100 years of informing the industry
Since 1916, Gulf Publishing Company (GPC), and World Oil and its predecessors, have provided timely, valuable information and data on a wide range of technical and management subjects to upstream oil and gas professionals worldwide. This dissemination of information and data has included thousands of feature articles over the last 100 years, as well as 90 years of forecasting efforts, plus a myriad of columns, guest commentaries and news items. In all that we have done, our emphasis always has been on quality—timely, valuable, accurate and authoritative.
And so, with that spirit in mind, we have celebrated GPC and World Oil’s 100th Anniversary, and recounted company and industry histories. We hope that you, our valued readers, have enjoyed the historical reviews of various periods over the last 100 years, done chronologically from the January through June issues. Now, we offer you the final installment in this, our July issue—some final thoughts on GPC and World Oil’s achievements, as well as some special guest contributions from a variety of industry entities.
Leading off this 20-page commemorative section is a one-time, return guest column from arguably World Oil’s most famous, well-read columnist, Bob Scott, who is the magazine’s long-time former editor and editorial director, as well as the company’s retired president and chairman. For those long-time readers who have missed Bob’s wit and wisdom for the last 17 years, you will enjoy his entertaining observations on how the magazine and company operated during his tenure.
Following Bob’s column is a fun, personal look at GPC’s history from long-time, current sales executive Don DePugh, who holds the company employment record at 59 years. His observations on some of the more prominent individuals that made GPC what it is today are priceless. Next, are two pages of milestones of technical achievement by the upstream industry, grouped in 10-year periods. While not intended to be a definitive compendium of technical breakthroughs, these items nevertheless serve as guideposts to the industry’s progress.
In addition, Chevron has provided an interesting retrospective and forward look from the major IOC point-of-view, followed by genealogy charts for that firm and three others—something rarely seen. We also are privileged to feature reflections and forward comments from IPAA and Transocean, representing the viewpoints of U.S. independents and offshore drilling contractors, respectively. Following right behind is a two-page historical photo montage, culled from different time periods.
In the last grouping, we are pleased to feature OPEC’s timely comments on its role in the industry since its formation in 1960, followed by a special recognition of the 100th anniversary of Reed-Hycalog drill bits, provided by NOV. Lastly, we offer a few thoughts on where the industry, GPC and World Oil may be headed in the next few years. We hope you get as much enjoyment from reading this section, as we had in putting it together. 
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