Legends of Drilling
Authors: JPT staff _ 
Published: February 2015

During SPE's Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition in Denver, JPT honored ?ve pioneers in the drilling industry with its ?rst Legends of Drilling Award. The reception, held on 23 September, honored Leon Robinson, Martin E. Chenevert, Marvin Gearhart, William A. Rehm, and William C. Maurer, and was sponsored by Schlumberger.

Although the pioneering achievements of the early days of drilling are well known and documented, little attention has been given to the achievements of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. The people this award honors have been instrumental in the creation and development of these more recent drilling accomplishments.

Robinson has contributed greatly to the industry's technical literature, and has made many notable technological contributions in the areas of mud cleaners, explosive drilling, and drilling data telemetry. He has received 24 international patents, 34 US patents, and many service and achievement awards.

Chenevert is considered a legend in the world of oil and gas drilling. In addition to 100 published works and three books, he has developed petroleum engineering software applications and holds nine US patents. He has earned international recognition for his work in the area of wellbore stability and drilling ?uids, has received numerous industry awards and recognitions, and has been active in SPE and many other associations.

Gearhart has had a long track record for creating companies that specialize in high-performing technologies. During the 1970s, his company developed a major advance in openhole logging equipment and became a forerunner in measurement-while-drilling technology. His Gearhart Company is currently putting together an integrated line of drilling tools and systems designed for vertical and horizontal drilling in the Barnett Shale play.

Rehm helped develop well control and pressure measurement from electric logs and wrote the ?rst manual on well control accepted by the US Minerals Management Service. He has contributed to some of the most signi?cant technological advancements in recent history, including the development of directional drilling, coiled tubing, underbalanced drilling, and high-pressure drilling operations. He is a recognized expert in underbalanced drilling and conducts schools and management seminars internationally and has written several books and manuals on the technology.

Maurer's work has contributed to pioneering changes in the industry, including extensive research into novel drilling techniques, drilling mechanics, rock mechanics, drill bit design, downhole drilling motors, high-pressure jet drilling, horizontal drilling, and advanced drilling tools. His Maurer Engineering was instrumental in the development of measurement-while-drilling technology. During the 1980s, he organized an effort to develop tools to economically and reliably drill horizontal wells, and was instrumental in the development of the then-revolutionary PDC bit.

It is my hope that reading about the remarkable achievements of these extraordinary people will inspire others to create and contribute to new technologies and solutions that will bene?t the oil and gas industry in the years to come.