Renowned energy expert Prof. Michael J. Economides suffered a fatal heart attack this past weekend on an international flight from Madrid to Chile. He was 64.
Economides was a professor at the University of Houston’s Cullen College of Engineering and authored several journal articles and books including “The Color of Oil” and “Energy: China’s Choke Point”. He was also the founder and editor-in-chief of the online publication, Energy Tribune.
Known for bringing a sharp twist of humor to the geopolitical realities driving the global energy industry, Economides was a sought-after speaker and columnist. He also served as an advisor for several national oil companies, including China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) and Italy’s Eni.
Economide’s technical insights were very impactful in the hydraulic fracturing segment as well. “He got into the whole space of horizontal drilling. How do you effectively stimulate horizontal drilling? He was a strong proponent of hydraulic fracturing. He put a lot of science behind it. He would go into the field, and things would start to happen,” said Ramanan Krishnamoorti, Chief Energy Officer at the University of Houston.
He was also a regular contributor to Offshore Engineer (OE). “He had a long tenure as a columnist for OE and whether someone agreed with his perspective or not, his was a "must read" column. His words always stimulated thought and discussion,” said Brion Palmer, President of AtComedia.
Economides was born in Cyprus and moved to the US as a Fulbright Scholar at the age of 19. He earned BS and MS degrees in chemical engineering from the University of Kansas, and a Ph.D. in petroleum engineering from Stanford University. He is survived by his wife, Texas A&M University Prof. Christine Ehlig-Economides, and two adult sons, John and Alexander.
Funeral services are pending.
Image Credit: University of Houston
Subscribe
