Lifetime achievement award goes to former DMP Petroleum Division Executive Director Bill Tinapple.
| Date: | Tuesday, 09 September 2014 |
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Mines and Petroleum Minister Bill Marmion presents major award to 40-year industry veteran Bill Tinapple at the Good Oil Conference.
A 40-year veteran of the oil and gas industry has been honoured with the prestigious John Duran Lifetime Achievement Award.
Former Executive Director of the Department of Mines and Petroleum’s (DMP) Petroleum Division Bill Tinapple was presented with the annual award today by Mines and Petroleum Minister Bill Marmion during the Good Oil Conference 2014 in Fremantle.
“Thanks to people of the calibre of Bill Tinapple, Western Australia is now the leading location in the world for liquefied natural gas,” Mr Marmion said.
Director General Richard Sellers has congratulated Mr Tinapple on the award, saying it was a fitting tribute to a long and exemplary career in the oil and gas industry.
“The department was lucky to have Bill around to help develop Western Australia’s policy and regulation over the past 15 years,” Mr Sellers said.
“Bill’s experience and guidance is missed by his many friends and colleagues at DMP, and in the industry.
“He has a unique perspective through his background in engineering and as a regulator in both the Northern Territory and Western Australia.”
The John Duran Award is given to member of the oil and gas community who has dedicated his or her life to promoting the junior and midcap sector.
While heading DMP’s Petroleum Division, Mr Tinapple played a leading role in a number of initiatives that improved customer service, increased investment in Western Australia, and sustained production.
He has been strongly involved with development of the oil and gas industry in Australia, from initial involvement in engineering studies for the North West Shelf through to the development of the first floating production, storage and offloading unit.
He was also involved in gas pipeline development, including the Amadeus to Darwin gas pipeline.
Mr Tinapple was instrumental in facilitating and encouraging the large multi-client 3D survey offshore campaign in the 1990s which greatly improved the rate of discovery of gasfields on the North West Shelf.
In his role as a regulator, he oversaw the changes within the department resulting from amendments to the Commonwealth’s offshore petroleum legislation (the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006) which came into effect on 1 January 2012.
Originally from Ohio in the US, he has qualifications in engineering and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration.
Mr Tinapple settled permanently in Australia in 1985 and has worked in the United States, the United Kingdom, Libya, Indonesia, the North Sea, Norway, Nigeria, Japan, Australia and Abu Dhabi.
It is the first time a former government employee has been honoured with the award.
