Petroleum Engineering

Biography

Colin Campbell was born in 1931 and took a degree in geology at Oxford University before going on to do a D.Phil. based on mapping areas in Ireland and Borneo. In 1957 he joined the oil industry as a field geologist in Trinidad, being later transferred to Colombia, Australia and Papua. Before leaving Colombia he wrote a report on the country's diverse oil provinces recognising some as prospective, especially the remote Llanos Basin, whereas others lacked the necessary geological conditions to deliver. It gave him the first insight into the finite nature of the resource. In 1967, he was appointed Regional Geologist for Latin America basin in New York. He made another study which revealed that the pattern seen in Colombia was reflected in varying degrees in all countries. He became aware of the issue of depletion. His career unfolded over ensuing years ending as an Executive Vice-President in Norway. In retirement (in that is the word) he pursued the subject, giving talks at many conferences, writing papers and books, as well as giving media interviews. His last book is Campbell's Atlas of Oil and Gas Depletion, which reviews the situation by country also examining social, political and historical factors. He has also helped start a Quarterly Journal The Oil Age - Understanding the Past, Exploring the Future. He is now more than retired, living in a village in the West of Ireland.

Research Interest

Oil industry