Quality is a measurement of excellence that is often difficult to quantify. Providers of quality products and services command premium prices. Brand names we associate with quality inspire positive thoughts. They are names we trust to deliver what we expect of them—safely, reliably, and with flawless performance. Quality is a perceptual, conditional, and somewhat subjective […]

Improving People’s Lives Hope is not a strategy….but without hope there is no strategy(1). A great benefit of being SPE President is the chance to interact with students and young professionals around the world. Many are anxious about the future, but not panicked. I have been asked if this is the worst time ever in […]

There are many definitions of sustainability, but the 1987 United Nations Brundtland Commission’s remains a standard. “Meeting the needs of today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” (WCED 1987) Some think oil and gas have little role in a sustainable future; global realities suggest otherwise. How is it that […]

“You don’t get your social license by going to a government ministry and making an application for one, or simply paying a fee. … It requires far more than money to truly become part of the communities in which you operate.” Pierre Lassonde, President of Newmont Mining Corp., 2003 There is widespread acceptance that extraction […]

There are two great truths tied to hydraulic fracturing. 1. It has helped improve people’s lives by enabling the oil and gas industry to tap reserves that otherwise could not have been recovered. 2. It has unleashed dramatic public opposition.   I am disappointed to see public opposition to hydraulic fracturing, because I think, for the biggest part, it is unfounded. […]

The first brief flight at Kitty Hawk in 1903 did not immediately make the Wright brothers famous; however, within 5 years, enthusiasm for the new technology began to spread around the world. Louis Blériot won a prize for flying over the English Channel in a heavier-than-air craft in 1909, and Charles Lindbergh won the USD […]

  Hydrocarbons have never been easy to find or produce. Now, in addition, we must contend with low prices. But, to the more-than 7 billion people on our planet, whose quality-of-life depends on safe, affordable energy, the price of oil and gas does not matter. D. Nathan Meehan, Baker Hughes Hydrocarbons have never been easy […]

As 2016 SPE President I have the opportunity to share messages with industry professionals and students around the world. Two of Baker Hughes’ core messages occur in nearly every talk. First, our purpose: Enabling Safe Affordable Energy Improving People’s Lives. Second, the Perfect HSE Day. This concept really rings true. Here is my December, 2015 […]

Originally published as http://spe.org/jpt/article/10176-presidents-column-36/ As 2016 SPE President I often speak of Baker Hughes’ purpose. In this post I would like to talk about the mission of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE)? Why do we collect, disseminate, and exchange technical knowledge? There are plenty of reasons why such activities are valuable. Our mission statement […]

2016 SPE President’s Column published in the Journal of Petroleum Technology Each SPE president chooses a tagline for his or her monthly column, often referencing an  underlying theme. Improving people’s lives is what we do as petroleum engineers, so it is an important theme for us. Oil and natural gas production raises the standard of living […]