Angkor Resources Corporation has launched a collaborative program between its energy subsidiary, EnerCam Resources Cambodia Co. Ltd., and graduate students at the Cambodian Institute of Technology (ITC). The initiative provides hands-on geological and geophysical training directly connected to EnerCam's Block VIII oil and gas exploration program in Cambodia, representing a significant investment in developing the country's technical workforce for its emerging resource sector.
The program combines field-based geological work with analytical seismic interpretation, led by Angkor's technical team. Justin Snelling and Dr. David Johnson are guiding students through geological field work that includes structural and stratigraphic characterization of selected outcrop sites, rock sampling, laboratory analysis, and data integration into the evolving geologic framework. Concurrently, Keith Edwards, Geophysicist for EnerCam, is leading geophysical software training and practical seismic interpretation in what the company describes as a 'real world' environment.
Dr. Johnson identified three fundamental objectives for the field program, each tied to advancing the company's understanding of Block VIII geology ahead of exploratory drilling. First, students will collect structural geological data at surface—mapping faults, fractures, fold orientations, and bedding attitudes—that will be directly useful when interpreting subsurface structural data acquired during drilling. EnerCam's seismic interpretation has identified large anticline structures in the Bokor subbasins, found in a north-south trend of multiple large, elongated anticlines along the leading edge of a fold belt. Four-way closures covering tens of square kilometres have been seismically mapped across South Bokor, Central Bokor, and North Bokor.
Second, students will examine reservoir rocks present at surface to characterize their properties, including porosity and permeability. Surface analogs provide an important window into what the company can expect at the depths being targeted for drilling. With exploratory wells on Block VIII potentially exceeding 3,000 metres in the Bokor subbasins, and shallower targets in the Kirirom subbasin where reservoir porosity may be higher due to less compaction, understanding rock properties at surface helps calibrate expectations for subsurface reservoir quality.
Third, Dr. Johnson noted the distinct value of involving students in both the geologic and seismic interpretation. "There is real value in having fresh eyes on the data," said Dr. Johnson. "Experienced interpreters can sometimes carry expectations that may obscure nuances. Students bring a learning perspective that can pick up on subtleties others might overlook."
Keith Edwards is establishing Seisware software licenses and preparing a structured training curriculum for ITC students who will work directly with EnerCam's 350-line kilometre 2D seismic dataset acquired over Block VIII in 2025. Edwards commented, "For my two students, we will be doing some training first so they can become familiar with the software and the concepts of seismic interpretation and seismic attributes. After they are up to speed, we will try to put some 'meat on the bone' of our interpretation so far." The seismic program covered four subbasins—South, Central, and North Bokor on the west side of Block VIII, and the Kirirom subbasin in the northeast corner of the 4,095 square kilometre license area.
The student program advances alongside EnerCam's broader exploration efforts on Block VIII. The company's seismic interpretation has identified four drill targets across the license area, with the Bokor subbasin structures bearing a striking resemblance to traps of the Khorat Basin in Thailand, where the Nam Phong and Sinphuhorn fields produced significant amounts of gas over the past 20 years. The next step in advancing the project is to complete an Environmental Impact Assessment on the areas targeted for drilling, with the company planning to follow with drilling Cambodia's first onshore oil and gas exploratory wells.
David Johnson commented, "We want to help develop geological and geophysical expertise that will help Cambodia find its own resources. These students represent the future of earth sciences in this country, and we are proud to bring them along on that journey. This is a natural extension of our commitment to building capacity in Cambodia—not just in communities through our social programs, but in the technical workforce that will drive the country's resource sector forward." Angkor has reached several thousand students through its community training sessions to date, and the ITC program extends the company's educational commitment into university-level and post graduate technical training.
