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Formation evaluation integrates well logs, core and fluid analyses, and diverse interpretation techniques to characterize unconventional reservoirs and mitigate subsurface risks. Advanced logging technologies and specialized core analyses play a pivotal role in developing robust petrophysical models. This process is essential for identifying optimal landing zones for horizontal wells and for constructing rock mechanical models that support wellbore stability and inform completion design.

Understanding geologic uncertainty is a key topic related to the growth and future of unconventional play development. This theme focuses on the geologic and geophysical applications across the exploration and production lifecycle in unconventional plays, emphasizing their role in opportunity evaluation, business decisions, and capital efficiency. It highlights the importance of understanding geological and geophysical properties, managing uncertainty, and integration with other disciplines to assess unconventional reservoir performance.

Geomechanics permeates different aspects of unconventional and conventional reservoir development including drilling, completions and reservoir engineering by integrating mechanics, geology, geophysics, and rock physics to find solutions for economic production of resources. The objective of this theme is to highlight the versatility of this integrative platform in solving the most pressing problems in unconventional reservoirs.

Unlocking the potential of unconventional resources through the fascinating world of geochemistry and fluid-rock interactions. In this theme, contributions should be focused on applications and breakthroughs in the fields of geochemistry and fluid-rock interactions as related to the development, understanding, and impacts of constraining unconventional resources (both predictive and post-auditing). The subcategories should be treated as guides rather than restrictions on submissions.

This theme will focus on various aspects of the new approaches in data science in terms of measurement, analysis, and physics-informed data analytics during the entire lifecycle of reservoir from geological, geophysical and petrophysical exploration and development to how it can help in drilling, completion, and reservoir performance management. Main themes include, but are not limited to, how the data is acquired, managed, and stored as well as used in an integrated fashion beyond the discipline specific workflows. In addition, we will also look at the acquisition, cost-quality pairings, and timing and frequency-redundancy of the data while highlighting the multi-scale nature of it.

Building on strong fundamentals, this theme will focus on maximizing unconventional oil and gas productivity. To get the most from these reservoirs, understanding reservoir flow dynamics, which better enable modeling tools to mimic these processes, and improved artificial lift and facility methods can improve recovery. Due to low primary recovery, enhanced recovery applications could present a significant opportunity for further asset exploitation.

This theme showcases new insights with respect to estimating reserves and forecasting production with an emphasis on the interdisciplinary nature of well supported assessments. New techniques to provide reliable forecasts will be explored in moving resources to reserves to production.

As oil and gas extraction in unconventional reservoirs continues to evolve our industry is facing new opportunities such as end of lifecycle extension, exit strategies, and new uses for these reservoirs. Technology opportunities are emerging to create and demonstrate safer and cleaner production for existing and new energy systems. Submissions in this theme will look to highlight more sustainable oil and gas operations, transition of technologies in the energy space, as well as development of integrated energy systems.

This theme focuses on secondary well treatments such as mechanical or chemical intervention, refracturing, sidetracks, and artificial lift optimization, and other similar techniques to re-establish reservoir contact, restore pressure support, and extend productive life of wells. It includes the integration of high-resolution diagnostics – fiber-optic strain/temperature, tracers – with geomechanical modeling and well completion and intervention techniques to address produced or under-stimulated rock.

The URTeC 2026 Student Poster Session is a dedicated forum for academic research in unconventional resources. We invite all current students to submit an abstract only for this focused technical session designed specifically to showcase student-led projects.