Mr. Bob Moran, then of the National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA), organized, planned, and helped conduct a series of technical briefings for MMS employees in Herndon, Virginia, and in New Orleans, Louisiana. In 2001, Mr. Moran and the NOIA Technology Policy Committee presented a briefing session to Gulf of Mexico Region managers and staff in New Orleans on deepwater drilling technology. Topics included advances in technology, semisubmersibles, drilling vessels, riser systems, and well control. In addition, in 2001 Mr. Moran and the Committee presented a briefing session to headquarters officials and staff in Herndon on downhole technology in deepwater. Timely topics included directional and multilateral drilling, completions, measurement and control of fluid flow, and the application of reservoir management to deepwater discoveries.

These briefings provided valuable and timely information to MMS officials, managers, supervisors, and staff which includes engineers, geologists, geophysicists, oceanographers, and biologists from program and field offices. Mr. Moran worked closely with the Director’s Office, the Engineering and Operations Division, and other employees of the Offshore Minerals Management Program to determine topics of interest to MMS and the appropriate technical level and scheduling of presentations.

These presentations informed MMS employees of basic current technologies used in oil and gas exploration, development, and production. Mr. Moran presented technical details, providing a deeper understanding of specific subjects. Several members of the Technology Policy Committee participated in each briefing, which allowed for thorough responses to questions and comments from the audience. In addition, briefing books and additional supplementary information was available to attendees.

These briefings to MMS employees are a voluntary effort by many members of NOIA. While MMS is grateful to NOIA and its Technology Policy Committee, we would especially like to recognize the efforts of Mr. Moran. He made the briefings possible, oversaw their technical content, and organized the efforts of the highly skilled and knowledgeable industry experts who made excellent and highly informative presentations. The series of briefings will continue as the need for knowledge, communication, and cooperation between MMS and the offshore industry continues.

For these reasons, Mr. Moran is most deserving of the MMS Corporate Leadership Award.