Scope and Contents Interviewer: Tyler PriestAffiliation: University of HoustonGeorge Lagers was born in Maastricht, Germany, in the middle of the Second World War. Lagers eventually became interested in naval architecture, and in 1968 earned his degree from Delft University. Lagers’ first job was at a shipyard near Rotterdam, one engaged in offshore work (including fabricating jack-up rigs). After nine years, Lagers left the yard in 1977 after having analyzed primarily dynamic...

Scope and Contents Interviewer: Tyler PriestAffiliation: University of HoustonJoe Lochridge grew up in central Texas, and attended Rice University on a Navy ROTC scholarship. He served aboard an active-duty destroyer during the Korean War, and then had the opportunity to transfer to teach at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. An engineer, Lochridge moved to Brown & Root after leaving military service. He first worked in the marine design group, working on offshore...

Scope and Contents Interviewer:Tyler PriestAffiliation: University of HoustonMr. Mosing began working for the family company, Frank’s Casing Crew & Rental Tools (later, Franks International) in 1965 at age 14. He established the company’s first office outside of Louisiana, in 1974, and then led the expansion of its operations across North America and into South America, Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Australia. The international operations were formally organized into a...

Scope and Contents Interviewer: Tyler PriestAffiliation: University of HoustonAllan Martini was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on January 11, 1928, where he attended Minneapolis public schools. Martini served in the military and followed this with attendance at the University of Minnesota, where he received his degree in Geological Engineering in 1951. After his studies, Martini began work as an exploration geologist with the California Company, a firm which would serve as a stepping...

Scope and Contents Interviewer: Jason TheriotAffiliation: University of HoustonKen Nelson’s father and his partner founded the Waldemar S. Nelson and Company in 1945. Ken grew up working in the Gulf of Mexico offshore oil and gas community from the get-go. Much of the firm’s early work pertained to offshore sulfur extraction. The company also began to specialize in the design and build of fixed platform structures and topsides. In 1999, Waldemar S. Nelson and Company, Inc., opened up...

Scope and Contents Interviewer: Jason TheriotAffiliation: University of HoustonRobert Patterson grew up just south of Jacksonville, FL, and he remained in his home state to attend the University of Florida. There he earned a terminal Doctoral degree in engineering science and mechanics. Patterson abandoned his initial aim of becoming a professor after a chance encounter with a Shell employee, and he soon joined up. Some of his early work included designing catenary pipeline...

Scope and Contents Interviewer: Tyler PriestAffiliation: University of HoustonDrew Michel was born a native of south Louisiana, where he naturally gravitated to the oil patch. Michel left his home in Morgan City in 1960 to join up with the U.S. Navy, after which he worked for both Honeywell Electronics, in California, and NASA. On a trip back through Louisiana, Michel heard about an open position at Ocean Systems, having to do with deep diving, and he joined up. Michel soon moved on...

Scope and Contents Interviewer: Jason TheriotAffiliation: University of HoustonDoug Peart graduated from Tulane University in 1977 with a degree in mechanical engineering. He promptly went to work for Shell in New Orleans. After working onshore on production projects for a number of years, Peart became a production superintendent offshore in the Gulf of Mexico. As deepwater drilling began to rise in the early 1990s, Peart was called to become a deepwater project manager for Shell’s...

Scope and Contents Interviewers: Tyler Priest and Jason TheriotAffiliation: University of HoustonDave Montague was trained at the Colorado School of Mines in petroleum engineering, but soon moved into petrophysics. Shell soon hired him in that capacity, and by 1984, Montague’s career focused on unlocking the geological secrets of the deepwater Gulf of Mexico. As a member of Shell’s deepwater exploration group, Montague helped to discover major finds like the Auger, Mars, Ursa, Mensa,...

Scope and Contents Interviewer: Tyler PriestAffiliation: University of HoustonDr. Phil Rabinowitz is a former professor of Oceanography and Geology & Geophysics in the College of Geosciences, at Texas A&M University. Throughout his career, Rabinowitz has taught and completed extensive research in the areas of marine geology and geophysics, plate tectonic reconstruction, and scientific ocean drilling. He was named a Regents Professor by the Texas A&M Board of Regents in 2004...

Scope and Contents Interviewer: Dolly JorgensenAffiliation: University of HoustonVilliers Reggio joined the U.S. Bureau of Land Management in 1976, where he aided in covering the leasing aspect of the offshore oil and gas program in the Gulf of Mexico. Reggio worked on National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) assessments, and was an early proponent of the rigs-to-reefs idea. In 1987, he published a small book that addressed the policy options for platform abandonment and reefing...

Scope and Contents Interviewer: Tyler PriestAffiliation: University of HoustonJim Rike was born and raised in Malakoff, a small Texas town. His career began at Kilgore Junior College, from which he transferred into Texas A&M University. Rike only got through a few years at A&M before he was called up to serve in the U.S. Navy during the Second World War. There he served as an aviation electronics technician’s mate. After the war, Rike completed his degree in electrical...

Scope and Contents Interviewer: Jason TheriotAffiliation: University of HoustonMyron Rodrigue was born and raised in Thibodaux, Louisiana, in 1947. Rodriguez earned an engineering drafting certificate and joined the U.S. Army reserves, and in 1958 joined up with McDermott. After a few promotions, Rodrigue attended night college for several years, learning cost analysis and gaining more engineering experience. Rodrigue worked as a field engineer in McDermott’s fabrication yard, and...

Scope and Contents Interviewer: Jason TheriotAffiliation: University of HoustonJohn Sevin graduated from high school in 1982, took a degree in petroleum engineering technology from Nichols State University, and began working for McDermott in 1988 at its Amelia yard. Sevin worked on some of the pipe machining for Shell Oil’s landmark Auger tension-leg platform in the early 1990s. When Shell began to fabricate the even larger Mars tension-leg platform, Sevin was appointed as head...

Scope and Contents Interviewer: Tyler PriestAffiliation: University of HoustonBill Stallworth was born in Rosebud, Texas, in 1932. After attending Tarleton for a few years, Stallworth transferred to Texas A&M University in 1951. After two years spent in the U.S. Air Force, Stallworth went directly to Brown & Root in 1956. He first worked as a cost engineer for a good amount of time in the Middle East on onshore-based petroleum projects. Stalwart was involved in major British...