| Administrative History | Recorded as part of the 'Lives in the Oil Industry' oral history project |
| Description | Tape 1 Side A: JOHN MICHAEL TREWHELLA born 26 July 1930 St Martin, Cornwall. Family on both sides farming stock. Paternal grandparents came from near Truro. Grandfather, father great horsemen. Background to name. Was only child. Grew up in granite farmhouse. Father a tenant farmer, times were hard, had to move. Details. Spent childhood in Porthleven until 10. Then moved to farm inland. Later worked 2 years on farm with father. Describes him, his character. Farming communities helped each other out. Machines run by steam engines. Mother provided Cornish pasties for workers. Recalls hearing of outbreak of war, on radio. Own reaction. Parents' different reactions. Mother was a teacher, pacifist. Close to maternal family. Recalls visits, whist drives. Mother took in bed-and-breakfast visitors. During war, children given gas masks. Recalls German bombing, D-Day, American troops of the Fighting 29th Infantry, attraction of local girls. Details re local lord of the manor. Recalls childhood friends, still sees them. Level of discipline in home. Recalls a clash of sporting activities and farm work. National Service in Navy. Details re training, posting to aircraft carrier, HMS Illustrious. Recalls a proud moment. Later posted to RNAS Culdrose. Details. Recalls father's attitude. Mother one of first Cornwall women to have motorbike. She knew Marconi's chauffeur. Background to going to School of Mines 1949-53. Explains desire to travel. Recalls family conversations about war, uncle's decision to join army. Father member of Conservative Party. Own leanings conservative. Average results at school. Just missed Korean war. Recalls courses taken at School of Mines, success in sport. No thoughts of oil. Mentions opportunity to go to Brazil
Tape 1 Side B: Recalls influence of cousin who worked in Malaysia, leading to going to School of Mines. Graduated as ACSM (Associate Cambourne School of Mines). Details re marriage, wife, 3 sons, names. Went to Brazil on contract to St John d'el Rey Mining Company, worked in 10,000 foot deep gold mine. Details re work, structure of mine, shafts sunk in steps. Recalls heat in mine, refrigeration process. Explains mining procedures, gold extraction, chemical process leading to recovery of pure gold. Mentions security. Spent 2 years underground as Mine Captain. Undisciplined work force. Recalls attempt at enforcing full working hours, being threatened at knifepoint, deliberate disappearance of people in mine. Explains enjoyment of Brazil. Details re salary. 1964 joined Kuwait Oil Company as Petroleum Engineer. Shortage then of petroleum engineers in oil industry. Explains job in workovers and completions. Recalls a mishap resulting in escape of oil, horrendous fire. Part of time spent in London office. No thought then of North Sea oil. Mentions production operators in Kuwait from Aberdeen. Reference to Jimmy Ross, later partner, in Kuwait. Explains decision taken in Kuwait to resign and start own company doing well testing etc. Got hepatitis. Details re own unsuccessful contract proposal backed by a sheik. Introduction to Flopetrol of Paris leading to offer of job as engineer 1964. Brief was to attack Anglo-Saxon market. Initial period spent in Algeria. Reference to French language. Sent with carte blanche to get contract with Mobil north of Holland. Then sent to Nigeria to set up and equip operating base. Details. Service companies followed operating companies for work. Reference to SAFRAP.
Tape 2 Side A: Flopetrol service company 1964-73 (cont'd). Difficulties in Nigeria with expatriate personnel quota, bribery. Minister of Mines and Power had been in own year at Camborne School of Mines. Awarded desired quota of expatriates. Recalls French nationalistic attitude in Flopetrol, approach to non-French oil company personnel. Always got on well with them. 1965 things beginning to happen in North Sea. Mentions West Sole field gas discovery, Sea Gem disaster. Recalls complex mid-winter job involving Conoco 1, only fixed exploration platform in North Sea. Describes bad weather conditions, difficulty transferring equipment, personnel on basket. Describes platform, lack of space. When that platform decommissioned, part of it fell away, including separator. Recalls shock of Sea Gem disaster. Through late 1950s ran base at Great Yarmouth. Recalls changes to Great Yarmouth because of arrival of oil/gas industry, impression of Americans, money being thrown around. Family lived in Maidenhead, went home at weekends. Impact on family life of work. Sons went into industry later. Recalls concerns re British industry share of North Sea business. Inspired by government minister Tom Boardman to set up own business. Reference to OSO (Offshore Supplies Office). Mentions Flopetrol testing wells for operating companies, provision of ex-Kuwait personnel for Amoco platform. Little competition for Flopetrol. Recalls their reaction at own resignation 1973. Details re Flopetrol personnel, its associations. Background to formation of Exploration & Production Service (North Sea) Ltd (Expro). Consulted with OSO, approached former colleagues to join. Assisted by OSO in finding investors. Backed by Rothschilds. Details of financial plans. Details re proposed activities of company including well testing, provision of production personnel etc. Capital intensive.
Tape 2 Side B: Expro 1973 (cont'd). No sleepless nights over formation of company. Explains confidence. Recalls, early on, making assessment of own life-long strengths, ability to lead etc. Recalls first contract at Wych Farm, Dorset, seeing smoke from Wych Farm discovery well. Got contracts with Amoco Sedco 135F, Shell Neptune etc. Details re company personnel who came from Flopetrol. Company soon grew to 200. Main competition was Flopetrol (now Schlumberger). Compares Expro with big American manufacturing/service companies. Expro provided special high-pressure equipment for Shell Leman wells. Recalls work for Burmah, based in Scarborough, their surprise at finding oil. Recalls involvement, when in Flopetrol, in provision of first oil burner system in the world. Compares oil burner with gas flare. Impression of Occidental and other companies. Some companies treated contractors as second class citizens. Gives examples. Recalls difficult times when oil price collapsed, people laid off, salary cuts. Own paternal style of management didn't suit the city. Explains. Details re colleagues in Expro. Jimmy Ross was closest colleague. Details re shared background with him. Awarded the OBE in 1977. Reaction to this. Expro got Queen's Award for Industry twice, Queen's Award for Export Achievement. North Sea provided many Scots with ongoing work after time in Kuwait. Comments on safety standards in Flopetrol, Expro, Occidental. Provision of production personnel became bigger part of Expro's work. Details. Involved in Argyle Field, first UK North Sea oil. Recalls loading process. Impression of Hamilton Brothers. No union involvement in Expro. Explains. Unions tried to get members. Details. Own feelings re unions. Expro opened bases round the world. Details re size of company, turnover.
Tape 3 Side A: Details re KCA's attempted purchase of Expro from Newcourt Natural Resources (Rothschilds) c1980. Explains own attitude to prospect of sale, exercise of pre-emption rights. Details re raising necessary money in 3 weeks, winning high court case and retaining own shareholding. Explains particular difficulties in situation, need to keep out of sight for a period. Recalls other companies which would like to have taken over Expro. Explains reason for being paid off from Expro by Flextech majority shareholders 1987. Reference to 3i's, London Trust. Feelings at situation. Reason for Flextech's attitude. Replaced by Viscount Torrington. Comments. Details re sale of own house - an element in situation with Flextech. 1987 founded Oilfield Production Support (North Sea) Ltd in Aberdeen, providing mainly specialised personnel to oil companies worldwide. Feelings, as Chairman, about this job. Comments on Piper Alpha disaster, health and safety aspects. Current routine - comes to Aberdeen every 3 months. Details re structure of office, turnover. Successful company. Current lifestyle including golf, travelling. Career in retrospect. Mentions award of OBE, Distinguished Membership of Society of Petroleum Engineers. Expro's huge current turnover. One son working for them as sub-sea manager, engineer/designer.
Tape 3 Side B: Blank |