Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Posts Tagged ‘RIP’

RIP Glenn Shackell – offshore safety leader, expert on California OCS operations, wonderful friend and colleague

Posted in California, Offshore Energy - General, Regulation, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , on March 9, 2026| 2 Comments »

Glenn Shackell, US Army
Glenn Shackell, recent photo
Photos courtesy of Glenn’s sister and MMS colleague Eddie Lee Lim

On February 27, 2026, we lost a long-time pillar of the OCS safety program, the foremost authority on California offshore oil and gas operations, and a wonderful friend and colleague.

Glenn Shackell grew up in Hawthorne, California, where he lived most of his life. He attended Hawthorne High with the Beach Boys!

Glenn served as a helicopter door gunner during the Vietnam War, an extremely hazardous assignment. According to historical accounts, the average life expectancy of a door gunner was two weeks. Think about that!

Glenn discussed his Vietnam experience with Minerals Management Service (MMS) colleague Andrew Konczvald:

“Glenn told me about encounters when the bullets were hitting the bottom of his Huey helicopter, and he was sitting on his personal armored jacket as the only protection against the bullets! He told me how he prayed every night and miraculously escaped wounds and returned home safely.“

Thankfully, Glenn survived and returned to earn a Petroleum Engineering degree from the Univ. of Southern California. He was a proud USC Trojan.

Glenn had an outstanding career in our Pacific Region office, starting in the early days when the OCS regulatory program was part of the US Geological Survey. He assessed and monitored drilling and production operations in the region, which once produced 120,000 bopd from 23 platforms, and had up to 9 mobile drilling units operating concurrently. Floating drilling operations were pioneered offshore California with the CUSS 1, and production was extended to 1200 feet of water at Platform Harmony.

Glenn had an encyclopedic knowledge of the California offshore sector, and was an expert on the history of the applicable regulations, orders, and standards. We had countless discussions about topics like OCS Order No. 2 (Drilling) and the evolution of API RP 14C (Production Safety Systems).

Glenn served on numerous MMS teams that evaluated the latest technical innovations of the offshore industry, established research priorities, and assessed safety and environmental performance. He was an authority on drilling safety and was called on to evaluate and accredit well control training programs.

Glenn respected everyone, and everyone admired and respected him. He was a man of faith, but didn’t impose his beliefs on others. Fittingly, his favorite Bible passage was John 11:25-26: Jesus tells Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.”

RIP Glenn, you continue to inspire your friends, and your important contributions to society live on. We love you man!

Read Full Post »

RIP John Borne – outstanding engineer and offshore safety leader!

Posted in Gulf of Mexico, Offshore Energy - General, Regulation, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on September 8, 2025| 2 Comments »

John Borne was an exceptional engineer and offshore safety leader in our OCS oil and gas program during the US Geological Survey (Conservation Div.) and Minerals Management Service (MMS) eras.

Some thoughts on John’s leadership followed by tributes from distinguished colleagues:

  • John’s Houma District office was a model for the rest of the OCS program. Houma was the program’s busiest district in terms of operational activity, and the most effective in meeting permitting, inspection, and investigation targets.
  • The few serious accidents that occurred in the District were carefully investigated and the findings were shared in a timely manner with the goal of preventing their recurrence. If John signed a report, you knew it was complete and accurate.
  • John was knowledgeable about the complex offshore oil and gas operations he regulated, and was an outstanding teacher and mentor.
  • John treated all companies the same from the super-majors to the small independents – no biases, no favors, and no ethics issues.
  • John expected companies to fully comply with the regulations. Any departures had to be clearly in the best interest of safety and the environment.

From Ken Arnold (ex-Shell engr, Paragon Engineering President, NAE): As part of the Shell Training program in 1964 I was assigned to trail John in East Bay for a week.  One night I was talking to another trainee on a logging barge tied up to a posted barge rig in SP Blk 24.  John was also on the barge.  Without warning the barge started pulling away from the rig.  The three of us jumped from the barge to the rig but I slipped and fell in the canal.  I don’t think I was in the water long enough to get wet, when John and a rig hand fished me out.  Unfortunately my glasses fell off and were in the mud.  John got a scissors device and retrieved my glasses in a matter of minutes.

I greatly appreciated my week with John.  What he took the time to teach me about field work was critical to my subsequent successful career in Shell and in Paragon.  He was a gentleman and a first class teacher.  I was lucky to have known him.

Jodie Connor (founder and retired President of J. Connor Consulting): John was an excellent representative of the MMS, always fair in his decision-making and approvals. I endearingly called him “By the Book Borne”. He enforced the regulations as they were written, which was fair to all operators. Always kind and willing to explain MMS policies. 

Lars Herbst (retired MMS/BSEE Regional Director, Gulf of Mexico): What a legend at MMS! A testament to his leadership are the number of Regional leaders that came out of Houma District. Just to name a few: Mike Saucier, Bryan Domangue, Troy Trosclair, and even Jack Leezy! That work ethic that John instilled has continued even to the next generation of leadership! I was fortunate that John let me act as Drilling Engineer when Saucier went hunting each December. My career at MMS was never the same after that opportunity!

Jack Leezy: (President, Avenger Consulting, retired MMS): John served in the Marine Corp during the Korean war.  Upon discharge from the Marine Corp John attend the University of Lafayette and earned a BS degree in Petroleum Engineering.  John started his oilfield career when he went to work for Shell Oil in 1960 until 1970 as a Petroleum Engineer.

John joined U.S.G.S. In 1970 as a Petroleum Engineer in the Lafayette District.  John accepted a promotion in 1972 in the Regional office and was selected as the first District Supervisor in the newly formed Houma District office in October1974.  John remained as the District Supervisor until his retirement in 1995.  John was instrumental in developing Bureau policies of which some are still in place as of today.  John served on countless MMS and industry committees alike during his career.  John was looked upon as professional and highly respected by MMS and industry alike.  He performed is duties in such a way that even if you may not have liked his decision, you respected it.  John’s demeanor never changed as he never lost his composure and worked evenly though all the trials and tribulations during his career at MMS.  John even won MMS’s Engineer of the Year award.  I owe a lot to John in helping me form my career at MMS as I tried to handle my supervisory duties in the same manner in which John did.

RIP John. You were a superstar! As an engineer, regulator, leader, teacher, and colleague, no one did it better!

Read Full Post »