This course will discuss biostratigraphy and micropaleontology, largely as it pertains to oil and gas exploration. We will discuss the fundamentals of evolution, time, and ecological niches. The three major fossil groups that are used in oil and gas will be the focus both paleoceanographically and biostratigraphically. Biostratigraphy and its utility will be explained from data collection to age interpretation, geological interpretation, integration with logs, seismic, litho- and sequence stratigraphy. Practical application will be discussed in decisions and risks for real-time drilling and post-drill framework building. You should leave the course with some understanding of the different fossil groups, their utility from both academic and industrial perspectives, how to optimize biostratigraphic data and its collection, how to plan a well using biostratigraphy, and how to interpret the data once received.