And just like that, Summer is dissolving into Fall. Looking out over the Bayou City skyline, one can't help but note the carnival of construction cranes which has sprouted in the Galleria area - which tells a cheerful tale for the Houston economy, if not for the symmetry of my view. In general, it's good to be a Texan these days.
Stampede 2 Needs You
Before we say anything else, we want to remind everyone of the parlous state of the upcoming Stampede 2 reunion, which at the moment looks more like a slow dance in an empty saloon than its name might imply. Stampede 2 is scheduled for October 26, but as of now do not have sufficient pre-registrations to hold the room past September 26. So, if we are to do this in the style envisioned, we need you to contact Mary Brashear at mdb5223@gmail.com with your checks and signups or to use the PayPal link in the sidebar at right to sign up directly. As in, right now.
Failing a sufficient signup - for which no one will be particularly accountable, as dispersed and far flung as we have become - a reunion affair of some sort will occur on the same date at a location to be determined. We're a predictable bunch, so whatever does occur will be obnoxiously boisterous. We'll let you know how it all is going to work out shortly. But do sign up if you want to Stampede.
Ruminations
If ever there was a time for a US national energy policy, that time is now.
I find it amusing (in a not-funny sort of way) that the current administration takes credit for the explosive growth of shale oil and gas production in these United States, which is happening due to technological advancement and entrepreneurial investment in spite of the onerous regulation of the Environmental Protection Agency and other "protective" agencies. The shale boom has nothing to do with administration policy and, in context of the aforementioned regulation, is constrained only by an unexpected surfeit of natural gas. We are in the strange position of having too much of the stuff. This of course has secondary unintended effects, which are the ready availability of feed stock for a wide range of industries, thereby lowering costs of production, and - dare we say it - massive, sustainable job creation.
And this does not consider the role of increasing offshore production, which is occurring in spite of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, which only in the last year or so has attempted to put on an industry-friendly face. At the same time critically needed infrastructure (read pipelines) cannot get approved, leading refiners to move raw stock by rail and driving further supply away from the US market and into the arms of foreign markets.
And of course there is coal, of which we possess a world-beating abundance; nuclear, in which we possess a fading but nonetheless potent technological capacity; and yes, alternative energy, in which we possess an increasing expertise and which should be exploited.
All of these resources could be harnessed to provide an extraordinary degree of energy independence for the North American continent for the foreseeable future; could be done without wasting food stocks which the world desperately needs; and could be done without destroying the natural beauty of the nation or endangering the public welfare if managed thoughtfully and with purpose.
We really can do this, and I see no reason why not - except for the inexplicable impulse to deny ourselves success and independence through a focused national energy policy.
*****
Otherwise I've given up reading the political tea leaves as I'm pretty much convinced that if anyone had any cogent ideas for running the country they would have appeared by now. Alas, amid the sturm und drang of the current to and fro I see precious little of substance and a damned-if-you-do-and-damned-if-you-don't outcome. This leaves us with an unprecedented orgy of political advertising and the flinging of bread to the masses as the high points of an otherwise miserable campaign season.
This must be the reason that the Wall Street Journal reports that sales of ammunition and the wherewithal to use it are projected to increase 50% by year-end if a certain individual is elected to the presidency of these United States. I myself prefer the cold comfort of gold, which I am assiduously accumulating.
I did, in spite of my initial misgivings, enjoy the London Olympics very much. Maybe it's just a nostalgia thing (Chariots of Fire and all that). Or maybe it was watching the whole thing in HDTV on a screen as big as a house. I do think that there are way too many sports of little consequence included in the Olympics, but on the other hand speed walking does provide vast opportunities for comic relief (Monty Python's "Ministry of Silly Walks" skit springs to mind) and beach volley ball in front of Buckingham Palace was a surprise hit. On the whole it was well done and no one got blown up.
Except for the Astros, but they fortunately were nowhere near Jolly Old so there was no collateral damage. At least the annual Texans hope-fest will take our minds off that for a while. In that way Houston sports teams are very much like the current administration - give the population enough distraction and they'll forget how hot and sticky they are.
I'm very much looking forward to a little cool weather and the prospect of some really bad golf. At least any damage to my psyche will be self-inflicted...
Look Ma - (Almost) No Legs! And More...
Transocean has taken the long rumored step of divesting most of its "standard" jackup fleet to a new company, Shelf Drilling, which will be headquartered in Dubai. After disposal of seven older rigs not involved in the transaction, only nine harsh environment jackups will remain with Transocean.
We expect that a large chunk of Transocean's staff will be making the move to Shelf Drilling with the rigs - we anxiously await to hear who ends up where.
It is the end of an era, though, and many of the rig names involved will bring a pang of remembrance to those of us who have been around for the last three decades or so. See Shelf's site at http://www.shelfdrilling.com to see more.
Transocean simultaneously announced a $1.5Bn offering of senior debt, proceeds of which will be used to construct four newbuild drillships.
ADTI, long a fixture in the US turnkey business and near and dear to our hearts, is rebranding as Applied Drilling Technology International.
In other offshore news, Rowan Companies has redomiciled to the United Kingdom. The effect of this maneuver on the local workforce isn't fully known, but a major presence in Houston seems to be a given. Stay tuned.
EPL Oil and Gas has purchased a large portfolio of shallow water prospects in the Gulf of Mexico from Hilcorp Energy, thereby proving that the ol' Gulf is not out of tricks yet. Expect some ultra-deep shallow water drilling from EPL in the near to mid-term.
Seadrill has contracted for a major expansion of its Houston office in De Vry's Westway Park development on Beltway 8 near Clay Road, joining Cameron in the emerging North Energy Corridor. Further south on the Beltway Phillips 66, recently spun off from Conoco-Phillips, has contracted for a large office campus in the Westchase area just north of Westheimer. Phillips 66 was originally a candidate for the Skanska development on the site of the former GlobalSantaFe headquarters, which has finally met its end.
The Business of the Tribe
Old friend Mel Grahn has appeared out of the mists (as was always his wont) and reports "I'm alive and well. I've been consulting since I left in '98 for Ocean / Devon Energy, & now for Kosmos Energy in Ghana through my Co., Roseland Consultants, and rotating from my home in Bali, Indonesia." Very unlike Mel in brevity, but the Bali part does sound entertaining. I can still remember Mel in the full mandarin regalia which he pulled out for each Pearl Harbor Day party in the seventies. And those were some parties.
We had a major scare from old friend Andy Anderson, who suffered a serious stroke last month but is now recovering. Yours truly can testify that this was going well when we last spoke, but the road may be a long one. Old friend Charlene Taylor has been going through a round of surgeries which cannot possibly be fun. Your kind thoughts and support for these two are invited. Finally on the health front, I myself have completed rehabilitation from a lengthy illness of my own, with many thanks to my friends and colleagues for their unwavering support and to the golf gods for letting me swing again.
Known suspects in new places or roles: Mike Garvin has been made VP of Operations Support at Patterson-UTI Drilling, Dave Faure was promoted to VP Assistant General Counsel at Rowan, Long Khuu switched from UHY Partners to Manager of Internal Audit at Atwood, and Judy Low has been made Controller at ADTI. Andrew Tietz and Christie Watt Sade are in the sales and marketing show at Noble Drilling. David Comeaux is at Pacific Drilling, Kim Parker is at Hercules, Mandy Schaefer is at Texas Municipal Power (close to Aggieland), and Tammy Shook Holsey is at Oceaneering. Diana Kraft, Jim Brekke and Momen Wishahy have departed Transocean for points as yet unknown. We look forward to favorable updates.
Yours truly has had the pleasure of breaking bread at various times since our last report with Gregg Farris, who is CIO at Oceaneering, Mike Dawson (happily remarried and officially retired), Bob Herrin (Transocean), Doug Stegall (retired), James Stegall (Transocean), Jeff Shepard (retired), and Hugh Weatherhead (also officially retired) - and can report that all of these folks are happily engaged in their chosen pursuits.
If you detect a trend here, we can further add to the list of official retirees: Dave Boutelle has settled in Austin TX, Karen McLeod has run off to the bright lights and purple taxis of Baku with partner Damon, and Carole Driver retired at the end of June. This list is sure to grow as many of our friends of a certain age contemplate life in the hive versus life in the free air.
Recently found, in no particular order: Chip Keener, Doug Stotts, Albert Riley (now with NationalOilwellVarco), Don Wilkes (actively consulting, apparently; Transocean, Rowan, Seadrill, ACR Subsea and Chevron among others), Rus Watkins, Sandy Fraser (Transocean), Jason Haynes (Atwood), John Auth, Sandra Royalty, and Jasmine Trudo.
Information for all of the above and many more can be found in the updated Alumni Directory which appears in the sidebar of the blog. This is possibly the most useful thing that we do absent spouting off regarding subjects of utmost import.
Should you note anyone who is missing, please do let us have any information that you can or invite them to contact us at gsfalumni@gmail.com; and if any information is regrettably incorrect, we will fix it as soon as you let us know about it.
Should you note anyone who is missing, please do let us have any information that you can or invite them to contact us at gsfalumni@gmail.com; and if any information is regrettably incorrect, we will fix it as soon as you let us know about it.
Necrology
After an all too brief hiatus, we have two departures to the havens to report.
Jim Long, a great friend of the tribe, left us on June 7 at his home in Austin, TX. Jim was a notable character who never failed to make an impression, likable or not; he added immense color to the lives of those around him with a crafty wit and a heart of gold, which he took great pains to conceal but never really succeeded in doing so. I like to think of Jim as one of the last of the old breed in the oil patch - noisy, opinionated, and fully engaged in shaking the tree, but always there when most needed. And for my own part, a fine golfing partner with many happy hours spent in a special form of delinquency. I'll take the story of the Provisional 5-Iron ("I threw the 4-iron but wasn't sure if it stayed in bounds, so I threw the 5 as well.") to my own grave. Jim was buried in Paso Robles, CA on June 29. Many thanks to Jim's great friend Fred Brooks for keeping us apprised of events. We will all miss him, but none more than Fred.
Part of the measure of Jim's kindness was his bedside visit just months before his own passing to Rocky Dodd, who passed away in April of this year in Dayton, TX. Rocky's sister Kelly Jenkel let us know about that and about Rocky's long career with Global Marine and the joy that he took from being part of our collective lives. Rocky will be much missed.
The Parting Word
We will leave you with a much needed Rooseveltian quotation:
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."
It's our fond hope that at least some of the parties in the current national debate prove to be worthy of the sentiment. And, most of all, we ourselves.
Meantime, enjoy the coming of Fall, and live like there is no tomorrow. And for heaven's sake, go Texans! We'll return when the elections are done, the turkey has been eaten and the presents are under the tree.
Meantime, enjoy the coming of Fall, and live like there is no tomorrow. And for heaven's sake, go Texans! We'll return when the elections are done, the turkey has been eaten and the presents are under the tree.
Your faithful Blogmaster,
Seahorse
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