Interviewer(s): T. Priest. Houston, TX.

Affiliation: University of Houston/History International

Richard Pattarozzi graduated college in Illinois in 1966 with a degree in Civil Engineering. He joined Shell that same year and served as a facilities engineer in New Orleans. In 1969 he became a drilling engineer for offshore and stayed in that role for 6 1/2 years. In 1972, the company made him a senior engineer and transferred him to Midland. After a short tour, he was transferred to Michigan in 1976 and worked in that office until 1979 as a drilling superintendent. He finally came back to Offshore New Orleans as an operations manager in 1982, stayed there until 1985 when he moved again, this time to California. However, he quickly returned to New Orleans in 1989 and became involved in the deep water activities for Shell.