M. Ray Thomasson
M. Ray Thomasson is founder and president of Thomasson Partner Associates in Denver, Colo.
A native of Columbia, Mo., he received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Missouri. He then spent two years in the U.S. Air Force as an intelligence officer, and returned to earn a doctorate in geology from the University of Wisconsin.
While working on his doctorate, he spent two summers as a field geologist with Humble Oil. He began his professional career in 1959 as a junior geologist with Shell Oil in Midland, Texas.
With Shell he progressed through various exploration, research, economics and management assignments, including manager of exploration in Shell’s offshore division, manager of exploration economics and head of strategic studies for Shell International. With those positions he worked in New Orleans, London and Houston, where he was also chief geologist for Shell Oil.
He left Shell in 1977 to join McCormick Oil & Gas as a vice president, and in 1980 founded Spectrum Oil and Gas. In 1983 he became president and CEO of Pend Oreille Oil and Gas. From 1986-1989 he was a consultant in Houston and Denver before founding Thomasson Partner Associates in 1990.
A member of AAPG since 1955, Thomasson served on the Public Information Committee from 1964-65 and 1973-74, serving as chairman in 1965; the Corporate Liaison Committee in 1973-74 and 1989-92; the Energy Minerals Committee in 1974-77; the Education Committee in 1977-84, being chairman from 1977-80; the Research Committee in 1978-80; the Visiting Geologist Program, 1982-86, and he is presently a member of the Visiting Geologist Program Committee.
Also, Thomasson is a member of the Geophysical Integration Committee, serving as chairman from 1991-96; Committee on Resource Evaluation from 1990-present; Technical Program Committee, 1995-present; and is a member of the Publications Committee and the Committee on Committees.
An AAPG Foundation Trustee Associate, he was co-convener of the 1995 Archie Conference on Visualization and was an AAPG Distinguished Lecturer in 1987-88. He taught an AAPG course on "Stratigraphic Geophysics in Carbonate Exploration," and currently produces the Geophysical Corner column for the AAPG EXPLORER.
He is a past president of the AAPG Southwest Section and has chaired sessions at AAPG annual meetings, as well as giving papers at national GSA and AAAS meetings.
He received the AAPG Distinguished Service Award in 1995.
Marlan W. Downey, President-Elect
Marlan W. Downey is Bartell Professor of Geology and Chief Scientist at the Sarkeys Center at the University of Oklahoma, and serves as Senior Fellow at the Institute for the Study of Earth and Man at Southern Methodist University.
A native of Falls City, Neb., he received his bachelor's degree in chemistry at Peru State, served two years in the U.S. Army in Korea and the Philippines, entered graduate school at the University of Nebraska in 1954, changed majors, and received his bachelor's and master's degrees in geology.
Downey began his career with Shell Oil in 1957. In 1969, he became Shell's youngest chief geologist, and in 1973 became Shell's Alaskaú Division Exploration Manager.
He moved to Shell's International Exploration and Production in 1977, became vice president of Shell and then president of Shell's international subsidiary, Pecten International, retiring in 1987 after 30 years of service.
In 1986, Downey was knighted by the president of Cameroon for his services to that country, the first businessman to receive the honor. He also has been honored by both of his alma maters.
In 1987 he formed Roxanna Oil and remains active in international and domestic exploration and production.In 1990 Downey joined Arco as senior vice president of exploration of Arco International, became president of Arco International and then senior vice president and executive exploration advisor, retiring in 1996.
A member of AAPG since 1957, he has served on the Stratigraphic Correlation Committee, Research Committee, was chairman of the Corporate Liaison Committee, was AAPG program chairman of the Offshore Technology Conference and was an AAPG Distinguished Lecturer in 1986-87. In 1996 he was the Huffington Distinguished Lecturer for the Far East, and he was the Esso Distinguished Lecturer for Australia in 1998. He served on the Distinguished Lecture Committee from 1994-97.
Downey has also written a column on The Business Side of Geology for the EXPLORER since 1996.
An AAPG Trustee Associate, Downey organized the first Hedberg Research Conference on Seals for Hydrocarbons in 1984; the Hedberg Conference on Risk in 1993; and the Fifth Symposium on Unconventional Methods of Exploration and Production in 1997.
Carl J. Smith, Vice President
Carl J. Smith is associate state geologist and deputy director of the West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey, Morgantown, W.Va.
A native of Reading, Pa., Smith earned a bachelor's degree in geology from Columbia University in New York City, a master's degree from Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind., and continued with additional graduate studies in geology and economics at West Virginia University in Morgantown.
Between undergraduate and graduate school, Smith did field work for Quebec Cartier Mining Corp. in northern Quebec, and while at Indiana University he did underground mine roof research and coal exploration for Ayrshire Collieries, Indianapolis. After graduation from IU he worked as a production geologist for Gulf Oil, offshore Louisiana, before being recalled to active duty with the U.S. Navy for four years, including shipboard duty, Vietnam deployment and a logistics assignment in Guam, Mariana Islands.
He joined the West Virginia Survey in 1973 as a member of the Coal Section, later becoming head of the Coal Section, attaining his present position in 1989.
Smith since the 1980s also has been an adjunct faculty member for the Department of Geology at West Virginia University, and held a certified professional geologist status in Virginia from 1984 until his recall to service in the U.S. Navy in 1991.
While at the Survey, Smith continued military involvement attaining rank of captain, U.S. Naval Reserve, retiring after 30 years on July 1, 1997. He commanded four reserve units that supported ships, U.S. Navy logistics in the Middle East and U.S. naval forces in Europe. In his last assignment he was the director of the Navy logistics crisis action center in the Pentagon.
Called to active duty from 1991 to 1992 during Desert Storm, Smith served as Commander Military Sealift Command Southwest Asia (analogous to chief executive officer in civilian life) and directed the strategic sealift cargo ships that provided 97 percent of the sea transportation that brought home all American military equipment and ammunition deployed to Saudi Arabia to support the war.
He was the first naval reserve officer to be an area commander, overseeing nearly 500 ship port calls and several hundred Navy personnel scattered over seven ports. For that he received the Legion-of-Merit medal. He also holds the Meritorious Service medal, two Navy Commendation medals, an Army Commendation medal, 10 other medals and/or service ribbons and received 10 certificates of achievement. He remains active in the Reserve Officers Association.
Joining AAPG in 1980, Smith has been an active member of the Association and its Energy Minerals Division, serving on numerous committees, and as EMD president and member of the AAPG Advisory Council from 1992-1993. As EMD president, he initiated the Coal Geologist Certification program in cooperation with DPA.
He is now the editor of the EMD newsletter, a regional coordinator for the AAPG Visiting Geologists Program and a participant in the VGP.
Smith is the AAPG Eastern Section Archivist and former ES president (1988-89). Memberships include the Monongahela Group geological society (president) and the Retired Officers Association.
He received the AAPG Energy Minerals Division Distinguished Service Award in 1998; AAPG Distinguished Service Award in 1994; AAPG Certificate of Merit in 1989; Eastern Section Honorary Membership in 1992; Eastern Section Distinguished Service in 1990; an Appalachian Geological Society recognition plaque in 1987; andin 1998 received the Indiana University Department of Geological Sciences "Richard Owen Award" for outstanding contributions to the geological sciences and for meritorious service to the profession.
C. R. "Chuck" Noll, Secretary
Charles R. "Chuck" Noll Jr., candidate for AAPG Secretary, is a geologist in Houston.
A native of Pittsburgh, Penn., Noll received a bachelor's degree in geology from Dartmouth College and a master's from the University of Oklahoma.
He began his career in 1955 in Oklahoma City with Stanolind (now Amoco), where he worked as district projects geologist and senior staff geologist in Tulsa, Jackson, Miss., and Houston. In 1971 Noll established the Davis Oil Company office and served as its division manager in Houston until 1982 when he joined Frio Exploration as exploration manager. As a member of the same management team, Noll has served to date as exploration manager and subsequently chief exploration officer of New Bremen Corp., Live Oak Reserves, Inc., and their affiliation most notably Copano Field Services, a gathering pipeline and processing company focused in the Texas Gulf Coast region. In addition, Noll formed C.R. Noll & Associates in 1989 for three years with Neumin Production Company as his client.
Significant exploration activities include the Gunpoint Field and the Dewey Lake area, both in Texas. In his career, Noll has also been involved in activities in Louisiana, Mississippi, the Rockies, Appalachians and Michigan.
Active in the Houston Geological Society and serving on numerous committees with HGS, he served as the society's president in 1986-87. He was co-chairman of the 1991 Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies meeting in Houston in 1991, receiving the GCAGS Distinguished Service Award in 1992.
Joining AAPG in 1955, Noll was on the 1974 AAPG Annual Meeting coordinating committee and has been a member of the AAPG House of Delegates in 1973-75, 1981-84 and 1986 to present, serving as Credentials Committee Chairman in 1997-98.
He received both the AAPG Distinguished Service Award and Certificate of Merit in 1995. He was vice chairman of the personal placement committee for the AAPG Annual Meeting in 1971, was on the Entertainment Committee for the 1979 Annual Meeting. He also served as general vice chairman of the 1995 AAPG Annual Meeting in Houston and on the Committee on Conventions from 1993-96.
A member of the Division of Professional Affairs since 1982, Noll served as DPA President in 1992-93 and received the DPA Distinguished Service Award in 1996.
Neil F. Hurley, Elected Editor
Neil F. Hurley, who is in the second year of a two-year term as AAPG Editor, stands for re-election in a single-slate nomination as provided by the Bylaws of the Association.
Hurley is professor in the Department of Geology and Geological Engineering of the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colo. and is the Charles Boettcher Distinguished Chair in Petroleum Geology.
Hurley received a bachelor's in geology and a bachelor's in petroleum engineering from the University of Southern California, a master's in geology from the University of Wisconsin and his doctorate from the University of Michigan.
Prior to assuming his present responsibilities at the CSM, Hurley was advanced senior geologist at Marathon Oil from 1985-1996 and was previously a geologist with Conoco in research in Ponca City, Okla., and prospect developing prospects while in Lafayette, La. and in Denver.
Previously, he worked summer mapping and evaluation projects for Mobil, the U.S. Geological Survey and Chevron.
Joining AAPG in 1979, Hurley was AAPG associate editor for the BULLETIN from 1993-97 and was the AAPG Foundation Haas-Pratt Distinguished Lecturer in 1991-92. Hurley was also co-recipient of the Levorsen Award for the best paper at the 1989 AAPG Eastern Section Meeting.
He is a member of a number of geologically related societies, including the Wyoming Geological Association, the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists and SEPM.
John Hogg, Chairman, House of Delegates
John R. Hogg is a staff geologist for PanCanadian Petroleum in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
A native of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, Hogg received a bachelor’s degree in geology from McMaster University in Hamilton.
He began his career with Gulf Canada Resources and also worked with Husky Oil Operations and Petro-Canada.
A certified petroleum geologist, Hogg joined AAPG in 1981.
Hogg has been a House delegate since 1986. His House activities include Nominations and Elections Committee, 1990-91; group chair for the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists, 1989-92; chairman for the Credentials Committee, 1991-92; chairman of the ad hoc Unaffiliated Group Delegate Committee, 1993-96; chairman of the ad hoc International Representation Committee, 1996-97; chairman of the Future Earth Scientist Committee, 1997-98; member of the ad hoc Elected Editor Committee; and member of the Constitution & Bylaws Committee, 1997-99. He was also recording secretary of the House in 1994-95.
AAPG activities include the Membership Committee from 1987-90, and he was chairman of the Field Trip Committee at the AAPG annual meeting in Calgary in 1992.
He has served on the Advisory Council since 1994 with a term through 1998. Advisory Council activities include ad hoc International Representation Committee, 1995-96; chairman of the ad hoc Elected Editor Committee, 1996-97; ad hoc Accounting Practices Committee, 1996-97; and ad hoc recording secretary, 1995-98.
He received an AAPG Certificate of Merit in 1997.
Terry L. Hollrah, Treasurer
Oklahoma City independent geologist Terry L. Hollrah, of Hollrah Exploration Co., assumed office July 1, 1998 and serving a two-year term.
A native of Enid, Hollrah earned his bachelorÕs and masterÕs degrees from Oklahoma State University and began his career as an exploration geologist with the Thomas E. Berry Co. in 1974.
He joined Union Oil Co. as an exploration in 1977, concentrating on the Arkoma Basin. In 1979, Hollrah joined Samedan Oil Corp. as a division exploration geologist to explore the northern shelf areas of the Anadarko Basin.
In 1981 he became a consulting geologist, and in 1986 formed Hollrah Exploration as an operating company.