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Part I – Introduction
From my 50 years as a geologist exploring for oil and gas I have been able to notice that dramatic changes in our exploration efforts and techniques, especially for independents, occur at approximately ten year intervals. In this issue I will tell you a little bit about me and how I came to Corpus Christi, […]
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Part II – 1958-1965
My first stop on my 50 year career, during the last week of February 1958, was The Texas Company Division Offices in Houston for orientation and processing. I also visited the Houston District Office where the geologists I met laughed when I said I was going to Corpus Christi. Several of them had been promised […]
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Part III – Becoming an Independent Geologist
A friend of mine, Ted Reagan, who was a successful Independent Geologist, explained to me that office, log library and family expenses of about $1,000.00 per month would be required to survive as an independent. This sounded pretty challenging since I was only making around $850.00 per month with Texaco. My plan was to give […]
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Part IV – Becoming an Oil Man
In my previous essays on the subject of becoming a petroleum geologist, I left out a very important group of individuals who played such a critical part in the careers of so many of us and especially mine — OUR MENTORS. Starting with my professors in graduate school at Texas A & M and continuing […]
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Part V – The Roaring Seventies
Exploration in the seventies started out much the same as we experienced in the late sixties. Oil and gas commodities were still cheap, proration continued and Congress was trying its best to eliminate what they considered loopholes in the tax laws that provided for write off of intangible drilling costs and the depletion allowance. Local […]
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Part VI – Becoming a Drilling Contractor – The Three for One Deal
One June evening in 1974, while I was relaxing in my back yard pool, I was called to the phone to speak to Leo McCloskey, a petroleum engineering partner with Frank Morrison, a geologist, in Mormac Operating Company. He wanted to discuss an opportunity to become involved with drilling rigs. Rigs were really getting scarce […]
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Part VII – Survival in the Eighties
Our style and expertise in putting drilling deals together and finding oil peaked in the early eighties. Instead of studying up on the new technology like other professionals were required to do, we diversified. Much to our dismay the city had just passed a bond issue for a convention center and as we looked down […]
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Part VIII – Suemaur Exploration and Production – Challenges of the 90’s and the New Millennium
With the acquisition of the Harkins’ exploration assets and the partnering with the exploration staff under the management of Bill Maxwell, Bill Miller and I were ready to jump into the 90’s. We would no longer be restricted to exploring above geo pressure, and we would again be looking for major reserves using what we […]
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