Florea Minescu, a longstanding SPE member and senior scientific researcher in the upstream sector, died 8 November 2021. He was 73.
Minescu was a professor at University of Petroleum and Gas in Ploiești, Romania. He graduated in drilling and exploitation of oil and gas reservoirs in 1971 and was employed at Research and Design Institute for Petroleum and Gas of Câmpina as a junior scientific researcher from 1971 to 1975 in the laboratory of Physical Parameters of Hydrocarbon Reservoirs. In 1975, he joined as a teaching assistant in the Drilling-Extraction department at Institute of Petroleum and Gas Ploiești. He then advanced through the teaching degrees in the university education system to become a professor.
In the more than 40 years in academia, Minescu shared his knowledge with students in BS, MS, and PhD programs. He was the author of five books (courses and textbooks), 42 scientific articles published in specialized journals, 22 paper presentations at various scientific events, 81 scientific research papers, and 10 patents.
Minescu was a member of SPE since 1996 and was a founding member of the Romanian Association of Engineers (SPE-ROM), a nonprofit professional association recognized by the Romanian authorities and which provides financial support to SPE Romanian Section projects. As the SPE Romanian Section chairperson from 2020 to 2021, Minescu supported and advised the section by bringing his many years of experience and value to SPE. For his contribution to SPE and the petroleum industry, he received many accolades and was awarded the SPE Regional Reservoir Description and Dynamics Award in 2018. He was also a member of Romania’s National Council for Attestation of University Degrees, Diplomas, and Certificates Mining, Oil and Gas Commission for two terms during 2012–2016 and 2020–2021.