Bill Ayrton regularly presents courses which have the reputation of being the best available on the topics. You will gain a better understanding of your role and relationship with other associated disciplines within the petroleum industry. The knowledge learned from these courses is immediately transferable to the workplace. Participants receive a comprehensive manual which includes a glossary of oil and gas terms, perform course exercises and examine industry related material such as rocks, maps, and pertinent illustrations. Five courses and two field trips are regularly presented to the public or customized for “in-house” to meet individual company requirements. These courses compliment each other to build a strong understanding of the geology of Western Canada and its direct relationship to the location of our oil and gas fields and how they are found.


Courses are usually offered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, but can be presented all across North America for clients interested in Canada’s Petroleum Industry.

"The Mountains, the Rocks, the Oil and Gas"

» Click here to download a pdf version (4,818 KB)

This two-sided educational poster, compiled by Bill Ayrton in 2007 explains the geology of the Western Sedimentary Basin. On side one, it relates a typical stratigraphic column to the layered rocks found in a typical well, their uses, their fossils and how they contribute to our changing landscape. Side two illustrates diagrammatically how the WCSB evolved, how the Rocky Mountains were formed, and how glaciation sculpted our beautiful mountain scenery. It also includes diagrammatic cross-sections of the WCSB, the Front Ranges and five typical oil and gas fields.

The poster is included as a handout in all our courses, and additional copies may be obtained at the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists office at #600-640-8 Ave. SW in Calgary, Alberta. Tel: (403) 264-5610.