AAPG Europe Region Awards 2017 website
 
         
      DAVID R. COOK  
   
I was born and raised in Lancashire (UK) and developed a love for geology during summers fell-walking in the Lake District during my teenage years. I received both an Honours BSc and a PhD in geology from the University of St. Andrews.

In 1976 I joined Esso Exploration and Production UK as an Exploration Geologist working in the Northern North Sea and West Shetland Basin. After two years I was transferred to Exxon USA to join a very active production district in South Texas. In 1979 I returned to the UK and worked in various exploration assignments with Esso on the UK and Irish continental shelf. I became Chief Production Geologist for the UK in 1987 and was later transferred to Exxon Company International in New Jersey USA as an Exploration Advisor. In this job I was responsible for headquarters liaison with affiliates in France, Yemen, Colombia and Australia. In 1991 I was transferred to Esso Indonesia in Jakarta as Exploration Manager and subsequently back to the UK as Geological Manager and Exploitation Projects Manager for UK operations. Following the merger with Mobil in 2000, I joined ExxonMobil International in London as the Continental Europe Exploration Coordinator which mostly involved working with NAM (Shell, ExxonMobil) in the Netherlands. This was followed by a brief period in the UK Acquisitions and Divestments Group and more latterly in the position of International Geoscience Recruiting Co-ordinator. In this job I have developed a wide network of relationships with various universities and technical organisations throughout Europe. I retired from ExxonMobil at the end of July 2007 after 31 years service.

I have been a member of the AAPG for over 40 years. I was President of the Europe Region between 2009 and 2011 and I am VP Regions for the 2017-19 term. I am also a member of the Geological Society, the PESGB and the Edinburgh Geological Society. I was Treasurer and 2nd Vice Chairman of the PESGB in 1986-87, a member of the JAPEC (Joint Association for Petroleum Geoscience Courses) committee in 1987 and I have chaired Euroforum and Geological Society conferences. I presented papers at the 11th World Petroleum Congress in Houston, the 1987 Barbican Conference in London, the 1988 Offshore Technology Conference in Houston and the 1993 Eastern Indonesia Exploration Symposium in Jakarta.