Comments: Engineering for Good
Authors: Donnelly John 
Published: February 2020

Editor's column

This month is the deadline to nominate someone for one of SPE’s numerous international awards. The deadline for nominations for regional awards is 1 March. The awards are designed to recognize individual contributions to the oil and gas industry and to the petroleum engineering profession.

The awards depend on nominations from colleagues familiar with an individual’s professional, technical, or service accomplishments. The most well-known awards include honorary member, the highest honor that SPE presents to an individual and which is limited to 0.1% of the SPE total membership; distinguished member; Anthony F. Lucas Gold Medal, noting achievement in the identification and development of new technology; John Franklin Carll Award, honoring contributions to the application of engineering principles to petroleum development and recovery; and the Lester C. Uren Award, recognizing distinguished achievement in the technology of petroleum engineering.

Other awards, such as the Public Service Award, honor distinguished public service through leadership, service, or humanitarianism. These awards highlight the good works that members do around the globe on a volunteer basis and without publicity. Winners of the award over the past 6 years show the variety of contributions that members have made.

Last year, Pascal Breton, deputy vice president E&P communications with Total, was cited for his work with an organization in the Philippines. In 1998, Breton took a sabbatical year to launch ANAK-Tnk, a Manila-based nongovernmental organization (NGO) that supports the Philippines capital city’s most impoverished children. He then created French and international branches of the NGO and still serves as its president.

In 2018, David C. Baldwin was recognized for his work with the disabled. He created Pursuit, whose mission is to support individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and encourage collaboration among IDD supporting organizations. Along with his wife, Baldwin has volunteered more than 25 years in support of disabled persons and, in 2016, completed a cross-country bicycle ride that raised $13 million for the cause.

In 2017, Saka Matemilola was honored for helping found and establish the Center of Excellence in Geosciences and Petroleum Engineering at the University of Benin in Nigeria.

In 2016, Richard J. Murphy, retired from Marathon, was noted for volunteer work at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, helping with the institute’s Patient Family Center and providing high school math tutoring services. He also created a volunteer in-class chemistry and physics tutoring program at a high school.

In 2015, Richard D. Folger was recognized for work that led to him receiving the National Multiple Sclerosis Society Hope Award honoring service and leadership.

In 2014, Nathan Meehan, who was 2016 SPE President, was honored for missionary work. He took a sabbatical to coordinate his church’s humanitarian activities in Asia. He trained volunteers and administered millions of dollars’ worth of humanitarian projects, including the provision of clean water and sanitation, medical services, and emergency relief.  

Award recipients are announced in July and they receive their awards at the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition. For more information on nominating someone, see the article on page 76 or visit www.spe.org/awards.