The 2026 Gussow Committee invites geoscientists, researchers, and industry professionals to gather in the heart of the Canadian Rockies for three days of focused, high-impact technical exchange. Set against the backdrop of Banff National Park, this in-person conference explores one of the most dynamic and economically significant intervals of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin (WCSB): the Cretaceous.
Under the theme “Cracking the Cretaceous Code: Unlocking the Strata of the WCSB,” the program highlights new activity, emerging insights, and evolving interpretations across the full spectrum of productive Cretaceous horizons.
As a single-track technical conference, Gussow offers a uniquely cohesive experience. Every attendee shares the same sessions and discussions, creating a deeper level of engagement across disciplines. The 2026 program delivers both scientific depth and practical relevance for geoscientists working throughout the basin.
2026 Session Lineup
Session 1: Reconstructing the Cretaceous: Basin Development and Regional Context
Session Chairs: Joanna Czarnecki, Cenovus Energy & Adam Montgomery, Imperial Oil
This session will explore the basin‑scale tectonic and paleogeographic evolution of the Cretaceous of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin, emphasizing how large‑scale processes shaped accommodation, sediment routing, and stratigraphic architecture. The talks in this session will demonstrate how an integrated, basin‑wide view clarifies the drivers behind local stratigraphic variability and reservoir heterogeneity. This regional context sets the stage for subsequent sessions focused on field‑scale development, applied case studies, and subsurface prediction in a variety of depositional settings.
Session 2: Investigating Cretaceous Coastal and Marginal Marine Systems
Session Chairs: Meagan Gilbert, Saskatchewan Geological Survey & Tom Peploe, CNRL
Cretaceous strata of the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin preserve a well-developed and dynamic record of shoreline and coastal deposition along the margins of the Western Interior Seaway. This session invites contributions examining a variety of depositional environments including deltaic, shoreface, beach, estuarine, and associated marginal marine systems. Presentations addressing sedimentology, stratigraphy, ichnology, depositional models, and basin-scale evolution from outcrop or subsurface datasets are encouraged.
Session 3: Channeling the past: Decoding ancient river systems
Session Chairs: Cynthia Hagstrom, Nova Geoscience & Bryce Jablonski, CNRL
Fluvial systems are among the most familiar sedimentary environments; yet, anyone who has worked with them knows they are also some of the most dynamic, heterogeneous, and challenging to characterize in the subsurface. This session showcases the latest advances in our understanding of fluvial and incised‑valley deposits across the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin. From the prolific McMurray Formation to the outcrops of the Horseshoe Canyon Formation, our evolving insights into Cretaceous fluvial architecture continue to shape how we explore, drill, and develop these reservoirs. As new tools, datasets, and conceptual models emerge, we unlock thinner, more complex, and previously inaccessible intervals, demonstrating just how much these ever‑giving fluvial systems still have to offer.
Session 4: Stratigraphic and Reservoir Insights from the Lower Cretaceous
Session Chairs: Sean Fletcher, Strathcona Resources & David Jenkinson, McDaniel
This session will highlight current developments in the Lower Cretaceous of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin, linking technical advances to their broader performance and value implications. Case studies will highlight reservoir characterization, recovery strategies, and production optimization, with context on how these variables shape project outcomes. In the current commodity environment, these plays continue to see sustained activity and growth, providing insight into what is working today and how technical decisions are influencing results across the basin.
Session 5: Reevaluating the Upper Cretaceous: Case Studies of the Colorado and Belly River Groups
Session Chairs: Eric Harris, Northern Hawk Energy & Jon White, Sproule ERCE
This session will investigate geological characteristics and reservoir dynamics of the Colorado and Belly River Groups through case studies to unravel reservoir complexity. Focusing on risk mitigation, innovative geoscience techniques, and in-depth reservoir characterization to improve production potential.
Closing Keynote
Session Chairs: Thomas Jerome, GMDK Inc. & Solange Angulo
Across all sessions, the conference balances sedimentological and stratigraphic perspectives with the latest drilling, production, and subsurface data—ensuring discussions remain scientifically rigorous and operationally relevant. A unifying theme runs throughout: understanding how Cretaceous stratigraphy, depositional systems, and reservoir characteristics interact to shape modern exploration and development across the WCSB.
We look forward to welcoming you to Banff for a technically compelling, collaborative, and memorable Gussow 2026.