JPT
Go
spacer

Vol. 58 No. 3

March 2006

People

Jerry Anthony, SPE, was named Exploration Director for BowLeven. His 30 years of experience in international E&P included a number of positions with Chevron Corp. and Sasol Petroleum Intl.

Steve Cassiani, SPE, was recognized by the Greater Houston Area Chapter of the American Red Cross for his accomplishments as Chair of the Financial Development Committee. President of ExxonMobil Upstream Research, he has been a member of the Houston Area Red Cross Board of Directors for 4 years and is the incoming Board Chairman for 2007.

Ashish Dabral, SPE, and Eric Nelson, SPE, joined Ryder Scott as petroleum engineers. Dabral, who earned BS and MS degrees in petroleum engineering from the Indian School of Mines and Stanford U., respectively, worked for EOG Resources and CMG Petroleum Consulting before joining Ryder Scott. Nelson, who earned a BS degree in chemical engineering from the U. of Tulsa, previously worked for ExxonMobil Corp.

Robert Dickenson, SPE, was named Senior Technical Sales Representative for Enventure Global Technology. Before this appointment, he worked for Varel Intl., Smith Intl., and Baker Hughes, and his experience includes drilling-optimization management and sales-operations management in Africa, Asia, Canada, and Oman.

Michael Drennon, SPE, was appointed Vice President–Operations for Parker Drilling Co. Before this appointment, he was Program Director of BP operations in Angola. He earned a BS degree in petroleum engineering from Texas Tech U.

Phillip Grice, SPE, joined Lee Keeling and Assocs. Having earned a BS degree in petroleum engineering from the U. of Tulsa and an MBA degree from Texas Christian U., he has more than 20 years of energy industry experience. Grice also served as a bank engineer for several Texas-based lenders.

Alan Orr, SPE, was promoted to Executive Vice President–Engineering and Development for Helmerich and Payne Intl. Drilling Co. During his 30-year career, he held various supervisory positions in the company’s domestic and international operations and was appointed to Vice President and Chief Engineer in 1992. Orr earned a BS degree in general engineering from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

James Palm, SPE, joined Gulfport Energy as Chief Executive Officer. Before this appointment, he was President and founder of Crescent Exploration. Palm earned a BS degree in mechanical engineering and an MBA degree, both from Oklahoma State U.

Kevin Roche, SPE, was named Vice President of Noble Technology and remains General Manager of Noble Drilling Canada. He earned a BS degree in mechanical engineering from Memorial U. of Newfoundland and has more than 27 years of industry experience.

Scott Sechrist, SPE, was elected as 2006 Secretary for the Houston Chapter of the Soc. of Independent Professional Earth Scientists.

Ron Thomason, SPE, was named Chief Financial Officer for Ulterra Drilling Technologies. He previously worked for Wood Group and has more than 15 years of industry experience ranging from planning systems to financial -management of domestic and international operations.

MEMBER DEATHS

George Griffin, Sugar Land, Texas
John Kimmel, Ponca City, Oklahoma
Dale Leavitt Jr., Edmond, Oklahoma
Antonio Lissoni, Treviglio, Italy
Mark McCormick, Coraopolis, Pennsylvania
Paul McGinn, Aberdeen
William Meyer, Plano, Texas
Jimmie Naylor, Tulsa
Gregory Rolland, Moore, Oklahoma
C.M. Stephens Jr., Magnolia, Texas
William Talley II, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

1989 SPE President George H. Sawyer died 28 December 2005 in Lakeway, Texas. Sawyer began his distinguished industry career as a roustabout at the age of 14. After earning an AA degree in petroleum engineering from Kilgore College and a BS degree in petroleum engineering from the U. of Texas at Austin, he began working for Humble Oil and Refining (which later became Exxon) in 1956, concentrating on well stimulation, workovers, and reservoir-management problems.

Sawyer held several supervisory and managerial positions at Exxon, including Executive Assistant to the Chairman of Exxon USA, Coordinator of Esso Europe’s Continental and West Africa production activities, Manager of Technology and Production Operations, and Chairperson of Exxon Production Research’s Production Advisory Committee. He retired from Exxon in 1993.

In addition to serving as SPE President, Sawyer made significant contributions to the Society. He was honored for his work with the SPE Distinguished Member award in 1999 and he became an Honorary Member in 2004. As a former president, he was active in the SPE Foundation, including serving as an officer, and assisted in several of its fund-raising campaigns. Sawyer worked with SPE in planning and implementing the first Offshore Technology Conference, held in 1969, and was Chairperson of the 1984 SPE Europec Conference. He chaired the SPE Stavanger Section in 1982. In addition, Sawyer served on the AIME Board of Trustees during 1988–90 and 1996–97, and was President of the board in 2002.

Sawyer is survived by his wife of 52 years, Shirley; sister, Merrilyn Morse; daughter, Pam Sawyer; son and daughter-in-law, Steve and Kit Sawyer; son and daughter-in-law, David and Lydia Sawyer; and several grandchildren.