George H. Fancher, Jr. BSPE ’61, MSPE ‘62
Before graduating from the University of Texas with a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Petroleum Engineering in 1961 and 1962 respectively, George H. Fancher, Jr. had a vision and a plan for owning and operating his own oil company. His father, a Professor of Petroleum Engineering at UT PGE, sparked his intellectual curiosity in engineering with brief introductions to the thrill of the wildcat. More significantly his father taught George at an early age the importance of a strong work ethic. George's early exposure to the dream of big wildcats combined with his drive and entrepreneurial spirit laid the foundation for his successful career.
George's plan entailed working for a major company for a few years, followed by one or two years with an independent before founding his own company. As planned in 1962, George began his career with the California Company (CalCO), first as a drilling engineer in Casper, WY and later as a reservoir engineer in Denver, CO. In 1966, as a result of his thesis on Determination of Pressure Gradients in Multi-Phases Flow in Vertical Tubing Strings, Ball Brothers Research Corporation lured George away from CalCO to spend a few years travelling around the world working with reservoir pressure instrumentation. By 1968, George was back on track with his plan working as a petroleum engineer for a small independent producer.
His dream of owning and operating his own oil company became a reality in 1969 when he formed Smith-Fancher. His success and ambition lead him to found Fancher Oil LLC in 1980, Fancher Resources, LLC in 1996 and his latest venture Fancher Oil II, LLC in 2013.
Throughout his career George has been committed to being active in the community and being an advocate for the industry by serving as a director of the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA), the Independent Petroleum Association of Mountain States (IPAMS), and the Rocky Mountain Oil and Gas Association (RMOGA). He has always been more than just a member serving for example several years on the IPAMS Executive Committee, Improved Oil Recovery Task Force Committee, the Liaison Committee of Cooperating Oil and Gas Association, and as Chairman of the Crude Oil Committee. He was also for a number of years a member of the Board of Directors of the Petroleum Technology Transfer Council (PTTC) and a member of the Wyoming Independent Petroleum Association (WIPA).
George has continued to be involved with his beloved Longhorns. He is member of the UT Chancellor's Council and the Littlefield Society of the University of Texas, where he established a Professorship and Teaching Scholarship in Petroleum Engineering. He also has served on the UT PGE External Advisory Committee and is currently on the Cockrell School of Engineering External Advisory Board.
George's contributions to the industry have been acknowledged with numerous industry recognitions and awards. He was the recipient of the Denver Petroleum Club's Man of the Year Award in 1994, the Desk and Derrick Club of Denver's Oil Recognition Award in 1995, and IPAMS Wildcatter of the Year Award in 1996. In 1998, he was recognized as a Distinguished Graduate of the Cockrell School of Engineering at UT Austin.
George attributes much of his success to his beautiful wife, Carolyn Fancher. He has four children and three grandchildren. For the tenacious oilman, an accomplished career spanning four decades is not quite enough, George has recently re-entered the business starting his latest venture, Fancher Oil II, LLC, with his youngest daughter, Kelly.
