Angkor Resources Partners with Cambodian Institute of Technology to Train Geoscientists for Oil and Gas Exploration
March 23rd, 2026 12:50 PM
By: Newsworthy Staff
Angkor Resources is collaborating with graduate students from the Cambodian Institute of Technology to provide hands-on geological and geophysical training tied directly to the company's Block VIII oil and gas exploration program in Cambodia, building national technical capacity while advancing exploration objectives.

Angkor Resources Corp. has announced a collaborative program between its energy subsidiary, EnerCam Resources Cambodia Co. Ltd., and graduate students at the Cambodian Institute of Technology. The program provides hands-on geological and geophysical training tied directly to EnerCam's Block VIII oil and gas exploration program in Cambodia. This initiative brings together Angkor's technical team and ITC students in field-based geological work and analytical seismic interpretation.
Justin Snelling and Dr. David Johnson are leading students through geological field work, including structural and stratigraphic characterization of selected outcrop sites, rock sampling and laboratory analysis, and integrating that data into the evolving geologic framework. In tandem, Keith Edwards, Geophysicist for EnerCam, is guiding students through geophysical software training and practical seismic interpretation in a real-world environment. As the EnerCam team collects additional data prior to drilling and while an Environmental Impact Assessment is being completed on the drill target areas, this program also supports EnerCam's ESG and CSR commitment to mentor and develop a strong national team of Khmer geoscientists.
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 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. Understanding how these fold belt structures express themselves at surface is critical to predicting their behaviour at depth.
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. The primary traps across the Bokor structures are expected to be found in gently folded seals and reservoirs adjacent to angular unconformities.
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. Mr. Snelling, who brings extensive field experience across diverse geological settings internationally, is working directly with students on practical field structural geology and optical microscope rock identification techniques used in typical oilfield operations.
Keith Edwards, Geophysicist for EnerCam, is leading a parallel program in seismic interpretation and geophysical analysis. 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 that for his two students, they 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, they will try to put some meat on the bone of our interpretation so far. Edwards noted that there are many interesting features visible on the seismic data that need to be identified and mapped.
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 data has revealed structural and stratigraphic features including angular unconformities, four-way closures, and potential stratigraphic traps that require detailed mapping and characterization. The final goal will be for the students to prepare and present this work as their thesis. Edwards noted that the fact the students will be working on seismic data that EnerCam shot in Cambodia makes the program especially relevant to their development as geoscientists and to the country's emerging oil and gas sector.
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 that they 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.
Source Statement
This news article relied primarily on a press release disributed by NewMediaWire. You can read the source press release here,
