Jefferson Creek, cofounder of the SPE Flow Assurance Technical Section (FTS), passed away 20 August 2021. He was 76.
A Chevron Fellow with a 38-year career at Chevron Energy Technology, Creek was recognized by industry peers as an expert and leader in the flow assurance field. After retirement from Chevron in 2016, he was a consultant with the Letton Hall Group in Houston, adjunct professor at Rice University, and affiliate professor at Colorado School of Mines. Creek served as a DeepStar Flow Assurance Subcommittee chair, as well as chair of the SPE FTS. He founded FTS in 2014 with Dendy Sloan of Colorado School of Mines to bring together flow assurance professionals and establish consensus on industry practices. He remained active in the section over the years. “There is no set curriculum of study [for this field] on the university level, and most practitioners continue to expand their knowledge long after they have entered the industry,” said Creek in a webinar conducted by the section to encourage entry of young engineers into the field. Eight years since its founding, the technical section has grown and now has members from all over the world participating in knowledge-sharing activities. A recipient of the SPE Project, Facilities, and Construction (PFC) Award in 2016, Creek was later a member of the SPE PFC Award Committee and nominated many others for the award. He had accepted his appointment to be the chair of the committee for 2022. “Jeff was a committed member of SPE for more than 4 decades, an effective volunteer over the years, and was always willing to recognize excellence in his colleagues,” said Cindy Thompson, SPE awards and recognition manager.
Creek held a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Middle Tennessee State University, a PhD in physical chemistry from the University of Southern Illinois Carbondale in physical chemistry, and conducted post-doctoral research at University of California Los Angeles. In 2016, he was honored as the Distinguished Alumnus by Middle Tennessee State University.