PennWell and PNEC Conferences Announce Cornerstone Award Honorees

HOUSTON, May 16, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Petroleum Network Education Conference's Philip C. Crouse Cornerstone Award recognizes significant accomplishments in upstream E&P petroleum data management. This prestigious award will be presented at the closing awards lunch of the 18^th PNEC International Conference on Petroleum Data Integration, Information and Data Management held May 20-22, 2014, in Houston, under the production and auspices of PennWell Corporation. This year the Cornerstone Award honors two outstanding recipients:  Rusty Foreman and Jerry Hubbard. The Cornerstone Award was initiated in 2006 for the 10^th anniversary of the conference by Philip C. Crouse, founding organizer of PNEC Conferences.

Rusty Foreman, Global Head E&P Data Management, BP in Houston, Texas USA has led the effort to professionalize the field of Data Management within BP and in the broader upstream E&P data community. Rusty has been a consistent and committed champion for excellence in data management and standards utilizing skills developed in 30+ years experience as a Petroleum Engineer and Data Manager. Within his global data management scope at one of the world's largest companies, he has worked with BP Human Resources to grow and establish Data Management as a professional discipline on-line with Geology, Geophysics and Petroleum Engineering. Rusty is working with industry colleagues and the University of Houston to establish a Master's program in Petroleum Data Management. He has been a member of the Board of Directors of PPDM Association, and was active the early development of WITS, WITSML and PRODML as data transfer standards. He now chairs a multi-national committee to create a professional society for Petroleum Data Managers. Former Cornerstone recipient, Fred Kunzinger of Noah Consulting, notes "Rusty is currently one of the leaders of our profession and has taken on the mantle of responsibility the way he goes about most things, humbly and quietly but with a determination that leads to success".

Jerry Hubbard is President and CEO of Energistics of Houston, Texas USA, the upstream industry's open data exchange standards consortium. He will be recognized for his significant contributions in building an inclusive global user community, facilitating a collaborative standards development environment, and developing strategic industry alliances. As a long-time advocate of industry standards, Jerry has worked tirelessly to increase development, awareness, participation and adoption of data standard activities that critically impact the continued uptake and advancement of O&G data management. Jerry has applied his wide ranging industry experiences from Alaska, Oklahoma, Texas, and the United Kingdom to the ever-changing needs in upstream data management. He is a founder and co-chair of the Standards Leadership Council which brought together eleven standards organizations into a collaborative partnership for the benefit of the oil and gas industry. He has been a director of the Standards & Guidelines Committee for the Petroleum Industry Data Exchange (PIDX) of API and participated on PIDX Europe Executive Committee. "Jerry stands out as a driving force in moving these initiatives forward throughout the worldwide industry," said Wayne I. Wilkerson, Manager of Regional Data Support Americas – Upstream Information Technology, ExxonMobil.

Cindy Crouse, PNEC Advisory Board Chair, and President of Philip C. Crouse and Associates, Inc. noted that the PNEC Advisory Board and past Cornerstone Award Honorees are to be congratulated for their contributions and selection of candidates for this prestigious award of recognition.

About PennWell Corporation

Founded in 1910 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, PennWell Corporation is a privately held and highly diversified business-to-business media and information company that provides quality content and integrated marketing solutions for the following industries:  Oil and gas, electric power  generation and delivery, hydropower, renewable energy, water and wastewater treatment, waste management, electronics, optoelectronics, fiber-optics, aerospace and avionics, LEDs and lighting, fire and emergency services, public safety, and dental.  PennWell publishes over 130 print and online magazines and newsletters, conducts 60 conferences and exhibitions on six continents, and has an extensive offering of books, maps, websites, research and database services.  In addition to PennWell's headquarters in Tulsa, Oklahoma and significant presence in Houston, Texas to serve the global oil and gas industry, the Company has major offices in Nashua, New Hampshire; London, England; San Diego and Mountain View, California; Fairlawn, New Jersey; Moscow, Russia; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and Hong Kong, China.

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SOURCE PennWell Corporation