Company and Biography

Zaitlin Geoconsulting Ltd. was formed in 2014 to provide consulting and applied training seminars. Brian A. Zaitlin is the President and Owner of Zaitlin Geoconsulting. Prior to Zaitlin Geoconsulting Ltd., Brian had ~40 years of front-line exploration/exploitation, R&D and A&D experience in the oil and gas industry, working first as a Geologist, Explorationist, Technical Specialist, Technical and Exploration Advisor and Chief Geologist with a variety of E&P companies (Gulf Canada, Esso/Exxon, PanCanadian/Encana, Suncor Prospect Generating Service, Enerplus Resources Fund, Kainai Energy, EOG Resources Canada), and in Corporate Banking/Private Equity with the BMO A&D Advisory Group and Native American Resource Partners.

Brian is a proven play and prospect generator, clastic sedimentologist and stratigrapher with over 40 years of academic, exploration and production experience in applying clastic sedimentology, reservoir characterization and core-based observations to petroleum exploration and development projects. Main areas of expertise include evaluation of new venture opportunities, planning and execution of business plans, valuation of acquisition and divestiture candidates, detailed core logging and sequence stratigraphic interpretation from the pool to basin scale. He has a strong focus on creating value through early play entry, development and/or pool optimization. 

Zaitlin Geoconsulting’s primary focus is on both clastic conventional and unconventional new play development throughout the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin, U.S. Rocky Mountain Basins, Appalachia Basin and various international basins. Research interests lie in the understanding of sequence stratigraphy, siliciclastic fluvial, coastal and shallow-marine depositional systems and their preserved stratigraphy, and in applying this knowledge to reservoir characterization, pool modeling and conventional and unconventional play development.

Brian is the author or co-author of more than 130 peer-reviewed technical papers and oral presentations and is the recipient of numerous awards, including the CSUR Sproule Innovation and Achievement Award, CSPG Medal of Merit for best published paper, CSPG Tracks Award for Education, CSPG Ph.D. Thesis award, co-author of AAPG, SEPM and CSPG Best Paper/Oral Paper Awards, and was an AAPG Distinguished Lecturer and CSPG Lecturer. Brian has also won industry President’s awards from both PanCanadian and Enerplus for successful exploration projects.

Brian has taught senior undergraduate and graduate courses at Queen’s University (Kingston) and over 60 short courses, field trips and core-based workshops for industry and geological societies, and was awarded a CSPG Tracks Award for Education and was both an AAPG Distinguished Lecturer and visiting CSPG University Lecturer. 

Brian holds a BSc. (Geology) from Concordia (Loyola) University (1979), a MSc. (Geology) from University of Ottawa (1981), and a Ph.D. (Geology) from Queen’s (Kingston) University (1987). He also undertook a NSERC-NATO Post Doctorial Fellowship at the University of Sydney (1987). Brian is a registered Professional Geologist (APEGA), Certified Petroleum Geologist (AAPG-DPA) holds a certificate in Tribunal Justice from the FOAJ, and is a member of the AAPG, CSPG, CSUR, RMAG and SEPM.

Professional Geologist (APEGA) – 1982 – License #38500

Certified Petroleum Geologist (AAPG – DPA) – C.P.G. #6298