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Nicholas Harris is a professor in the Faculty of Science at the University of Alberta, specializing in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. He has a long-standing interest in the origin of black shales and has conducted significant research projects on Cretaceous lacustrine organic-rich shales in West African rift basins and Upper Devonian Woodford Shale in the Permian Basin, West Texas. His lacustrine shale studies in Africa identified novel relationships between evolving topography and the associated rifting and climate effects on organic matter deposition in shales. He is also involved in the ongoing Woodford project, guiding students to identify signatures of sea-level cycles in basinal shales through sedimentological and geochemical analyses. Harris’s research expertise covers sedimentology, sedimentary geochemistry, and petroleum geology, focusing on hydrocarbon source rocks and tight gas sand reservoirs. His studies integrate various methodologies, including petrography and geochemical analysis, to understand subsurface processes and gas migration in large tight gas fields within the Rocky Mountains. In 2012, he began researching unconventional oil and gas reservoirs in Western Canada, particularly the Devonian Horn River and Duvernay shale formations. Furthermore, he leads the Integrated Petroleum Geosciences program, providing advanced training to students for careers in the petroleum industry. His courses emphasize geological principles and their application to real data sets, covering topics like hydrocarbon reservoir characterization and petroleum basin analysis.
Department: Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Management