The APEGGA L.C. Charlesworth Professional Service Award

Noel Alfred Cleland, P.Eng.

For his abilities as a distinguished lecturer and technical author, tireless commitment to his profession and APEGGA, and in recognition of his extensive expertise in the oil and gas industry, the Association honours Noel Cleland with the APEGGA L.C. Charlesworth Professional Service Award.

Born and raised in Australia, Mr. Cleland obtained his bachelor's degree in mining engineering (Honours) from the University of Sydney. After serving three years in the Australian coal and oil industry, he moved to Canada in 1954. Upon his arrival, he embarked on a career encompassing drilling, production and reservoir engineering. Mr. Cleland was a pioneer in the application of computer solutions to engineering problems during his work with Hudson's Bay Oil and Gas.

An entrepreneur at heart, in 1964 he started a company for the manufacture of supervisory control systems. However, the lure of the oil patch called him back and he joined the firm of J.C. Sproule and Associates Ltd. (now Sproule Associated Limited). At Sproule, he held the positions of head, natural gas engineering; chief, engineering; and vice-president, engineering. In 1994, he retired as director of the company.

Retirement, however, has not been an option. Currently, he is acting as an independent petroleum engineering consultant, as well as a corporate director of several companies, including Cleland Energy, Home Oil Company Limited, Canadian Delta Exploration Ltd., and Anderson Exploration Ltd.

Mr. Cleland's commitment to professional and technical societies is extensive. He is a member of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) and is a past president of that organization. His service to the CIM also includes serving as its vice-president, chair of the Petroleum Society of the CIM and chair of the Calgary Section of the Petroleum Society. He was presented with the Distinguished Service Medal by the Petroleum Society of the CIM, and also received the CIM Robert Elver Mineral Economics Award.

He is a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers of AIME and past president of the Petroleum Communication Foundation. He is also a member of the Society of Petroleum Evaluation Engineers. His dedication to the engineering profession and APEGGA culminated in his service as President in 1991-92. Previous to this, Mr. Cleland was a Councillor from 1986 to 1989. In 1990 the Frank Spragins Award was bestowed on him by APEGGA.

He has authored more than 60 technical papers on subjects as diverse as lease automation, natural gas engineering, and economics and the future sources of petroleum in Canada. He lectures in petroleum economics at The University of Calgary and presents lectures across the country. His abilities on the lecture circuit earned him the recognition of Distinguished Lecturer from the CIM and the Best Paper Award from the Canadian Society of Exploration Geophysicists.