Angkor Resources Corporation has initiated a collaborative training program between its energy subsidiary EnerCam Resources Cambodia Co. Ltd. and graduate students from the Cambodian Institute of Technology. The program provides hands-on geological and geophysical experience directly tied to EnerCam's Block VIII oil and gas exploration activities in Cambodia, combining field-based geological work with analytical seismic interpretation.
Justin Snelling and Dr. David Johnson are leading 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. Simultaneously, Keith Edwards, Geophysicist for EnerCam, is guiding students through geophysical software training and practical seismic interpretation in a real-world environment. This program supports EnerCam's environmental, social, and governance commitments while developing a national team of Khmer geoscientists as the company collects additional data prior to drilling and completes an Environmental Impact Assessment on drill target areas.
Dr. Johnson identified three fundamental objectives for the field program. 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, with four-way closures covering tens of square kilometres 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 behavior at depth.
Second, students will examine reservoir rocks present at surface to characterize their properties, including porosity and permeability. Surface analogs provide important insights into what the company can expect at drilling depths, 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. The primary traps across the Bokor structures are expected to be found in gently folded seals and reservoirs adjacent to angular unconformities, with each well having potential to encounter multiple gas or oil accumulations.
Third, Dr. Johnson emphasized the distinct value of involving students in both geologic and seismic interpretation, noting that fresh perspectives can identify subtleties experienced interpreters might overlook. Mr. Snelling brings extensive international field experience to practical field structural geology and optical microscope rock identification techniques, while Dr. Johnson highlighted how field conversations between experienced geoscientists and students build understanding beyond classroom instruction.
Keith Edwards is leading a parallel program in seismic interpretation and geophysical analysis, 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. 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 requiring detailed mapping and characterization.
The student program advances alongside EnerCam's broader exploration efforts on Block VIII, where seismic interpretation has identified four drill targets across the license area. The Bokor subbasin structures bear striking resemblance to traps of the Khorat Basin in Thailand, where the Nam Phong and Sinphuhorn fields produced significant gas over the past 20 years. Dr. Johnson has previously noted the exceptional rarity of finding an undrilled fold belt with multiple anticlines of significant size, each with four-way closures.
This initiative represents a natural extension of Angkor's commitment to building capacity in Cambodia, reaching several thousand students through community training sessions to date and now extending into university-level and post-graduate technical training. By integrating post-secondary graduates into active exploration programs on Block VIII, the company is investing in Cambodia's long-term capacity to develop and manage its own natural resources. The final goal will be for students to prepare and present their work as their thesis, contributing to refining the company's understanding of drill target stratigraphy and subsurface architecture ahead of exploratory drilling planned as Cambodia's first onshore oil and gas exploratory wells.
