Richardson, TX (2 October 2008) – The Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) honored Dr. Andrzej Wojtanowicz with the 2008 Distinguished Achievement Award for Petroleum Engineering Faculty at SPE’s Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition held 21-24 September in Denver, Colorado. The SPE Distinguished Achievement Award for Petroleum Engineering Faculty recognizes superiority in classroom teaching, excellence in research, significant contributions to the petroleum engineering profession and/or special effectiveness in advising and guiding students. Presently, Dr. Wojtanowicz is a Visiting Distinguished Professor of Petroleum Engineering at The Petroleum Institute in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Dr. Wojtanowicz is Texaco Environmental Chair and Professor in the Craft and Hawkins Petroleum Engineering Department at the Louisiana State University, in the USA. Over his professional career comprising 36 years in Academia and five years with petroleum industry, he has been on the faculty of the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, USA, and the AGH University of Science and Technology in Poland. A United Nations expert in drilling engineering, Wojtanowicz has also worked as a drilling engineer, drilling supervisor, and drilling fluids technologist in Europe and Africa. He holds MS degree in mining/petroleum engineering, and PhD and DSc degrees in petroleum engineering from the AGH University of Science and Technology.
Wojtanowicz studies have been reported in 182 publications and six books. In 1992-93 he worked for Conoco Inc. as an Environmental Research Fellow developing dewatering technology for closed-loop drilling systems. In 1996, Petroleum Engineer International awarded him a Special Meritorious Award for Engineering Innovation for water coning control technology with Downhole Water Sink (DWS). Since 1997, Wojtanowicz has directed a Joint Industry Project (JIP) conducting R&D studies and field implementation of DWS. He also served as the 2003-04 SPE Distinguished Lecturer and received SPE Health Environment and Safety Award in 2003.
Since 2000, Wojtanowicz has been Editor-in Chief of the Journal of Energy Resources Technology – a transactions journal of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). He also has received seven different awards for service and contributions to ASME.
Each year, SPE presents awards that recognize members whose efforts have advanced petroleum technology, as well as their professional achievements and contributions to the industry and the society. “SPE honors an elite group of individuals who have extended the boundaries of the profession and of SPE. Future generations of exploration and production professionals will be measured against their contributions and accomplishments. We congratulate Andrew Wojtanowicz for receiving this prestigious international award,” said William M. Cobb, 2008 SPE President.
About SPE
The Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) is a not-for-profit professional association whose members are engaged in energy resources development and production. SPE serves 79,000-plus members from more than 115 countries worldwide. SPE is a key resource for technical knowledge related to the oil and gas exploration and production industry and provides services through its publications, conferences, workshops, forums, and website at www.spe.org.
