Ronald G. Heck

Nominated by: Joan Barminski, Chief, Production, Development and Reservoir Analysis, Pacific OCS Region

Mr. Ronald Heck is an outstanding leader in the arena of the Pacific OCS Region, particularly in his work towards development of existing, yet to be developed leases. His experience as a geologist extends over three decades of exploration and development on Pacific OCS leases. He has expanded the geologic knowledge base by publishing numerous professional papers. But his work goes beyond the traditional mapping and seismic data interpretation into the realm of conflict management and consensus building. Mr. Heck is intimately involved on numerous committees and working groups aimed at resolving such thorny Pacific OCS issues as 3-D seismic data acquisition, bringing a drilling vessel into the Region, and establishing baseline information about offshore leases for future benefit of the program.

Interior Secretary Gale A. Norton, Ronald G. Heck of Samedan Oil Company, and Acting MMS Director Thomas R. Kitsos

Interior Secretary Gale A. Norton, Ronald G. Heck, and Acting MMS Director Thomas R. Kitsos

Mr. Heck is a vital member of the High Energy Seismic Survey team. Formed in 1995, the HESS team evaluated potential impacts from high-energy seismic surveys on the marine environment. The team met approximately nine times per year for almost three years. He attended almost every meeting, was an active participant, and played an integral part in crafting the consensus report and guidelines for conducting high-energy seismic surveys in the Pacific OCS Region.

The operators interested in bringing a mobile drilling vessel into the Region formed the Offshore Rig Activation (ORA) committee, which Mr. Heck has served on since its inception in 1998. In fact, he was on the predecessor committee, called the Industry Rig Offshore California Committee (IROCC), which was active from 1989-1992. Bringing a vessel to the Region that can meet all the stringent California air quality requirements is critical for the success of the drilling projects currently under consideration. He is genuinely interested in achieving this goal, and is very active on the committee.

Mr. Heck contributed greatly to the California Offshore Oil and Gas Energy Resources study and working group, which extended from 1992 through 2000. He participated as a technical expert on the geology and reservoir aspects of the offshore area under study, as well as serving as a key industry representative. In fact, he was the creator of the study’s name; he proposed and the group adopted the COOGER acronym for the report’s title and the California cougar as the symbol for the cover page.

The central qualities Mr. Heck brings to these endeavors are his candor and ability to facilitate consensus while working with groups. His work ethic enhances the value of industry’s contributions to furthering MMS’s mission to develop oil and gas in an environmentally sound and safe manner.