Distinguished Member Award
Citation: To John R. V. Brooks recognizing his leadership and service to the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, the European Region and the House of Delegates.
John Brooks was born in Richmond, Surrey, England. He graduated from the University of London in 1963 receiving a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mineralogy and Petrology. He immediately began his professional career as a petroleum geologist working for Robert H. Ray Ltd., Amoco and Gas Council Exploration, before joining the UK Depar tment of Trade and Industry (DTI) in 1973. John retired from the DTI in 2000 as Director of Exploration and Licensing— Oil and Gas Directorate. During his tenure with the DTI, he held many responsibilities including Oil and Gas licensing policy and regulation of licenses for exploration and production onshore United Kingdom and offshore on the United Kingdom Continental Shelf. A key responsibility John held was the negotiation of work programs during licensing rounds and advice to Ministers on a wide range of licensing issues.
He was author and co-author of several publications, and became a well-known and respected figure not only in the industry but also in public. As a result of his relentless efforts to promote and market UK oil and gas opportunities he received several awards including the Petroleum Group Medal from The Geological Society, the Distinguished Achievement Award and Honorary Membership from AAPG and the Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) from the UK government. In 1997 he was awarded the degree of Doctor of Science by the University of Kingston.
Following retirement from the DTI, John founded his own company, Brookwood Petroleum Advisors, to provide geological and licensing advice to host governments wishing to launch acreage offers. He was PETEX 2002 Chairman and was a member of the Council of the Institute of Petroleum (now Energy Institute). He is a member of the UK Committee of the World Petroleum Council and serves on the Ad Hoc Committee for Reserves and Reserves Reporting at the UNECE in Geneva. He is a senior research fellow at the University of Southampton/Southampton Oceanography Centre.
John has served as president of the AAPG European Region, as joint co-chair of the International Conference and Exhibits Committee, and as a Steering Committee member of the 2007 Athens International Conference. He first served in the HoD in 1979 and has been a member of the Constitution and Bylaws Committee. He is currently a Delegate for the AAPG European Region.