Oct. 3, 2022

CALGARY, AB – In the early 2000s, western Canada’s oil and gas sector faced a new opportunity that was simultaneously a challenge: how to develop its coalbed methane (CBM) resource responsibly and sustainably.

In the United States, coalbed methane development got off to a rocky start – and Canadian producers and their suppliers wanted to avoid a similar experience.

As a result, the Canadian Coalbed Methane Forum was born – an organization created to engage all stakeholders in technologically oriented discussions, the focus of which was to ensure the constructive and productive dialogue necessary for the sector’s advancement.

As the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin continued to evolve, the Forum’s board and membership evolved in lockstep. As the CBM movement matured, the Forum become the Canadian Society for Unconventional Gas (CSUG) and continued to be an important convening mechanism for a growing number of stakeholders. As technology continued to unlock riches from unconventional reservoirs, CSUG became CSUR – addressing the production of oil as well as gas from tight rocks.

Now, at 20 years old, the organization is taking another evolutionary step forward: as The Canadian Society for Evolving Energy (CSEE).

The change is official Oct. 1 – and will be celebrated at a special event Oct. 12 at The Ampersand in downtown Calgary.

“We were very deliberate in our choice of ‘evolving’ as an active verb…we feel it captures the action and pace of change in our sector and the role we play as an organization at the heart of that change,” noted board chair Bill

Whitelaw. “Since those very early days, our members and the broader stakeholder community have relied on us to lead and shape the conversation and dialogues that progressed the sector forward.”

A key part of CSEE’s role, notes President Dan Allan, is that it represents the entire energy ecosystem.

“We bring together producers and service companies, regulators and post-secondary institutions, along with indigenous communities and governments. We help create and nurture the technical, social and business discussions that are critical to progress forward,” he explained. “As CSEE, we will remain true to that mission, and we will continue to anticipate and get in front of the important elements that are moving energy transformation ahead.”

Added Allan: “With our new name and our commitment to convening all the players, we hope to attract new stakeholders in many different energy-related sectors as members and integrate them into these critical discussions. It is essential to develop this diversity of thought around the path forward and the realistic challenges we face.”

A key tool in the CSEE shift toolkit is its new Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) – “21st Century Energy Transition – How do we Make it Work?” – completed in partnership with the University of Alberta, with Dr. Brad Hayes, the CSEE board director spearheading the initiative.

“We’ve always placed much value on our outreach initiatives,” noted Hayes. “The MOOC will allow us to extend our reach significantly and engage people of all ages across Canada and around the world in important transition learning.”

The MOOC and its sponsors will be an important feature of the Oct. 12 event, he added.

Dan Allan Brad Hayes Bill Whitelaw

President and CEO Outreach Director Chair

dallan@csur.com brhayes@petrelrob.com bwhitelaw@geologic.com

The Canadian Society for Unconventional Resources has changed its name to the Canadian Society for Evolving Energy

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