Patrick Jackson, Geological Sciences Alumni Advisory Board Member
Ohio University B.S. Geology ’81, Ohio University M.S. Geology ’83
I was born in Tennessee and grew up in Poland, OH, near Youngstown. I completed my B.S. in Geological Sciences in 1981 focusing on hydrology and finished my M.S. in Geological Sciences in 1983 based on research in well design and efficiency under Dr. Moid Ahmad. The results were presented at the International Groundwater Conference in Johannesburg in 1984.
After receiving my M.S., I started my career with Shell (opens in a new window) in New Orleans in 1983 as a geophysicist. Initial assignments included Gulf of Mexico exploration and processing. I moved to seismic acquisition in 1986, eventually becoming Party Chief of the R/V Shell America, the most advanced seismic vessel of that time. In 1991, I moved back into interpretive and leadership assignments that ranged from rank exploration to field developments and redevelopments.
In 2000 I transferred to The Hague to take a role in the Shell flagship project Sakhalin II. This posting culminated in the position of Chief Geoscientist for Shell Russia. I returned to the United States in 2007 as Development Team Leader for Alaska. In 2009, I moved back to Exploration as the Geophysical Coordinator for the Gulf of Mexico for prospect review, seismic data purchase, and reprocessing projects. Starting in 2010 I assumed the role of Appraisal Lead for the deep water Appomattox discovery and executed a three-year appraisal program including wells and seismic. In 2013, I took on all appraisals in the Gulf of Mexico, including completing the appraisal at Vito and drilling the discovery at Vicksburg.
In early 2014, I took over as Exploration Manager in the eastern Gulf of Mexico with exploration discoveries including Rydberg, Gettysburg, Fort Sumter and Dover. In 2017, I became the Exploration Manager of the western Gulf of Mexico. Highlights of this assignment include the appraisal of the Whale discovery and exploration discoveries including Blacktip, Leopard, Great White East, and Blacktip North. I elected to retire in 2020 after 37 years with Shell.
Overall, my career at Shell was balanced between development planning/execution, exploration, and geophysics. This includes successfully managing the safety aspects of vessels and rigs along with a track record of getting commercial deals closed, wells drilled, developments online, and applying leading-edge technologies to projects.
I worked with the Geological Sciences Department to establish the Alumni Board in 2008 with the intent of supporting the department in its mission. I enjoy spending time with my family, adventurous travel, and watching my kids play water polo and competitively swim.
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