Alumni Newsletter Spring 2014

Greetings from the Bayou City, where we have nearly floated away as of late. We needed the water, but when you have a car with 3" of ground clearance you think twice before exiting the garage. Truck guys ruled the road the last few weeks.

We seem to have settled down to a rhythm of three posts per year, which suits my schedule as even though technically retired, I seem to find plenty to do. I had imagined golfing, reading and napping. This is not the case, except for the latter which seems to go with the 60+ territory.

Ruminations

Is it just me or has TV gotten more interesting lately? I personally can't wait for the end of the reality shows.. I mean, who wants to watch someone running through 25 dates or someone choking on their pea soup?  I'm liking the rise of documentaries. After all, if you can't remember they will help you out. I grew up in the age of documentary shows, although I have to admit that "Laugh In" caught my fancy. Of course I was reminded of this by a documentary

On a more serious note, I and my family have now been through three cases of adult dementia with our elder members. This is not to be taken lightly. In the past in the South, we used to say that someone was going "batty". It was an amusing term. This is because they would go crazy and then they would die. Now people go crazy and don't die, which is the most painful thing imaginable.So, watch for the early signs of dementia in your loved ones, and get them into treatment before it advances, which it does with terrifying speed. If you're feeling charitable, give to Alzheimer's research or volunteer to help those who cannot help themselves.

On to the politics of the day, the Keystone XL North pipeline proposal has earned its Masters degree - due to the fact that it has been in the approval process for 5 years. Another year and it will earn its PhD. I'm not quite sure how the words "energy security" and "national security" don't connect with the current administrations, and I don't restrict that comment to the US. Although the US is the current leader in dumb regulations. 

A long time ago (say, 1980) I was watching the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and he had a guest who advocated electric cars. He asked the guest "Where does the power come from?", and she answered, "From the wall". 

As mentioned in a previous post, I'm a big fan of the high-torque, high-powered electrics such as the Tesla. But the question remains, where will the power come from? It's kind of heretical in our industry, but the answer for the moment is, much of it comes from coal. In our industry we do plenty to keep the fuel, chemical and utility industries in business, but you can't change the dynamics of energy overnight. It takes decades, as we all have witnessed. All hail shale oil and natural gas, on which we are sitting upon huge stocks due to hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling. We will spread this technology throughout the world, and will profit mightily by it. But don't forget the good people in the coal mines. They are our brothers in arms, after all.

In The Oil Patch

There is so much going on it's almost hard to describe.

Transocean has performed another pivot and has spun off its UK operations into a new company, Caledonian. This is in addition to its prior spin off of the bulk of its jackup fleet into Shelf Drilling. Noble has spun off the bulk of its offshore assets into a new company, Paragon Offshore, based in the UK.We won't get into a discussion of tax domiciles, but the various tax departments in the industry have been very, very busy. Which raises the question: when will the US Congress get its wits and revise the US Tax Code?

Commander Drilling Technologies, a successor to the now defunct Applied Drilling Technology Inc. has set up shop and is drilling. One can find many familiar faces there. The same is true at Rowan, where many of our former co-workers can be found. Which is to say, that the tribe continuously transforms itself and we are all members of it, regardless of affiliation.

There are no less than 22 major refinery, chemical and export facilities under construction in the US, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report. That's an investment north of $40 billion, much of it flowing from foreign firms. Investment in the UK is also soaring.

The Business of the Tribe

We had a very nice luncheon the other day organized by Brenda Hethcoat, who has actually managed to relocate to College Station without losing her day job. Attendees were yours truly, Tony Borst, Richard Brown, Ray Bember, Jackie Montgomery, and the ever elusive Robert Bowden, who has returned from Dubai. Robert has a very simple message: "I missed Texas".

Speaking of gatherings, we missed our Stampede last year but sentiment is growing to have another. So, we are thinking of organizing the 3rd Stampede. All those in favor, say "Aye". We'll proceed based on your responses.

Dean Verinder checked in with the news that he has renounced bachelor status. This is quite the development as he may be our longest surviving bachelor. Just never found the right girl, and never tired of partying with the boys, he says, until now. Dean met his love, Leyla, in Baku and was literally swept off his feet. Which is pretty difficult to do to a roughneck. They were married in double ceremonies in Texas and Baku and now reside in the latter. Dean is working for BP, another hot bed of ex-Global Mariners.

John Domingue spent some scary moments in hospital. Patrice says he's OK, but we all think about these things as we move on.

Found: Richard Greff, Gurbachan Virk, Stan Brown. Do keep up with our Directory, attached hereto. We have hundreds of records but it's up to you to keep them up to date. If you have news or new address information (and believe me, as we all scatter it will happen), contact us at gsfalumni@gmail.com.

Necrology

We lost two good friends this month.

Clancy Cavanaugh, a true friend to many of us and a mentor to many others, passed away on May 7 in Brenham, TX. Clancy was colorful, as we like to say in these pages, and a memorable character; but also had a heart of gold. He received the ultimate kudos from a number of correspondents: "He was one of the good guys". He was, in short, always one who anyone with sense would work with anywhere on the planet, any time. His boots were always first on the deck, and the last to leave. He leaves his wife Arnie and children.

William T. Williams (Tom to all of us) first of Global Marine and later of Applied Drilling Technology Inc., passed on May 27. Tom was a uniquely organized individual who could pull a single piece of paper - the right piece of paper - from a 3' tall stack, or recall arcane information from the vast Rolodex in his head. He was hard-headed but kind. Tom had two favorite phrases which stuck with me for all of the time since I met him: "Your failure to plan does not constitute an emergency on my part"; and my favorite of all, "If you're not the lead dog the view is always the same". Somewhere, the giant Singapore Airlines stewardess cutout which graced his office will remain. Tom leaves his wife Dinah.

Dave Geer and his wife Judy were lucky enough to see Tom and Dinah in Paris a few weeks before his passing. As said to Dave, Paris is not a bad last trip. 

RIP to both of these accomplished and great co-workers. Yes, they were old school, but they knew exactly what they were doing and did it their way. A lesson to be remembered.

The Final Word

You all will pardon the interval between newsletters but life has been a little complicated for your correspondent. There are lessons to be learned, however.

Be good to each other, and don't forget that empathy is perhaps the most worthwhile emotion. I know. I have people who I love and people who I hate, but empathy is the great equalizer..

We are members of a unique group which most people don't even understand. We have done things and been to places which others cannot imagine. Take pleasure in that - it will always belong to us. 

Best as always to all of you, your faithful webmaster and friends. Seahorse.

Alumni Newsletter Summer-Fall-Winter 2013

Greetings from the Bayou City, where a cold snap is in full force. We have been remiss in our postings, primarily due to the fact that yours truly has actually been working; and has been travelling extensively. Do forgive. 

The aforesaid travel involved California (thrice), Las Vegas (twice), and our annual visit to New York City to observe the holidays. We can report that NYC was more crowded this year than in years past; the Metropolitan Museum of Art is more spectacular than ever due to new acquisitions; we still window shop on Fifth Avenue but alas, Tiffany's is still out of reach for mere mortals. Cartier does, however, have LED leopards climbing on its facade, which is new and interesting.  We did see Steve Tyrell in the Carlyle Cafe, which proves that we are indeed crusters. A true lounge act for no more than 70 people. Made me nostalgic for the old days when big-name performers did small gigs. Surprisingly warm - 35 F days, 32 F evenings - although Morrell's Wine Bar on Rockefeller Plaza does provide a nice respite when the wind chill drops to 25 F or so. We escaped one day before the entire place shut down due to a storm, and are happily ensconced in Houston nursing colds that we picked up in NYC. A festive photo of Rockefeller Plaza. NYC really is something for the holidays. Except for the colds.

Ruminations

The energy boom in the US continues to astonish. A few items of interest: rail transport of crude oil has quintupled in the last year due to the lack of pipeline capacity to get crude to the right places at the right times. The Keystone XL pipeline from Canada to Cushing, Oklahoma is still, unbelievably, hung up in a regulatory quagmire, and our Canadian friends are not happy. The Keystone South leg will begin transporting crude from Cushing to Houston on January 23rd. We've made the discovery that crude from the Bakken Shale up north is actually explosive, which is not normal for crude, and as a result have had three explosions of Bakken from train derailments in the last three months. Probably why Mr. Drake, the very first oil driller in the US, observed live flame coming from the ground in Pennsylvania in the 1880's.

Meantime, the Environmental Protection Agency has shifted its attention from fossil fuels to coal, which is a much easier target. The only problem is that more than 40% of electric power in these United States is tied to coal; the question then being, what is going to power all of those promised electric cars (or our homes for that matter) when the EPA kills the coal industry? Not everyone can afford a Tesla, which is the only success in the field so far. Chevy can't give away Volts and Nissan can't give away Leafs. And Fiskar, the darling of Hollywood stars, is broke.

The ethanol lobby was dealt a major setback when the Congress struck down the ethanol to gasoline blend mandate since it would result in mixtures which would effectively destroy existing gasoline engines. Between that and more readily available light crude, gasoline prices have fallen nearly 12%. We always thought that producing ethanol from corn was dumb since more of it now goes to ethanol than to food and feed stock. For which we pay twice, both for more expensive gas and more expensive food. And the poor suffer disproportionately.

Another interesting tidbit: Texas is now the #1 generator of wind power in the US, and the grid to provide that power to actual consumers has been completed at a cost north of $6 billion. And we own it; Texas is an independent power producer not connected to the national grid. For which all Texans should give thanks. As the French playwright Moliere once wrote, "Consorting with fools is one thing. Being a fool is completely different."

We don't claim to understand politics nor do we take sides, but the US mid-term Congressional elections are now a mere 11 months away. We would suggest that if you have an opinion, make it known to your friends and gather support for your preferred candidates. We would also suggest that you support candidates who can not only win primaries but who can also win general elections. This is not a time for division but for unity.

Finally, and on a much lighter note,  I think that we all can agree that this has been one of the weirdest football seasons in history, both collegiate and pro. Very entertaining. Meaning that I actually watched the games instead of napping through them. Spouse is a Longhorn and has ceased watching football since the Longhorns went down ignominiously in the Alamo Bowl.

In the Oil Patch

The Arctic seems to be a matter of some interest. Shell's 2013 season was a miserable failure, in which only four top-holes were drilled and their primary Arctic rig, the Kulluk, was irreparably damaged when it broke its tow lines and ran aground near Kodiak, Alaska. Shell, however, intends to proceed next season and has the cash and permits to do so.

As the Arctic ice cap continues to melt, a race for territorial rights (including those for oil and gas development) has broken out. A Russian submarine planted a flag on the seafloor at the North Pole, which technically is in Canadian territory. The Canadian Navy has ordered six armed icebreakers to preserve its territorial rights. It's estimated that one quarter of the world's recoverable fossil fuels reside in the Arctic; as we all know, projections are one thing and facts are another, but this may be the next frontier. Meantime, the centuries old dream of a Northwest Passage may finally be realized, which could transform world commerce routes.

The debate in the US Congress regarding export of domestic oil has heated up considerably. Export of US oil has been prohibited for over 37 years, and the debate rages as to whether we should preserve our own resources or profit from higher prices in foreign markets.Export of liquid natural gas is already permitted, and both Cheniere and Exxon/Mobil have obtained export permits and are constructing LNG export terminals in Texas. In other words, the US has rejoined the ranks of global energy powers due to superior technology,  and we simply have more of the stuff than we can currently process.

In Mexico, dramatic changes to the Constitution have been passed by the legislature and have been signed into law by President Enrique Pena Nieto. Foreign oil and gas companies will not only be allowed to participate in Mexico projects but will be able to retain product for sale rather than having to sell through Pemex, the national oil and gas monopoly. The outcome of these events is not predictable; but a vast new exploration opportunity plainly exists. 

The more that we start thinking about a self-sufficient North American energy complex, the better off we will be, in my humble opinion. Politics be damned - this is a matter of national interest, not only for the US but for our partners. Now consider the following.

Imagine being free of the Middle East, where only one nation - Saudi Arabia - was actually formed on natural tribal and political lines. Iraq was the invention of the British (read up on Winston Churchill as First Lord of the Admiralty) to fuel their diesel powered battleships; Syria was the invention of the French to maintain a power base in the Middle East; later supplanted by the Russians, who use it as their naval base in the Mediterranean. The easiest way to solve these problems would be to let new countries be formed out of the old; which in fact is happening by violence instead of peaceful accommodation. It has happened before; witness the former Yugoslavia. 

Meantime huge natural gas resources have have been discovered off the coast of Israel, making for a huge national energy shift.

But enough of that. We in the energy industry respond to political events; we certainly do lobby in our interests but we have no control whatsoever over geopolitical events. We go with the flow.

As previously rumored, the acclaimed Applied Drilling Technologies Inc. has met its end. Domestic operations ceased on August 31, and reports are that ADTI's international operations have ceased. Challenger Drilling has shuttered as well.


Transocean is focusing on core businesses, ergo the spinoff of Shelf Drilling with 38 shallow water jackups; a huge bet on the deep water business, the outcome of which will be known in due course. Shelf, now based in Dubai, is making an equally huge bet that shallow water drilling will persist as a profitable business.

Coincidentally, Commander Drilling Technologies LLC commenced turnkey drilling operations in the Fall of 2013. CDT is a startup with a who's who of former ADTI employees and we have every confidence that the model for turnkey drilling will succeed.


The Business of the Tribe

Commander Drilling Technologies has acquired the cream of the crop in the turnkey business: Steve Morrison as CEO, David Crews ex of AGR/Oceaneering as VP of Sales, Bob Wood as VP Engineering, Tom Dolence and Dane Bokencamp as engineers., Joe Bob Wycough as VP Operations, Sonny Rodriguez as VP Purchasing, and Judy Low as CFO. Having done a little work for CDT, I can testify that this is a first class start up and we all should wish them well. Old friends making a run for the gold. I so much enjoyed working and visiting with old friends.

I can't resist posting a few photos of Connie Abb's Corvette. Who knew that nice, sweet Connie was a gearhead? As in, a serious gearhead?

 Look at that thing she is going to drop into that Vette!

A post from Adrian Gray from Singapore (my first overseas home town). A BBQ to remember!

In other news:

Andy Dement has emerged from retirement and is looking for work (like the rest of us, bored and looking for a little excitement).. A more superior sales man I could not imagine. 

Buddy King is working for Nexen Data Solutions.

JP Peplinski has become the CEO of Griffen Americas, which not only provides travel services but also publishes the Houston Business Journal. Eric Garcia has moved from Transocean back to Calpine, which I imagine is a more relaxed environment. 

Robert Bowden has returned to the US and is now working as a consultant. Back to Dubai for three months of work for Shelf Drilling. His info has been added to the Directory and all inquiries welcome in May. 

We did not hold a Stampede this year; however the former GSF HR group got together for a reunion and it was apparently a hoot. Attendees: David Armstrong, Karen McConaughey, Connie Abbs, Rich and JP Peplinski, Cindy Kohlhoff, John Auth, Darlene Dawson, and Kyna Agerton. We need to do this more often, but meantime a pic of the perps.

Recent new founds: Robert Bowden, Tony Reid, Torsen Knudsen, all of whose info can be found in the Directory. 

All of the Alumni information that we have lives in the Alumni Directory link under Hot Links in the sidebar of this blog. We do our best to keep it current, but please do check your own info to be sure that is correct.

Necrology

John McHale, my beloved mentor and co-worker of many years, passed during the Spring of 2013. His beloved wife, Marie, did not want to tell me due to her own grief, which must have been painful indeed.. John was a complete man; satisfied with his place in life, incredibly humorous, and totally genuine. If any one affected my early career with Global Marine, it was he. RIP John, and "just a wee dram" to you.

Jessie Warren: another personal loss, as Jessie taught me everything I needed to know about the operational side of the energy business and was kind enough to be a friend to me when I really needed friends. Passed November 8, news courtesy of George Matej. Jessie was irascible, demanding, and incredibly kind. 

The Parting Word

I've suffered terrible personal  losses in the last few months, and I am selfish to say so; but have also renewed old friendships. The Tribe lives on. We are who we are, forged in triumph and hardship, but always one for all and all for one.

Best as always, your webmaster and friends, Ed.

Alumni Newsletter - Spring 2013

Greetings from the Bayou City, where Summer has descended upon us in a big way. We can't run but we can hide, at which we are expert. For those of you in northern climes, enjoy!

We have been absent for some time, for the simple reason that we had nothing to report (note to selves: more news, more newsletters). Now we do, and here we are.

Yours truly has just returned from a sojourn in Sonoma and can report that the wine country is thriving and the Russian River Pinot Growers Association, who were the object of the visit, are producing buckets of really fine pinot noir this year. If you're so inclined, this would be a good time to load up on Williams-Selyem, Arista, Davis Family or Holdredge pinots. Trust me on this. 

Ruminations

Before we get to the news, I thought I would speak to the amazing energy boom that is sweeping these United States. It's all happening in the absence of a national energy policy, which is astonishing - the northern branch of the Keystone XL pipeline, which is vital to bringing Canadian crude to the actual refineries, has still not been approved (although its southern leg is nearing completion); New York refuses to permit hydraulic fracturing although they are sitting on a major section of the Marcellus shale formation; California refuses to allow development of the Monterrey shale formation, which is potentially larger than any in the country; well permitting in many parts of the country and offshore is still dismally slow; and yet in spite of all this the general consensus is that North America could be completely and utterly energy-independent by the middle of the century if not sooner. It's a symptom of our success that rail transport of crude products has increased five-fold in the last year, because no one can get a pipeline approved, and the battle regarding liquid natural gas has now shifted from how to import LNG as to how to export it. It's a boom in spite of itself.

This induces some serious head-scratching on my part. No one has ever claimed that we as a people are not ingenious, but it would be neat if our government would go along with the gag. We in Houston and our friends in Calgary are the happy beneficiaries of this phenomenon, and I'm not complaining; we will happily take everyone else's money whilst they fret.

I met an actual electric car for the first time in my life last weekend. Now this was a Tesla S, and Elon Musk (who made his fortune at PayPal and subsequently founded Tesla and Space-X) is a bonafide genius. The thing is gorgeous, will run 0-60 in 4 seconds flat and handles like a demon, and as a certified gear head that counts for something with me. I'm not sure that I would have the same reaction to a Chevy Volt. There is a caveat: one really needs one's own commercial-grade charging station.  Therein lies the itch that has not yet been scratched. Great for bombing around Sonoma though.

In the Oil Patch

There was a dearth of news earlier in the year, but not as of late.

Transocean has begun a major restructuring, with the result that many of our friends may be looking for work. This was not unexpected due to the Shelf Drilling spin off of Transocean's jackup fleet. Transocean also plans to close its turnkey drilling subsidiary, ADTI, which means the end of the road for a long and storied business that was a major factor in the success of GlobalSantaFe and earlier, Global Marine; Challenger Minerals Inc. has also been shuttered. Change is inevitable, but not always pleasant when it arrives. Keep close touch with your friends and lend them a hand. We the Alumni are a huge network with over 50 companies represented. Some of our friends are going to need us.

As part of its restructuring, Transocean announced that J. Michael Talbert will retire and will be replaced by Ian Strachan as chairman of Tranocean's board.

At Rowan Companies, old friend Matt Ralls has announced his intention to step down in 2014 and will be succeeded by Tom Burke. Matt had a fabulous run at GlobalSantaFe and then Rowan, and we wish him well. A good and true friend to many of us.

Shell USA has indefinitely shelved its Arctic drilling venture, which encountered serious difficulties when its primary rig Kulluk was damaged last winter.  This also was no surprise as various regulatory and environmental groups were ready to pounce, and Shell unfortunately delivered. Arctic exploration will happen in due course - the planet is hungry for energy.

The Business of the Tribe

Myrtle Jones has left SCI and has joined Halliburton as Senior VP of Tax. Way to go Myrtle!

Terry Liscano has moved to Rowan as a Project Controller. Al Browning is also at Rowan. Al Schneider has left Transocean/CMI and is taking a short break before seeking work.

Seen at the Institute of Internal Auditors Annual Conference in April: Bob Herrin, Dana Elliott, Eric Garcia, Naomi Cancienne, Keith Shuffler, Craig Harper, and Tom Zahn. Yours truly was a volunteer for the IIA's Houston Audit Challenge Golf Tournament in May, at which Tranocean graciously purchased an Eagle sponsorship; Dana, Eric, and Naomi played and Naomi (who by the way is pregnant) carried away the Closest to the Pin award under most suspicious circumstances.

The Houston Chapter of the IIA, bye the bye, is a fabulous networking resource, and we highly recommend membership and participation to anyone in the auditing, financial accounting or internal controls fields. You can't buy that kind of exposure.

A "Girls Night Out" with Melissa Lukens Trader, Margie Echevarria, Kyna Agerton, Susan Fontenot, Darlene Dawson, and our beloved Donna Holden. We're not asking, and they're not telling, but everyone looks like there was a margarita or two involved. Maybe three. Each.

We continue to receive cryptic messages from old friend Marshall Bennett, who is apparently building up frequent flyer points like nobody's business. Last spotted in South Korea. Tony Tabone reported in from Ghana, where he was bookending with Frances Fernandez on an ADTI project; the elusive Mel Grahn and Buzz Koons were also on that project.

John Monks has reported in from Northern Offshore in Aberdeen: "I am here and we have here or in other locations, Neil Patience, Tracey Morrison, Ray Mustard, Jeff Durham and... for the hard of hearing...Jeff Surtees and Robert Rhodes".  Now that last is an authentic oilfield observation, and I personally can attest. I kind of liked the old days when we were all just a little rambunctious. Who ever decided that we should all be technocrats?

Thomas Gibbons checked in, saying "I'm a relic of Global Marine/GSF, and a retired Chief Engineer after 35 years with them. Joined Global Marine at the end of 1971...and retired August 2006. My permanent address is in Mariposa, CA - not far from Yosemite National Park". Now I like this because one of my pet projects is the National Parks Photography Project (See thenationalparksphotographyproject.com) and that is some of the finest country in this nation. So Thomas is a lucky man.

Newly found: Gerald Melancon, who is currently with ADTI, and Lawrence Holman, who was an electrician for Howard Guillot and Jimmy Johnson. Newly updated information for: Mark Denkowski, Paul Law and Tim Myers is contained in the Alumni Directory.

ALL of the Alumni information that we have lives in the Alumni Directory under Hot Links in the sidebar of this blog. We do our absolute best to keep it current, but please check your own info and let us know if anything is incorrect or incomplete. You might find an old friend in there too!

Necrology

It seems that we rarely go between issues of the Alumni News without losing someone, and here briefly is the list of our departed members.

Patricia Newton, the much beloved and talented wife of our respected and now departed friend Carter Newton for a remarkable 65 years, passed away on January 23rd. She was vibrant, joyous, and a blessing upon all who knew her.

Joan Brown, one of the original "Global Girls", died on March 8. Joan worked for many years  in the Global Marine and later the GSF Treasury Department and  was known for a dry wit and an arch view of the world, which concealed a heart of gold. Connie and Jim Abbs, as well as others, were heroic in helping Joan through her final days. 

Charles "Chuck" Trowbridge left us on April 1. Chuck was a long time fixture in the Global Marine maintenance department and his passing was reported by old friend Mark Crispi.

The Parting Word

What can we say? We are sitting on an energy boom of epic proportions, one which likely will be the last for many of us but which may last for decades. This is no flash in the pan.

Such events produce both immense benefits and immense change. So it has ever been. But when the winds of change are buffeting us, we need to remember who we are and where we came from - we are doers, entrepreneurs, adventurers. We have done things that most people cannot even imagine. We are different, and we know it.

There is the old saying, "Make hay while the sun shines". Go forth and prosper. Help each other out. There is plenty for everyone. We'll be back with more of your stories in a little while.

Alumni Newsletter Fall-Winter 2012

Greetings from the Bayou City, where Winter has finally arrived and a warm Fall is now a pleasant memory. It's sort of nice to pull out the winter gear and mean it; from my perch above the city I can smell wood burning in the fireplaces and see for miles in the cool January air. 

I am, however, once again reminded of the pleasure of living without snow. I actually like a dose of real winter, snow and all, so much so that I have made an annual pilgrimage to New York City or Toronto or Nova Scotia as the case may be for many years. But I find that over the years I've become warm blooded, and a week or so of that sort of cold and damp is all that I can handle. So I get my fix and then scamper home in the sure knowledge that my old snow shovel from Norway (which I keep as a memento) will never, ever see action again.

I've dallied overmuch in producing the News, so without further ado...

Ruminations

The beauty of January in odd-numbered years (in these United States) is that a national election certainly occurred in the year preceding. So it did, and without taking sides I think that we are all too happy that the massive imposition caused by endless campaigning has for the moment come to an end. We make not like the result, but at least it's done. This time, though, we're not out of the woods. Since no one in our government can or is willing to agree to set ideology aside in the name of the common weal, it's entirely possible that damage to the country of a generational sort may occur whilst the posturing continues. We've already had a taste of that, and it's really becoming distressing. But there are legacies to be manufactured and history to be made, which seems to concern some individuals in our government more than others. I've never liked people who try to make history; it never seems to turn out well. I especially dislike it when history gets made at my expense.

Speaking of odd-numbered years, I'm amazed that an outbreak of triskadekaphobia did not occur when the calendar ticked to 1/1/13. Numerology has been wildly popular of late. We celebrated when children were born on 12/12/12, and cringed more than a little when the Mayan calendar cycle ended on 12/21/12 (I can imagine some immense bar bills were rung up on that date). But for 1/1/13, nada, bupkus. Mirrors did not break, black cats were no more common than usual. Although I will be carrying my lucky rabbit's foot for the next year... just in case.

I realize that this is purely a Houston thing, but I'm pleased to see that the Houston Texans could make history themselves this year; but not so happy to see that having realized this they are busy falling on their faces. At least they survived their first playoff game. Our Astros, on the other hand, succeeded in making the worst sort of history with a 54-107 season, and rightly take their place with the Mets, Cubs and Red Sox of yore who could not buy happiness (or success) but eventually won out - after decades of patience from their fans. So what do we have left? Go Rockets? Super Bowl tickets to anyone who manages to plant a stomach virus in the Patriots' locker room next Saturday. 

Condolences to our Saints and Cowboys fans, of whom we have many in our number. And of course, congratulations to our Aggie members, who have every right to strut as long as they continue to do it in the SEC.

Stampede 2 (The Reset)

After the collapse of our grand plan for Stampede 2, we cooked up an alternate celebration of all things Seahorse at Sylvia's Enchilada Kitchen in Houston on October 26th which, in spite of short notice, went very well. We had 45 actual attendees and probably would have had more except for a notably blustery autumn evening. Old friends, good times shared. This is something that we intend to keep doing as it's part of the glue that holds us together; the less formal format is obviously the way to go as it's much easier on the volunteers. 

Speaking of less formal events, there are several alumni splinter groups that meet regularly and we encourage ya'll to keep doing that. And do take advantage of the alumni network; we are more than 450 strong, and are an amazing resource for and of ourselves.

Oil Patch News

Transocean has agreed to a $1.4 billion settlement with the US government of most federal claims that arose from the 2010 sinking of the Deepwater Horizon and the subsequent spill, which was the worst in US history. The company will plead guilty to a single misdemeanor charge of violating the Clean Water Act and will admit that members of its crew, acting at the direction of BP's well site leaders on the Deepwater Horizon, were negligent in failing to fully investigate indications that BP's Macondo well was not secure and that oil and gas were flowing into the well. Thus ends one more chapter in the terrible events which took 11 of our friends and coworkers from us.

Noble's Arctic drilling rig Kulluk ran aground on Sitkalidak Island near Kodiak, Alaska when it broke its tow ropes during transit to shipyard. Possible damage to the rig has not yet been determined, but this does not look like a simple matter. Shell's grand gamble on Arctic open-sea drilling hangs in the balance.

As an interesting aside, Kulluk was once managed by Global Marine for the Beaudrill joint venture. Amazing how the world turns.

Enterprise Products' Seaway pipeline from Cushing, Oklahoma to the Gulf Coast has been completed and will enter service in January. Persistent transportation difficulties have contributed to a huge overstock at the Cushing hub and a correspondingly large spread in the price of West Texas Intermediate crude versus Brent Sea crude. The big change, however, won't happen until the end of 2013 when TransCanada's Keystone XL South pipeline is completed.

Something Old, Something New

We had a fascinating bit of correspondence from old friend Buddy King, who passed on  research regarding the old Global Marine drillships which were converted into marine mining vessels by DeBeers of South Africa. The Grand Banks, Coral Sea, Pacific and Atlantic have all found new and profitable lives working off Namibia in the diamond sands, extracting more than one million carats of high quality gems each year. On receiving this mail Jay Stiles in turn forwarded recent photos of the Grand Banks with the following commentary.

"I was in Namibia last year, at Saldana Bay. I looked out the window and saw something familiar - a ship. In fact it looked to be a drillship. I got a small boat to take me out to it, as I had a strong suspicion that it was the old Grand Banks. I had heard that DeBeers had purchased some of the old GMDC ships for mining. As we approached the ship I knew it was her - what a lot of memories that brought back - of when I served on her (as I also did on the Grand Isle). I sent some pictures around then to some of you, but for those that didn't see them I include a few here. Thankfully she looks to be in good condition. We worked our butts off on those ships...and had some fun doing it!"

It's amazing how much positive, heartwarming energy can be found when memorabilia of this type are shared - the thread that bloomed from this correspondence amongst the various recipients was quite emotional. Those really were our good old days. 

If you're sitting on a trove of such things, do share. Speaking of which, Jay also included this memento.



The Business of the Tribe

In case you weren't aware, Northern Offshore has become an alumni hotbed. In no particular order, Gary Sullivan, Campbell Austin, Gary Bauer, Paul Ravesies, Brian Hefty, Steve Gangelhoff, Scott Waller, Maggie Whittaker, Neil Patience and Caroline Carroll all call  Northern home.

Terry Black Bonno was inducted into the Stephen F. Austin Athletic Hall of Fame for her play in the then AIAW from 1977 to 1980. Apparently this at one point involved play against the Russian ladies, who went home worse for wear. Terry is quite the item as of late and was also honored by Ducks Unlimited for contributions to life in the great outdoors.

Shelf Drilling, the Transocean jackup spinoff, is not surprisingly attracting alumni. We know for a fact that Ian Clydesdale will be going to Dubai, and Mark Sacco is working on financial systems in Houston. Many more are rumored to be going but have not yet been confirmed. 

Other sightings: Steve Morrison has started a new venture, Well Advisors; and is in imminent danger of being taken off the bachelor market. Dru Duran is working in IT at the Friedkin Companies. Elizabeth Wilkerson is consulting for UHY. Donna Holden is at the UT Austin Office of the VP for Legal Affairs. Wendy Clark is Director of Financial Reporting at EXCO. Carmel Finlay is Controller at Nalcor Energy in St. John's, Newfoundland. Gary Young is working for Encana in the Dallas area. 

Carolyn Rose sent a nice note from Florida with news of Bob Turrentine, a well known figure at Global Marine who has long been beyond our ken. She also reports that Tom Richards, great friend of dear departed Bob Rose and former chairman of Grey Wolf, has been ill. Good thoughts from those of you who know Tom, please.

For some reason we have lots of babies to report - it must be the water. Long Khuu and wife Huyen welcomed Blake Dao; Jana Coates, Alysse Cambry; Carmel Finlay, Kayleigh; and Brian and Whitney Townsend, Aubrey Elizabeth. Suffice it to say that our Facebook page has been full of, well, baby faces. Lots of baby faces.

On the retiree front, Richard Greff is fishing and playing golf in Oletha, TX; Mike Dawson has taken up his cello and joined the Fort Bend Symphony, and is amassing an enviable art collection amongst other interesting and varied pursuits; and Bill and Marilyn Watson are happily esconced in Lafayette, LA, surrounded by grandkids. By all accounts this retirement thing is not so bad should one be prepared to do it.

Necrology

Now for the part that we hate to write, but which always seems to come.

Our old friend Colin Murphy went to the angels on December 22 at his home on the Isle of Wight. Colin was a great and true fellow from whom many of us learned the ropes of the (then much rougher) oil patch, a kind of Fezziwig to the apprentices; a possessor of a great wit and almost endless patience. He amused himself in later years by gardening (typically, selling produce from the front of his house) and travelling with his beloved wife Carol. He will be deeply missed by a whole generation of Global Mariners.

Rick Bohlen, a brahmin of sharp tongue and sly intellect, left us on November 3rd, dying of complications from ALS in Houston, TX. From his post in the Tax Department Rick was the unofficial head of internal gossip at Global Marine and could always be relied upon to amuse and entertain his audience with selected barbs and tidbits. He spent his later years in the employ of the Rowan Companies.

James Weeks of Magnolia, TX and the world left us on 24th November. In the rough and tumble of the old oil patch, James was always the gentleman. He had a long and distinguished career that began when most of us were watching cartoons - an early player in the offshore business. His wife Maggie can be reached at  maggieweeks@sbc.net.  

Darrell 'Bo' Sadler, a long time Santa Fe and GSF friend, on November 18th. A great friend of Jim Boswell and Bobby Briggance.

The Parting Word

In honor of the season, we offer the lyrics by Robert Burns often begun but rarely completed.

Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind ?
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and old lang syne ?

For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we'll take a cup of kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.
And surely you’ll buy your pint cup !
and surely I’ll buy mine !
And we'll take a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

We two have run about the slopes,
and picked the daisies fine ;
But we’ve wandered many a weary foot,
since auld lang syne.

We two have paddled in the stream,
from morning sun till dine† ;
But seas between us broad have roared
since auld lang syne.

And there’s a hand my trusty friend !
And give us a hand o’ thine !
And we’ll take a right good-will draught,
for auld lang syne.

For auld lang syne, my dear,

for auld lang syne,

we'll take a cup of kindness yet,

for auld lang syne.

And surely you’ll buy your pint cup !

and surely I’ll buy mine !

And we'll take a cup o’ kindness yet,

for auld lang syne.

Be good to each other, and remember: a day above ground is a day well met!

Alumni Newsletter Summer 2012

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.

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'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. 

Your faithful Blogmaster,

Seahorse