Mr. Richard Mitchell
Education & Languages
B.S., Petroleum Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Cum Laude, 1982
Harvard Business School – Leadership & Strategic Negotiations Seminars, 2005-2008
Russian – Semi Fluent
Technical Societies
Society of Petroleum Engineers
US Department of Energy – Advisory Board to Secretary of Energy on Ultra-Deepwater
Past Instructor at US National Defense University, Industrial College of the Armed Forces
SPE Drilling Engineering Magazine Review Chairman (3 years)
University of Houston Petroleum Engineering Advisory Board
Areas of Expertise
Include drilling, completions, production operations on land, offshore, and deepwater.
Management and technical supervision for both deepwater drilling/completions and unconventional gas/oil onshore drilling & completion projects.
Deepwater subsea drilling and completions – design, engineering, contracting, installation, & operations.
Project Management in all facets of oilfield construction, operations, regulatory interaction, permitting, and contracting. Direct management in 4+ deepwater projects in various capacities.
International oil/gas operations startups in remote location operations, partnering with governmental agencies, and project management.
Proven leader with strong organizational experience, mentoring skills, short/long term planning expertise, and teambuilding skills.
Past Experience
Devon Energy Corporation – Vice President Drilling & Exploration/Production Services
Set corporate rig, services, and procurement contracting strategies for Devon Energy. Served as Chair of Devon’s Procurement Steering Committee which initiated all alliances for the Corporation.
Execute $3Bn+/yr drilling budget. Oversee land and offshore, drilling/completion operations worldwide.
Supported unconventional (shale & tight gas) drilling, completion, and execution efforts for 700+ horizontal wells per year.
Managed worldwide drilling and project management for all deepwater projects and operations.
Managed and participated in three deepwater developments all completed on time & on budget.
Oversaw two deepwater rig construction projects.
Assisted in the development of a Major Capital Projects Management System for Devon. UMIC/Ocean Energy Country Manager & Vice President International Operations
Managed all in-country operations including drilling, construction, government relations, contract negotiations, and production operations 25,000bopd & 80mmscfpd (1998-2000) for Cote d’Ivoire and Equatorial Guinea.
Supervised ten country managers, daily operations, and Houston based construction department including all operations in Egypt, Syria, Nigeria, Angola, Brazil, Equatorial Guinea, Cote d’Ivoire, Russia, Pakistan, and Bangladesh (2000-2003). Chevron – Project Manager, Field Manager, Drilling Supt, Drilling Engineer
Project Manager of Existing Pipeline Facilities in the Russian Federation and the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Managed engineering, procurement, construction, and facilities rehabilitation of Tengiz Field including new well and workover well site locations, pipelines, and gathering facilities. All work completed with zero recordable incidents in a field with 22% H2S and 3% CO2.
Combined efforts with drilling, field operations, and petroleum engineering disciplines to increase the Tengiz Field production capacity from 50,000 bbl oil/day to over 200,000 bbl oil/day.
Developed and implemented training modules and onsite training for National employees in safe operations, maintenance, and project management.
Implemented a successful field maintenance program utilizing National employees. This included procurement of maintenance equipment, spares, and multi-discipline coordination.
Developed and prepared drilling programs, permit applications, and contracts for North Sea Drilling Exploration Program. Specialized in troubleshooting drilling fluids programs and recommended alternative solutions to the status-quo systems used in the North Sea.
Conceptualized, developed, and implemented a contracting alliance with a drilling fluids service company that has been in use since 1990.
Participated in the drilling of a world record extended reach directionally drilled well.
Supervised Chevron’s Drilling Fluid Group and Lab that supports Chevron’s Worldwide Drilling Operations.
Supervised onsite drilling, completion, and workover operations in Southeastern New Mexico.
Engineered and supervised multiple well acidizing and fracturing stimulation treatments.
Participated in and commissioned the largest water flood project in the State of New Mexico.
Supervised offshore and land drilling operations in the Gulf of Mexico and South Texas.
Affiliations & Publications
Guest Instructor at University of Texas Deepwater Operations Course Bi-Annual Basis.
Past President American Chamber of Commerce, Cote d’Ivoire.
Author of three published SPE papers on drilling project management, drilling fluids, and cementing.
Jointly hold a patent in Russia on dual-completion technology