Texas Tech Academy of Petroleum Engineers Inducts New Members

The academy was created in 1994 by the Texas Tech Department of Petroleum Engineering to recognize petroleum engineering graduates and other industry professionals who have made significant contributions to the profession and also to encourage and inspire current students to achieve success in their fields.

This year’s inductees include the following:

• A. Chris Aulds of Archer City earned a Bachelor of Science degree in petroleum engineering from Texas Tech in 1984.

He began his career with Mobil Oil Corporation as a field engineer and later transferred into Mobil’s gas marketing division in 1989. One of Aulds’ greatest accomplishments may be his work with Crosstex Energy Services. He was part of the management buyout of Comstock Natural Gas, now Crosstex. Today, the Crosstex companies have a market capitalization of approximately $3 billion.

• Amarillo native Terry Fuller graduated in 1977 from Texas Tech with a degree in petroleum engineering.

Fuller began his petroleum career in 1983 with ARCO, then worked for Alaska’s Prudhoe Bay Field through 1990. In 1993, he founded Phoenix Petro Corporation. As president he oversees operation of oil and gas properties in Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas.

He currently serves as the president of the national board of directors for the Red Raider Club. He is a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers.

• Ralph Way, born in 1936 in Texon, graduated from Texas Tech with a degree in petroleum engineering in 1962 after serving in the U.S. Air Force. After a few years with Pan American Petroleum, Way began his own oil and gas company in 1964 in Midland. In the 1970s Way drilled his first working well and by 1986 he drilled and operated more than 150 producing oil and gas wells across Texas.

Way serves on the board of directors of the Red Raider Club in Lubbock. He has served on the Board of Trustees of Midland College for 29 years and is currently board president. He also is president of the Petroleum Club and Midland Country Club and active in various civic affairs.

• Robert E. Warren is vice president of industry and government relations for Pride International Inc., one of the world’s largest international offshore drilling contractors, based in Houston.

Originally from San Angelo, he graduated in 1970 from Texas Tech with a degree in petroleum engineering and served in the U.S. Army. While working for Conoco following graduation, he was called into active duty and served in the Far East, Southeast Asia and Europe before completing his tour of duty in 1974.

After returning to the United States and completing a Masters of Business Administration degree at the University of Texas, Warren joined Pride International in 1991 as vice president of international operations, and from 1992-1997 served as vice president and general director of Pride Russia. Following that assignment, he has held the positions of vice president of marketing and communications and vice president of investor relations.

• Phin Holmes earned a degree in education in 1975 from Texas Tech. Upon graduation, he joined Baker Petrolite, a division of Baker Hughes, in 1979 and currently serves as global account executive. He works primarily with up-stream independent producers and is responsible for business development and corporate alignment.

Baker Hughes appointed Holmes to the position team lead for the BHI Campus Champion program where he has worked to establish a strong relationship between Baker Hughes and Texas Tech. In connection with this role, his group maintains a strong, long-term relationship with the students and commits to the employment of Texas Tech students upon graduation.

• Upon graduation with a degree in petroleum engineering in 1997 from Texas Tech, Michael L. Hagood joined ARCO in Tyler, then in 1985 joined Kuparuk Operations. He served as their engineering manager through 1989 and was essential in the growth of the company.

He currently is the deputy regional manager for the United States South and Latin American Region with BP. Hargood and his staff are responsible for cleaning BP legacy sites through all of Latin America as well New Mexico and North Carolina.

• Texas Tech graduate James Edmiston earned a degree in petroleum engineering in 1982, then a Masters of Business Administration from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University.

Edmiston began his engineering career with Conoco, working for 22 years in various management positions. Currently, he sits as president and CEO of Harvest Natural Resources, an international exploration and production company with operations in Venezuela, Indonesia, Gabon, China and the United States.

He is a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, serves on the industry advisory board of Texas Tech’s department of Petroleum Engineering.

CONTACT: Jeff Sammons, senior editor, College of Engineering, Texas Tech University, (806) 742-3451 or jeff.sammons@ttu.edu.