Oily Stuff

Mike Shellman was literally born in the oilfields of S. Texas. He started tailing out sucker rods when he six years old, learned to throw a spinning chain by the time he was 12 and became a driller on 1500 HP rigs by 20. He's done just about everything there is to do in the oilfield, from ditch digging to deep well design and implementation.  He has operated as many as 90 wells in the past and owned various non operated WI and royalty interests throughout Texas, including tight oil wells.   He still drills wells every year, based on his geology, with his own money. His operational company was  one of the first in the industry to render produced water reusable and beneficial to the environment under Environmental Protection Agency and Texas Railroad Commission compliance standards he helped draft, and implement. He worked with many of the same employees and service providers he started 
operating with over 45 years ago.  We're all still family. 

Mike was a part-time, as needed, well control hand for Boots and Coots, Inc., Houston, and has worldwide blowout control experience. He has been a keynote speaker, helped produce television documentaries and has advised the George H. Bush Presidential Library and the Harry Ransom Research Center at the University of Texas, among others, 
on the subject of oil well firefighting and blowout control history. He likely has the most extensive oil well fire 
and blowout control film collection in the world, some of it shot in 8mm and dated 1922.

Mike is a published writer, a published photographer and belongs to the Society of Petroleum Engineers, the American 
Association of Petroleum Geologists, the South Texas Geological Society, the Produced Water Society and is a proud member of the Association For the Study of Peak Oil.  He is passionate about his industry, its history, and the future hydrocarbons
will play in the world our children will live in. 

Mike lives in S. Texas with Ms. Catherine.  He use to coach on the ATP tour,  can cast all his fly line 
and still likes to surf.  He sold his operational companies and all of his oil and gas production, including RI and ORRI, a year ago, after 55 years, to a long time employee. He now consults part time and is writing a book.