops applying characterisation tools to unconventional system evaluation
  • Horizontal drilling and completion design sessions covering well placement, landing zone optimisation, and completion strategy development
  • Hydraulic fracturing workshops examining fracture mechanics, geometry, stimulation design, and proppant and fluid selection

The Course Content

Fundamentals of Unconventional Oil & Gas Resources

  • Overview of global unconventional oil & gas resources
  • Definitions: tight oil, shale oil, shale gas, coalbed methane, heavy oil
  • Comparison between conventional and unconventional reservoirs
  • Geological framework of shale and tight formations
  • Source rock properties and hydrocarbon generation
  • Reservoir quality challenges in unconventional plays
  • Global case studies: North America, Middle East, and emerging basins

Reservoir Characterization and Evaluation

  • Petrophysical properties of shale and tight reservoirs
  • Porosity, permeability, and nano-scale pore systems
  • Natural fractures and geomechanical considerations
  • Rock mechanics and stress regimes
  • Core analysis, well logs, and seismic applications
  • Reservoir modeling for unconventional systems
  • Uncertainty and risk assessment in unconventional reservoirs

Drilling and Completion Technologies

  • Horizontal drilling fundamentals and well design
  • Well placement and landing zone optimization
  • Drilling challenges in tight and shale formations
  • Completion strategies for unconventional wells
  • Multistage hydraulic fracturing concepts
  • Fracture fluids, proppants, and pumping schedules
  • Operational risks and mitigation strategies

Hydraulic Fracturing and Production Optimization

  • Fundamentals of hydraulic fracturing mechanics
  • Fracture geometry, propagation, and containment
  • Stimulation design optimization
  • Flowback and early-time production behavior
  • Production forecasting and decline curve analysis
  • Artificial lift applications in unconventional wells
  • Enhanced recovery concepts for shale and tight reservoirs

Economics, Environmental Aspects, and Field Development

  • Economics of unconventional oil & gas projects
  • Cost drivers and break-even analysis
  • Development planning and full-field optimization
  • Environmental and water management considerations
  • Regulatory and HSE challenges
  • Digital technologies and data analytics in unconventional plays
  • Future trends and emerging technologies in unconventional resources
  • Course wrap-up, discussions, and practical insights
Recognition

Certificate

  • • Wallstreet Development Academy Certificate of Completion for delegates who attend and complete the training course.
Collaborations

In Partnership With

Anderson Copex Coventry