| Description | Tape 1 Side A: FREDERIC CRAWFORD HAMILTON born Columbus Ohio 25 September 1928. Mentions brother Ferris Hamilton. Details re family who were in natural gas transmission business, pioneered pipeline industry in 1800s. Importance of Scottish Presbyterian background. Description of father, a businessman who served in both world wars. Discipline strict in home. Started work as a waterboy on pipeline aged 9, worked throughout youth. Details. Family well off but never spoilt. Early death of father. Went to Laurenceville School, New Jersey, Babson Business School, Boston. Good at sports, majored in business, finance. Did not want to join grandfather's business, wanted to make own way. Brother Ferris successful in engineering, mechanical side. Evolution of relationship with him, his and own attitude to risk, e.g. in North Sea. Recollection of young years. First employment with oil man, DL Bird, as roughneck on drilling rig. Details of other jobs in oil company. Brother a roustabout for Continental Oil Company, Wyoming. Formation of Hamilton Brothers. Financial details, purchase of first drilling rig, early development of company, first finds of oil, gas. Own and brother's interests in company. Explanation of attraction of oil industry, enjoyment of risk taking. Early lessons in oil industry, importance of early experience. Recollection of wife's uncle, his skills as a businessman, his influence as a financial wizard etc. Belief in listening to, associating with smarter people. Attitude to people, friendship. Formula for a successful business - good smart people. Details.
Tape 1 Side B: ARLEN JAMES MILLER born 19 January 1940, Iowa. Family background, home community. Father delivered petroleum products to farmers. Education at University of Iowa, studied accounting. First employment with public accounting firm, hired by Hamilton Brothers 1965. Details re grandparents. Attitude to risk, gambling. Impact of Depression on family, on use of money. Childhood earnings. [FCH] Background to first entry of Hamilton Brothers into North Sea business following success in Texas, frontier areas of Canada. Formation of British consortium including Rio Tinto Zinc (RTZ), Associated Newspapers run by Esmond Rothermere, later brother-in-law. Details. Rothermere's background. Explanation of ground rules re involvement in North Sea - having English front. Details re negotiations. Scepticism in UK re North Sea oil. Description of process leading to getting licences; conversation with Minister, Angus Beckett, leading to approval. Own role in later presentations. Opinion of Tony Benn. Details re ceremony when first oil brought ashore. [AJM] Recollection of signing contract for Argyll, first operations. [FCH] Ferris Hamilton's design of floating production facility (Transworld 58) which led to Hamiltons upstaging BP with first oil ashore. Own political background. Attitude of British Government, Angus Beckett to Hamiltons, Tony Benn's situation. Hamiltons' relationship with large companies. BP's corporate attitude to Hamiltons. Later involvement with BP. Significance of North Sea in Hamilton's activities. Other activies in Canada, Texas, Louisiana. Joint drilling with BP, lessons taught to them, improvisation, lack of bureaucracy; nature of relationship. [AJM] Details re development of Bruce field, disagreement with BP re estimation of costs. Changes in BP.
Tape 2 Side A: Difficult Bruce Field negotiations with BP, outcome. BP Chairman, but not Board, aware of negotiations. Feelings re Government favouring BP. Reaction of UK people to Americans. Impression of Aberdeen. Feelings about Scotland, English. Details re naming fields after Scottish counties. Effect of unions on oil industry, American attitude. Hamiltons not unionised. Own attitude to unions and socialism. Relationship with Tony Benn, his attitude to oil development, outside companies, unions. Recollection of day first oil brought ashore, conversation with Benn's wife. Impression of her and Benn, dealings with him. Attitude to BNOC 51% share, PRT taxation. Details of significant paper to Ministry threatening Hamilton's withdrawal from North Sea. Similar papers from other companies. Eventual change of PRT position. Industry started to withdraw before change in British position. Situation re Argyll not being subject to PRT. Details re Ferris Hamilton's work re revolutionary floating production platform Transworld 58, Deep Sea Pioneer. Revolutionary, economic aspects of doing Argyll operations from one platform, including injecting water. Recollection of seeking field development funding. Attitude of Shell, BP, others to floating production facility plan. Support of Texaco after their Chairman overruled his people, their reaction. Difference between major, independent companies. Decision making in big companies, dynamics involved. Description of Hamilton Brothers' way of operating. Reference to Irish Sea field. Key to business - creativeness, innovation, energy etc. Own areas of involvement in company. Level of personal involvement in North Sea operation. Hamilton company in Norway: recollection of presentation to Norwegian parliament, surprise at reaction; outcome of application.
Tape 2 Side B: Opinion re controlled economy [as in Norway]. Mentions brief activity in Holland. No pressure from British Government. Hamiltons Brothers never let Government down. Explains improvement in environment with change to Conservatives (1979). Impression of Margaret Thatcher, her philosophy etc. Attitude to Scottish nationalist situation, 'It's Our Oil' campaign. Impact of Offshore Supplies Office, understanding with them. Proportion of British goods purchased. Reflections on Hamilton Brothers being first to bring oil ashore ahead of BP, other activities in North Sea etc. Comments on Piper Alpha disaster. Feelings about new regulations. Opinion re European Union involvement in regulations etc. Reasons for sale of Hamilton Brothers to BHP; details re other interests. BHP actions re staff , Irish Sea operation since sale, their attitude. Hamilton's continuing US gas company activities, joint venture with Shell, eventual sale to them. Now specialising in venture capital etc. Details. A J Miller's situation. Comments on September 11 terrorist attacks on US, future outlook. Explains involvement with fine arts. |