The University of Tulsa's Petroleum Engineering Department

Richard was the first of four siblings to receive an engineering degree from the University of Tulsa. He graduated in 1980 with a BS in Petroleum Engineering and started his career in Farmington, New Mexico working for Amoco Production Company. Because of his interest in the application of new technology, he accepted three rotational assignments to Amoco’s Tulsa Research Center over the next 15 years; each time returning to the operating Business Unit in Denver to transfer his new knowledge toward exploitation of oil and gas opportunities. After the merger of BP and Amoco in 1999, Richard worked in the Technology Group in Houston where he eventually became R&D Program Manager for base production technologies. In 2006, he accepted his first international assignment as East Siberian Greenfield Reservoir Studies Manager in BP’s Russian joint venture TNK-BP. In this role he is helping to build a new team responsible for the evaluation and development planning of a large East Siberian oil field.

Richard in his own words:

Why did you choose TU?

I chose TU because of its reputation for excellence in science and engineering - especially its prestigious Petroleum Department – and because of its proximity to the home of me and my wife’s future

How did TU prepare you for your career?

I had to work very hard during four years of college. Not only was the curriculum at TU very challenging but I also worked during the week to support myself. This work ethic has helped me overcome the ups and down of our industry during the last 20+ years and to cope with chronically understaffed teams.

As I recall, most TU professors were very down-to-earth tying theory to reality which made diverse subject matters quite interesting. I think this may be one reason why I’ve remained somewhat of a generalist with many opportunities to integrate different technologies across silos.

Any fond memories?

Because I was married and lived off campus there were not many opportunities to enjoy the rich campus life. However, I did make some lasting friendships that I still enjoy today. Perhaps my fondest memory (at least biggest surprise) was making an A in one of Dr. Raghavan’s classes when I didn’t know if I’d even passed.