The University of Tulsa's Petroleum Engineering Department

Right after graduating from the Institute of Technology Bandung in 1966, Priyambodo started his more than 30 years career with PERTAMINA, the Indonesian National Oil & Gas Company, as a field engineer in Kalimantan. His operational career advanced to the position of the Kalimantan Area Exploitation Manager in 1977. (He did a 1-year postgraduate study at the Imperial College of Science & Technology in 1969-1970). After completing his PhD program at the University of Tulsa in 1981, he did work with the E&P Research and Development Division before being transferred as Head of Exploitation of BPPKA (PERTAMINA Foreign Contractors Management Body) in 1986. His career with BPPKA extended until 1992, advancing from the position of Head of Exploration & Production and finally to Deputy Head of BPPKA. In 1993 he was assigned as the Director of “LEMIGAS” Oil and Gas Technology Research & Development Centre, an institution under the Indonesian Department of Mines and Energy, a position he held until 1994. He was transferred back to PERTAMINA and later promoted to top his career as the Senior Vice President Director of Exploration and Production in 1995 until his retirement in March 2000. He has been a member of the Board of Commissioners of PT ELNUSA, a subsidiary of PERTAMINA, since 1995 and currently also serves as the Chairman of its Audit Committee. He has been active in SPE including President of Society of Indonesian Petroleum Engineers during 1990-92. He was elected as SPE Distinguished Member is 2004.

Priyambodo in his own words:

How did you come to TU?

I did not choose TU; actually it was my former boss, Karel D. Hutabarat ( a PE graduate of TU) who designed a program for 4 PERTAMINA engineers to get a degree from TU. Although I had MSc degree from Imperial College, I was originally admitted to MS program at TU. It just so happened that Dr Raj Raghavan became my graduate advisor and he knew my former professor at the Imperial College, Dr Colin Wall Dr Raghavan then suggested that I changed the program from a Masters to Doctoral one, a proposal that was then approved by Pertamina.

How did TU prepare you for your career?

TU prepared me well for my career with PERTAMINA. I wished I spent much longer time practicing what I learned at TU, but unfortunately (or is it fortunately?) I was very much involved in management activities (but my engineering background played a very significant role in my day-to-day management decisions that I had to make). I had the opportunity to become the Director of "LEMIGAS" Oil and Gas Technology Research & Development Institute under the Department of Mines and Energy for 2 years (1992 - 1994), a period where my experience in conducting research, while I was at TU, really helped me in accomplishing the tasks that I had to do at this R&D institution.

Any fond memories from TU?

If it was not for Dr Raghavan, I might not have the honor to receive the 2004 SPE Distinguished Service Award. It was Dr Raghavan who said: "Pri, I will not let you graduate from TU if you do not become an SPE member." Is there any student who dare say 'no' to his professor's "threat" like this?

I used to smoke a lot when I was in Tulsa. As an Indonesian, I smoked special clove cigarettes where the smell is very unique. One weekend morning I had to do something at the North campus and since there was nobody at the basement, I smoked my clove cigarette. Suddenly a security guard burst into the basement and shouted "Where is the fire, where is the fire? I smell something's burning!" Knowing that there was no fire, I calmed him down and told him that it was only the smell of my burning clove cigarette. Dr. Raghavan used to ask me when I would quit smoking, and I always answered "when I finish my PhD". On the day of my public defence (present: Raghavan, Reynolds, Guerrero, Ram Agarwal), Dr. Raghavan said to the audience "Gentlemen, this morning we will see Priyambodo smoke his last cigarette before defending his dissertation." and I said "You are late, because I quit smoking several days ago."