William E. (Bill) Simmons - Manager
Mr. Simmons has over 35 years of executive level experience within the oil and gas industry. Over the years he has functioned as Managing Member of other oil companies, as an investor, operator, lease broker, primarily operating in the Gulf States Region and selected international markets.
Mr. Simmons, together with geologist Hugh Horn and operating as U.S. Gas Systems, developed a Selma Chalk prospect in Baxterville Field (Lamar and Marion Counties, Mississippi) with Penn Virginia Oil and Gas Inc. To date over 200 successful Selma Chalk wells have been drilled on this prospect. More recently he is responsible for causing a major field extension to the southeast flank of the Little Cedar Creek Field, Conecuh County, Alabama.
Mr. Simmons has also actively leased, drilled, and participated as an investor in numerous oil and gas prospects. He also worked many years in his family’s oil field construction company (Simmons Construction Company, Columbia, Mississippi) building locations, laying pipeline, and making pipeline connections to tanks, pumps, and wells.
As Manager of Intrepid Drilling, LLC, Mr. Simmons brings a wealth of business management skills, industry contacts and key relationships to the process of prospect acquisitions and ongoing development. A recent significant discovery is a western extension of the prolific Cut Off Field in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, where the company commenced production of the Alvin J. Pierce No.1 well. The well was completed in the Textularia W9 sand at 13,268 feet and tested 3.3 million cubic feet of gas per day and 500 barrels of condensate per day, with two additional productive zones behind pipe.
Major H. Patterson
Major H. Patterson is Intrepid’s Drilling and Completion Engineer. Mr. Patterson has over 50 years of experience in the oil field, beginning in 1963. Soon after leaving Mississippi State University without his Petroleum Engineering degree, Mr. Patterson began his career in the oil field as a mechanic and equipment operator for Simmons Construction. In 1965 Mr. Patterson was employed by Humble Oil and Refining Company and was soon promoted to First Mechanic and then Maintenance Supervisor. Mr. Patterson has spanned a career that has included work as a roustabout, pumper, tool pusher, field superintendent, drilling and completion engineer, inventor, and investigator for Lloyds of London on offshore accidents in the Gulf of Mexico. Before finishing his 38 years with Humble Oil and Refining Company, which later became Exxon, Mr. Patterson won distinguished awards such as Engineer of the Year for the New Orleans District of Exxon in 1989 ,as well as the Outstanding Instructor Award in 1987. Mr. Patterson was one of the founders of Exxon’s Basic Drilling and Workover School, where he taught well head technology, safety, and completion technology. In 1991, Mr. Patterson won the President’s Award for Outstanding Safety Achievement in the Gulf of Mexico Offshore Drilling Operations. From 1992 through 1998, Mr. Patterson was in charge of completions for Exxon for both onshore and barge rigs in all of South Louisiana. Mr. Patterson is credited along with Mr. Jess Melancon for developing the balanced by-passed squeeze job. This is a technique that prevents formation damage by not having to cement over existing perforations; thus preventing having to re-perforate when doing a squeeze job for the invasion of water coming from below existing perforations. He patented the Patterson ratchet wrench which is widely used by the U.S. Military on all their M1A1 Abrams tanks. Mr. Patterson and Mr. Mark Unland worked on a special project for Exxon dealing with emission problems on diesel engines that Exxon had running in California, and were responsible for co-developing, along with Caterpillar, the electronic fuel injection system that is used today on almost all diesel engines. Today, Mr. Patterson oversees all drilling and completions for Intrepid Drilling.
Aharon Berkovich
Aharon Berkovich, Joint Interest and Cost Manager for Intrepid Drilling, graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology, Sociology and Anthropology from the Tel Aviv University. Additionally, Aharon also possesses a Software Engineering Diploma from the Ashrot College, Jerusalem, and a Business Management Diploma from the College of Management Academic Studies in Haifa.
Aharon's initial experience in the oil industry began as a Regional Manager in the Jerusalem District for Paz Oil Company, LLC in late 1993. Until 1999, he was in charge of gas stations, retail agents and oil storage facilities. He gained his first major experience with long and short term budgets, goals, expenses, cash flow and general financial activity. After leaving Paz in late 1999, Aharon sought experience in the High-Tech industry using his Software Engineering acumen in various positions. Aharon has learned large data management, computerizing workflows, processes, and large scale cost accounting. In 2004, he worked as Asset Manager at Dorot Rishonim, LLC, a real-estate company, where he evaluated potential assets, developed existing assets and was in charge of the revenue stream generated. During that time, he also owned a successful private preschool business, managing mostly the strategic development and financial aspect of the business. In 2009 he moved to the United States and began working with Bill Simmons in the oil industry.
