Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Posts Tagged ‘retirement’

Offshore Safety Leader Mike Saucier is retiring after a Hall of Fame career

Posted in Gulf of Mexico, Regulation, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , on June 25, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Bryan Domangue presents the coveted Order of the Alligator citation to Mike Saucier
Lars Herbst welcomes Mike Saucier to our prestigious retirement organization (fMMS).

After 41 years of offshore safety leadership, Mike Saucier, an outstanding engineer and manager, is retiring from the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE).

Like many of the offshore program’s stalwarts, Mike earned a petroleum engineering degree from the Louisiana State University (LSU). In 1984, he began his Federal career in the Houma District Office of BSEE’s predecessor, the Minerals Management Service (MMS), where he was mentored by the great John Borne.

Mike has held many important engineering and supervisory positions including Drilling Engineer and District Manager in the highly regarded Houma District Office, Regional Supervisor for Field Operations, Regional Supervisor for District Field Operations, Acting Deputy Regional Director for District Operations, and Senior Technical Advisor for the Office of the Director. When the New Orleans District Manager retired during a hiring moratorium, Mike stepped up and assumed those duties as well.

Mike impressed his colleagues with his commitment to safety achievement, the essential core element of the offshore program. His diligence, and his firm, fair, and consistent enforcement of the safety and pollution prevention regulations, earned him respect throughout the offshore industry.

Mike is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys hunting and fishing, and has 4 grandsons to mentor in those skills. Note the impressive achievements cited in the Order of the Alligator certificate (below) 😉. The Order of the Alligator recognition is most fitting given Mike’s alligator hunting expertise, which greatly impressed those of us who were unfamiliar with such exploits!

In recognition of Mike’s outstanding career, the Board of Directors of the former Minerals Management Service (fMMS) has unanimously voted to induct Mike into the fMMS Hall of Fame! Mike receives (is sentenced to? 😉) lifetime membership in the fMMS and a registered copy of the offshore world’s prized masterpiece, the painting Rig at Sunset 😉. (image and short explanation below).

Congratulations to Mike! You made a difference!

“Rig at Sunset” was painted 50 years ago by a US Geological Survey (USGS) employee who chose to remain anonymous. Initially, the masterpiece was presented to USGS (later MMS) engineers and scientists who had made important contributions to the offshore oil and gas program. Understandably, the intended recipients were so humbled by the magnificence of the painting that they could not accept it. As the painting grew in value and international prominence, framed copies were presented to outstanding retirees and the original painting was kept at a secure, undisclosed location.

Read Full Post »

Congratulations Walter Cruickshank!

Posted in energy policy, Offshore Energy - General, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , on June 10, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Congratulations to Walter Cruickshank on his retirement from the U.S. Dept. of the Interior!

Walter’s policy acumen, in depth understanding of the offshore program, and balanced perspective on energy development earned him the respect of the political leadership from both parties, a rare achievement. As a result, Walter served more time as Director and Deputy Director of both the Minerals Management Service and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management than any other individual. He also served as Acting Secretary of the Interior during the latest transition, a first for a career offshore program employee.

Walter earned a Bachelor of Arts in Geological Sciences from Cornell University and a Doctorate in Mineral Economics from the Pennsylvania State University (We Are!). Although his Federal career spanned more than 40 years, he has rather remarkably retained his intellect and sanity! 😉

Best wishes to Walter going forward. I hope he finds time to root for his Harwich Mariners in the Cape Cod Baseball League!

Consistent with the proud tradition of the OCS program, I am posting the masterpiece “Rig at Sunset” in Walter’s honor.

“Rig at Sunset” was painted 50 years ago by a US Geological Survey (USGS) employee who chose to remain anonymous. The masterpiece was presented to USGS (later MMS) engineers and scientists who had made important contributions to the offshore oil and gas program. Understandably, the intended recipients were so humbled by the magnificence of the painting that they could not accept it. As the painting grew in value and international prominence, framed copies were presented to retirees and the original painting was kept at a secure, undisclosed location. More on the painting’s important symbolism at a later date. 😉

Read Full Post »

Gig Kocher retires after 57 years of Federal service

Posted in Offshore Energy - General, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , on November 3, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Gig Kocher (second from left) after receiving an honor award from (then) Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke (middle)

Gig Kocher recently retired from BSEE after an amazing 57 years of Federal service. Nine of those years were served in the US Air Force, and the remaining 48 were at the US Dept. of the Interior, mostly in the offshore oil and gas program.

Gig is a native New Yorker and a huge Yankees fan (tough year in that regard). However, it’s only fitting that a guy named Gig would eventually become a Texas A&M Aggie (“Gig ’em!”), where he earned a master’s degree in computer science back in the mainframe and punch card era.

Gig was a strategic planning wiz who excelled at concisely outlining the steps and tactics needed to achieve desired objectives. He managed major updates to the documents and information technology systems critical to the success of our offshore energy programs.

Gig will be greatly missed by the troops at BSEE. His retirement event went something like this: 😉

Read Full Post »

Decommissioning update (not directed at any BOE reader😀)

Posted in decommissioning, Offshore Energy - General, Uncategorized, tagged , , on July 8, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Like offshore platforms, BOE readers are useful long after “retirement”😁

Read Full Post »