Field schools for professional geoscientists

Outcrop-to-Subsurface Calibration. Built on Next-Gen Tech, NREMT Safety, and Capital Efficiency.

0.0TRIR since founding in 2019Total recordable incident rate
213industry field courses personally runand counting
4.76out of 5, average course ratingfrom 137 reviews
EMTOur founder is a nationally registered EMTWilderness First Responder on every course

We work with supermajors, independents, public institutions, government agencies, and everything in‑between, and the prices are published on this page.

Why us

Built different

Field seminars led by industry authorities who own their IP. Backed by custom drone photogrammetry, digital field atlases, and NREMT-led risk management—without legacy catalog markups or post-trip surprise billing.

Next-gen techA suite of cutting-edge field gear for safety and efficiency, drone 3D models we fly and own, the Field Companion app, a digital Field Course Atlas and guidebook, and 3 months of web access.The science and tech
NREMT safetyFounded and directed by a nationally registered EMT, with zero recordable incidents since 2019. Chris or a seasoned, GFS-approved field leader is on site every trip, and we handle the logistics and paperwork so your people can focus on the rocks.How we run it
Capital efficiencyPrice, dates, inclusions, instructors and even sample flight costs are public, with our comparisons sourced and dated. On the weeks compared below, ours cost $3,900 to $6,000 less per person. A private week can be set up in as little as 4 weeks.What it costs
Good neighborsTexas-based, and our founder is Leave No Trace certified. He volunteers with Texas Search and Rescue and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, and E-Rocks, our geology-for-everyone project, is working toward nonprofit status.Giving back

How we’re different from Tetra Tech RPS

Tetra Tech RPS sells similar field courses through the Nautilus Training Alliance. We’re independent, and we haven’t sold out 3 times. For the price of one seat there, you can send about 1.5 people on average to ours.

Same ground, published fees. Per person, 5-day course, USD
Course	Tetra Tech RPS	Geology Field School	You save
San DiegoSame course, plus Vitor Abreu, one time only	$14,180N442	$9,499	$4,681
West TexasSame course, same instructor	$14,180N526	$8,200	$5,980
Aínsa, SpainSame trip, same instructor	about $13,300N751	$8,200	about $5,100
Kilkee, IrelandSame town, many of the same rocks	about $13,300N009	$9,400	about $3,900

On site: who runs the trip

Tetra Tech RPSSends its own logistics and safety person, in many cases new or inexperienced.

Geology Field SchoolChris Oswalt (NREMT) or a seasoned, qualified, GFS-approved field staffer, one of our 3 other WFRs, depending on the course.

RPS fees are the “fee from, excl. tax” prices on their site, checked Nov 1, 2026. Pound fees converted at £1 = $1.34 (ECB, rounded down). West Texas, Aínsa and Kilkee are compared with our Ammonite tier (premium hotels and transport, usually 3 or 4 dinners); Crinoid is $1,500 less. Programs, dates and inclusions differ. On-site staffing is our account of how RPS courses are staffed, not an RPS statement. We are independent, not affiliated with or endorsed by Tetra Tech, RPS or the Nautilus Training Alliance.

More about us

Ireland: same town, different course

Tetra Tech RPS’s NTA course N009: Sedimentology, Stratigraphy and Reservoir Geology of Deepwater Clastic Systems (County Clare, Ireland).
Ours: 13 Clare Basin drone models, May 2025: Ross Formation fans, Gull Island mass-transport.

This vs that
	Tetra Tech RPS N009	Geology Field School
Fee (USD)	about $13,300 £9,950 fee from, excl. tax	Ammonite $9,400 direct comparison Crinoid $7,900
Dates	Jul 11–15, 2027	Run on request
Length	5 days	5 field days
Lodging, transport, meals	Accommodation during the course and in-course transport (NTA FAQ); meals not stated	Ammonite: premium hotels, premium transport, usually 3 or 4 dinners. Crinoid: essential hotels, shared transport, basic lunches; no dinners.
On-site logistics and safety	Sends its own logistics and safety person, in many cases new or inexperienced	Chris Oswalt (NREMT) or a seasoned, qualified, GFS-approved field staffer, one of our 3 other WFRs, depending on the course

RPS fee as published Nov 1, 2026 (opens in a new tab). Other NTA rates may apply. £9,950 converted at £1 = $1.34 on Nov 2, 2026, source: European Central Bank euro reference rates (opens in a new tab) (GBP→USD cross 1.3419, rounded down to $1.34; result rounded down to the nearest $100). The direct RPS comparison is our Ammonite tier. Programs, dates and inclusions differ. On-site staffing is our account of how RPS courses are staffed, not an RPS statement.

We're independent. Geology Field School isn't affiliated with or endorsed by Tetra Tech, RPS or the Nautilus Training Alliance.

N442 lists Rene Jonk as its only instructor (NTA page, Nov 1, 2026). Ours is taught by Rene and special guest Vitor Abreu, for $4,681 less per person. We have an exclusive partnership with Vitor: he teaches only through us, and only this trip.

Same six deepwater systems as NTA course N442, Reservoir Architecture of Deepwater Systems (California, USA).
Partners: Geology Field School + ACT-GEO (Rene Jonk, Director).

This vs that
	Tetra Tech RPS N442	Geology Field School
Fee (USD)	$14,180 fee from, excl. tax	$9,499 single public fee
Dates	Nov 15–19, 2027	Feb 21–26 2027
Length	5 days	5 field days, plus a Sunday arrival and dinner
Lodging, transport, meals	Accommodation during the course and in-course transport (NTA FAQ); meals not stated	La Jolla-area single lodging (5 nights), premium coach ground transport, hotel breakfasts, field lunches, three group dinners
On-site logistics and safety	Sends its own logistics and safety person, in many cases new or inexperienced	Chris Oswalt (NREMT) or a seasoned, qualified, GFS-approved field staffer, one of our 3 other WFRs, depending on the course

RPS fee as published Nov 1, 2026 (opens in a new tab). Other NTA rates may apply. Programs, dates and inclusions differ. On-site staffing is our account of how RPS courses are staffed, not an RPS statement.

We're independent. Geology Field School isn't affiliated with or endorsed by Tetra Tech, RPS or the Nautilus Training Alliance.

Same instructor: Rene Jonk leads ours and is listed as instructor on N526 (NTA page, Nov 1, 2026).

Same course, same Guadalupe Mountains exposures as NTA course N526, Play, Prospect and Field Evaluation ….
Partners: Geology Field School + ACT-GEO (Rene Jonk, Director).

This vs that
	Tetra Tech RPS N526	Geology Field School
Fee (USD)	$14,180 fee from, excl. tax	Ammonite $8,200 direct comparison Crinoid $6,700
Dates	Oct 4–8, 2027	Apr 26–30, 2027
Length	5 days	5 field days
Lodging, transport, meals	Accommodation during the course and in-course transport (NTA FAQ); meals not stated	Ammonite: premium hotels, Premium SUVs, usually 3 or 4 dinners. Crinoid: essential hotels, shared vans, basic lunches; no dinners.
On-site logistics and safety	Sends its own logistics and safety person, in many cases new or inexperienced	Chris Oswalt (NREMT) or a seasoned, qualified, GFS-approved field staffer, one of our 3 other WFRs, depending on the course

RPS fee as published Nov 1, 2026 (opens in a new tab). Other NTA rates may apply. The direct RPS comparison is our Ammonite tier. Programs, dates and inclusions differ. On-site staffing is our account of how RPS courses are staffed, not an RPS statement.

We're independent. Geology Field School isn't affiliated with or endorsed by Tetra Tech, RPS or the Nautilus Training Alliance.

Rene Jonk, lead instructor; listed as instructor on N751 (NTA page, Nov 1, 2026).

NTA course N751, Deep-Water Clastic Depositional Systems …, is the same trip. RPS contracts Rene Jonk to teach it. We run it direct, with exclusive drone data, medical knowledge and better safety equipment.
Partners: Geology Field School + ACT-GEO (Rene Jonk, Director).

This vs that
	Tetra Tech RPS N751	Geology Field School
Fee (USD)	about $13,300 £9,950 fee from, excl. tax	Ammonite $8,200 direct comparison Crinoid $6,700
Dates	Oct 18–22, 2027	Run on request
Length	5 days	5 field days
Lodging, transport, meals	Accommodation during the course and in-course transport (NTA FAQ); meals not stated	Ammonite: premium hotels, premium transport, usually 3 or 4 dinners. Crinoid: essential hotels, shared transport, basic lunches; no dinners.
On-site logistics and safety	Sends its own logistics and safety person, in many cases new or inexperienced	Chris Oswalt (NREMT) or a seasoned, qualified, GFS-approved field staffer, one of our 3 other WFRs, depending on the course

We're independent. Geology Field School isn't affiliated with or endorsed by Tetra Tech, RPS or the Nautilus Training Alliance.

EMT-founded. EMT-directed.

Safety

Founded and run by a nationally registered EMT, with a Wilderness First Responder on every course. Total recordable incident rate since 2019: zero.

Founder and Director

Christopher Oswalt

16 years of outdoor risk management

Founder & Director

Nationally Registered EMT (Emergency Medical Technician)

Former Global Field Safety Director for Nautilus/RPS across 100+ field courses worldwide.

NREMTNationally Registered EMTOur founder and director
WFRWilderness First ResponderThe minimum on every course, and always experienced staff: not freshly certified, not recent grads, never new to the field area.
AEDIn the field kitWith redundant comms and set convoy radio bands
HSEWritten for your HSE teamRisk assessments in corporate language
0.0TRIR since 2019Total recordable incident rate
24/7Customer service365 days a year

Read the full safety page

Upcoming field schools

Prices and dates are published. No date yet? Register interest and we’ll tell you first. Want your own? Ask us to run it, or request a private week for 5 or more people, set up in as little as 4 weeks. .

Flights and travel to the course start aren’t included. Flight cost estimates are current averages, for information only, not a guaranteed quote.

California, USAExclusive Vitor Abreu, one time only

San Diego

Deepwater Reservoir Architecture

4.69 · 74 reviews

Save $4,681 vs Tetra Tech RPS N442

Who it’s for

Deepwater exploration and development geoscientists, geophysicists and petrophysicists.

What you’ll work through

Confined, weakly confined and distributive fan systems
Lithofacies scheme and elements-of-deposition maps
Net-to-gross, amalgamation and connectivity
Channel–levee, lobe and slope stacking geometries
Outcrop to reservoir-model inputs and play-element calls

Analog for

Deepwater channel, lobe and levee reservoirs of the Gulf of Mexico, Brazil (Campos, Santos), West Africa, the North Sea, East Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean.

Instructors

Vitor AbreuCo-founder, Bossa EnergyOne time only · Feb 2027
Rene JonkDirector, ACT-GEO

Delivered with

Dates and price

Feb 21–26 2027$9,499

Book a seatOpen now

Private in-houseCustom quote

Sample flights

View course

Moray Firth, ScotlandExclusive Only GFS runs this trip

Scotland

Play, Prospect & Field Characterization

4.88 · 13 reviews

Who it’s for

Exploration, development and CCS geoscientists and engineers.

What you’ll work through

Play and prospect evaluation: assessment and risking
Terrestrial, paralic and deepwater clastic systems
Outcrop to core, log and seismic integration
Faults and fractures: impact on flow and seal
Seal risking for structural and stratigraphic traps and CCS

Analog for

North Sea rift and post-rift plays (Moray Firth, Central and Viking Grabens), Permo-Triassic aeolian and fluvial reservoirs, sand injectites, Faroe–Shetland, and saline-aquifer CCS.

Instructors

Rene JonkDirector, ACT-GEO

Delivered with

Dates and price

Apr 11–14 2027Company booked

BookedPrivate group

Apr 15–18 2027$5,800

Private in-houseCustom quote

Sample flights

View course

Guadalupe Mountains, Texas

West Texas

Play, prospect and field characterization across carbonate, clastic and unconventional systems

4.8 · 21 reviews

Save $5,980 vs Tetra Tech RPS N526

Who it’s for

Development and exploration geoscientists and completion engineers.

What you’ll work through

Mixed carbonate–siliciclastic systems, shallow to deepwater
Sequence stratigraphy and seismic-scale platform geometries
Diagenesis and reservoir quality in carbonates and clastics
Deepwater clastics: channel, sheet and lobe architecture
Unconventional systems read from distal basin outcrops

Analog for

Permian Basin plays (Delaware and Midland: Wolfcamp, Bone Spring, Spraberry), the Tengiz, Kashagan and Karachaganak platforms, and Eagle Ford and Vaca Muerta unconventionals.

Instructors

Rene JonkDirector, ACT-GEO
Brandon HarperGeoscientist, PhD

Delivered with

Dates and price

Apr 26–30 2027$8,200

Premium hotels, usually 3 or 4 dinners included, Premium SUVs, geoscientist enrichment where available, printed manual · 3-month web access (opens 1 month before start; both tiers).

Private in-houseCustom quote

Sample flights

View course

Black Hills, USAExclusive A GFS original

Inyan Kara

Williston Basin SWD/CCS

4.73 · 18 reviews

Who it’s for

SWD, CCS and reservoir geoscientists and engineers.

What you’ll work through

Compound incised-valley fills of the Lakota and Fall River
Sand-body connectivity and injectivity
Seal and confining-interval integrity (Skull Creek–Mowry)
A proximal-to-distal transect of about 100 miles
Screening SWD and CCS sites for containment risk

Analog for

Williston Basin disposal and CO₂ storage, Alberta Mannville, Denver Basin J Sandstone, Powder River Muddy, and any incised-valley-fill reservoir and seal pair.

Instructors

Rick BeaubouefRTB Geoscience

Delivered with

Dates and price

May 10–15 2027$9,995

RegisterOpen now

Immediately after GSA Rocky Mountain Section · Rapid City (May 8–10). Visit us at GSA Rocky Mountain.

Fall dates coming soonDates to follow

Private in-houseCustom quote

Sample flights

View course

Wyoming, USAComing soon

Rock Springs Uplift

Continental clastic systems

5.00 · 9 reviews

Who it’s for

Development and exploration geoscientists and completion engineers.

What you’ll work through

Mesaverde tight-gas reservoirs and their stratigraphy
Distributary channels versus compound incised-valley fills
Barrier–lagoon systems and reservoir compartmentalization
Accommodation/supply ratio and tectonic control on sand bodies
Outcrop read in log and core language, with 3D drone models

Analog for

Mesaverde and Lance tight gas in the Greater Green River, Piceance and Uinta Basins, Alberta Deep Basin (Falher), Cotton Valley, and other low-permeability fluvial and paralic sands.

Instructors

Lee KrystinikEquus Energy Partners

Delivered with

Dates and price

Dates coming soonBeing finalized with the instructor$8,499

Private in-houseCustom quote

Sample flights

View course

Utah, USAField workExclusive Only GFS runs this trip

Kanab, UT

Updip-to-downdip play element prediction and linkage

No reviews yet

Who it’s for

Exploration, resource-play and reservoir geoscientists and engineers.

What you’ll work through

Updip-to-downdip prediction of reservoir, seal and source
Sequence stratigraphy tied to biostratigraphy and ash-bed ages
Fluvial, shoreface, shelf and offshore mudstone systems
Mudstone seal, source and unconventional reservoir potential
Subtle stratigraphic traps and play-element linkage

Analog for

Rockies mudstone plays in Utah, Colorado and Wyoming; Eagle Ford, Niobrara and Mowry; Alberta Cardium and Viking; subtle stratigraphic traps in Cretaceous seaway basins.

Instructors

Brandon HarperGeoscientist, PhD
Rene JonkDirector, ACT-GEO

Delivered with

Dates and price

Dates coming soonField work only. Guests welcome.

Private in-houseCustom quote

Sample flights

View course

Southern Pyrenees, SpainRun on request

Ainsa, Spain

Deepwater Systems & Source-to-Sink

5.00 · 2 reviews

Save ~$5,100 vs Tetra Tech RPS N751

Who it’s for

Deepwater exploration, development and geomodel teams.

What you’ll work through

Linked fluvial, shallow-marine and deepwater source-to-sink
Lithofacies, stratal geometries and key surfaces
Core, log and seismic to play-fairway maps
Net-to-gross, connectivity and rock-physics response
Engineering data for reservoir performance

Analog for

Deepwater plays of the Gulf of Mexico, Brazil (Campos, Santos), West Africa, Faroe–Shetland, East Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean, with reservoir, seal and source linked shelf to basin floor.

Instructors

Rene JonkDirector, ACT-GEO

Delivered with

Dates and price

Dates on request$8,200

Premium hotels, usually 3 or 4 dinners included, premium transport, geoscientist enrichment where available, printed manual · 3-month web access (opens 1 month before start; both tiers).

Private in-houseCustom quote

Sample flights

View course

County Clare, IrelandRun on request

Kilkee, Ireland

Deepwater Depositional Systems

No reviews yet

Save ~$3,900 vs Tetra Tech RPS N009

Who it’s for

Deepwater explorationists, development and geomodel teams.

What you’ll work through

Seismic-scale outcrops of a basin-floor fan system
Channel, lobe and levee architecture and stacking
Slope instability, slumps and incised-valley fills
Bed-scale facies, amalgamation and net-to-gross
Reservoir-model geometries from outcrop to seismic scale

Analog for

Basin-floor fans of West Africa (Niger Delta, Angola), offshore Brazil, the Gulf of Mexico, the North Sea, East Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean.

Instructors

Rene JonkDirector, ACT-GEO

Delivered with

Dates and price

Dates on request$9,400

Premium hotels, usually 3 or 4 dinners included, premium transport, geoscientist enrichment where available, printed manual · 3-month web access (opens 1 month before start; both tiers).

Private in-houseCustom quote

Sample flights

View course

Open to the publicMostly freeNot an industry course

Geo-Hikes

Social Geology Hikes & Backpacking

4.9 · 623 ratings

Thomas L. Davis, PhDGeologic Maps Foundation

Geologic Maps Foundation / Geo-Hikes are not officially part of or affiliated with Geology Field School — we like them and what they do.

Upcoming trips

Nov 8 2026 Howard Canyon to Nordhoff Ridge Free
Nov 21 2026 Geology Hike at Taft Gardens, Ojai, California Free
Sep 1–4 2027 Santa Rosa Island backpack $100

Explore Geo-Hikes View trips on Meetup

Fees are billed in USD. Hover or tap a price to see GBP and EUR. Conversions are approximate.

Contact

Ways to work with us

Training a team?

A private week. Your dates, 5 or more people, your asset questions built in. Set up in as little as 4 weeks.
Or an open week. Company card or PO accepted. Swap in a colleague up to 5 days before the start ($100 per swap).
Paperwork. Vendor pack on request: W-9, certificate of insurance, sample invoice. Payment terms are on every course page, and cancellation terms are clearly available.
Certificate. Everyone gets a certificate with their PDH hours on it.

Course not listed?

Tell us the topic, region and headcount, and we will tell you what it takes.

Ask about a course

Your own expert?

Have an instructor or internal expert and want our field safety and logistics expertise? Send us an email.

Email us

Instructors

Have a trip and want our support to make it ready for prime time? Get in touch.

Get in touch

We’re open 24/7. Emails, texts and phone calls go straight to our founder’s cell phone.