Fraser H. Allen
Dr. Fraser H. Allen had a distinguished career in the international petroleum industry. He received his BS in chemical engineering from University of Toronto in 1941.
He continued his studies at The University of Texas at Austin with a MS in 1943 while working as a roustabout for Standard Oil. After serving in the US Navy at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington DC during WWII, he returned in 1947 to complete his dissertation and was awarded the first PhD by UT in petroleum engineering.
After completing his studies, he returned to work for Standard Oil holding a series of engineering assignments in the US, and was appointed Chief Engineer for the company in 1960. His next assignment for the company now called AMOCO was Coordinator of Crude Oil Production, Purchasing and Transportation. In 1966 he joined Amoco International Oil Company, working on the UK’s North Sea, Iran and in other counties of the Middle East. As President of Amoco Argentina beginning in 1970, he rebuilt the company’s nationalized assets operations after they had been returned to private hands. In 1972, Allen then moved back to Chicago as Vice President of Production for Amoco International. During this time he led the Amoco team negotiating with governments in such diverse countries as Algeria, Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela for exploration and production rights.
Allen was appointed President of Amoco Canada Petroleum Company in 1975. His 10 years in Canada were marked by the rapid growth of the company’s exploration and production. He served as the Chairman of the Canadian Petroleum Association in 1979-80 appearing frequently on TV and took on many speaking engagements on behalf of the petroleum industry.
After his retirement from Amoco, he founded Petro-Economics, Incorporated and continued to be active in negotiations between governments and various oil producers. He developed and taught the short course Economics of Petroleum Production, which was presented to various firms, individual clients, and the National Security Agency trough Oil and Gas Consultants International of Tulsa. His book titled Economics of Worldwide Petroleum Production, coauthored with Richard Seba, was published in 1993. He was also a distinguished lecturer for SPE.
Allen passed away in 1997 followed by his wife Eloise in 2006. They are survived by three children, six grandchildren and two great grandchildren. He enjoyed scuba diving, golf, and canoeing at his cottage in Ontario during summers vacations.
