Gordon Botterill joined Conoco in 1972 with a BSc Degree in Oil Technology. After initial training he worked as a drilling engineer and drilling supervisor in the UK sectors of the North Sea.

In 1976 he joined ADPC (later ADCO) supervising exploration drilling and workover operations in local and remote desert areas using mobile and conventional land rigs.

This was followed with a move to BP in 1978 where he worked in a variety of senior operational positions including drilling superintendent for semisubmersible operations in the Porcupine Basin and off South East Ireland and dynamically positioned drillship operations in the Santos Basin and operations manager for helicopter rig operations in Papua New Guinea and drillships on the North West Shelf of Australia.  He also spent two years on secondment to Hudbay Oil in Indonesia as drilling manager which included responsibility for development drilling 18 wells on the offshore Lalang Field in the Malacca Straits.

In 1985 he returned to the UK as drilling manager for BP’s land operations in the East Midlands and the first phase of the challenging long reach development drilling at Wytch Farm.

He took over management of BP’s Rig Management Branch in 1989 with responsibilities for operating BP’s semi submersibles “Sea Explorer” and 50% equity interests in the “Ocean Alliance” and “Sedco 711”.

He left BP in 1991 returning to the Middle East as Drilling Manager firstly with the Bahrain National Oil Company to drill and complete high pressure Khuff gas wells and restore the integrity of the ageing sour well stock and secondly with Clyde Expro in the Yemen Republic to drill onshore exploration wells and plan subsequent appraisal drilling and field development.

Since 1998 Gordon has worked as a consultant providing drilling engineering and operations expertise to a variety of clients. This has included delivering IWCF training, lecturing at RGU and Aberdeen University and participating in an HSE BOP control system failure review.

During more than 40 years in the oil industry he has been involved in all aspects of offshore and land drilling, completion and workover engineering and operations in both frontier and mature areas. He has extensive project management experience with a proven track record in upgrading onshore and offshore drilling units, the preparation and management of well management and construction processes and contracting drilling rig and drilling services.