The University of Tulsa's Petroleum Engineering Department

This month’s alumnus of the month is John W. Lindsay. John graduated in 1986 from The University of Tulsa after receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Petroleum Engineering, and joined Helmerich & Payne IDC in January 1987 where he worked in a drilling engineering and marketing capacity. From 1992 to 1997 John held various management positions in drilling operations and was promoted to Vice President-U.S. Land Operations in 1997. On March 1, 2006, John was promoted to Executive Vice President, U.S. and International Operations. As of September 6, 2006, Helmerich and Payne IDC operates 146 rigs, 108 U.S. land, 27 International and 11 U.S. offshore.

John in his own words:

Why did you choose TU?

I chose TU because of the great reputation of being one of the best Petroleum Engineering schools in the country.

Did TU prepare you well for your career?

TU did prepare me well for my career. My degree was in Petroleum Engineering, but the curriculum was well rounded enough that I learned more than drilling, production and reservoir engineering. The professors had practical oilfield experience which taught me much more than you can learn from a book, and that experience is invaluable in helping a student understand more about the business.

Any fond memories?

The fondest memory I have about TU is captured in two parts. The first part was earning my degree in 1986 and the second was being hired by Helmerich Payne in the same year.  Unlike today, the energy business in 1986 didn't have many available jobs for newly graduated engineers. I was fortunate to be hired by H&P and to be able to work in the sector of the energy business, the drilling industry, that I had the most interest in.