DAVID HOFFMAN & ASSOCIATES
MEET THE ASSOCIATES
MEET OUR TEAM MEMBERS
Who We Are
DAVID R. HOFFMAN
PRESIDENT
Specializing in Geomodeling and Data Management
I have over 45 years of professional experience as a petroleum geologist. My career includes extensive domestic and international experience with major integrated companies (Amoco, Arco), mid-size companies (Maxus Energy, Occidental), independents (Roy M. Huffington), and NOCs (Saudi Aramco, Qatar Petroleum). I have exploration and development experience with both clastic and carbonate reservoirs in the USA, Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, the UAE, and Indonesia. Technical specializations include advanced 3D geocellular modeling, petrophysics, numerical simulation for IOR/EOR projects, geotechnical data management, exploration new ventures, field studies, and reserves evaluations. I earned a BSc in Geology at California State University Sonoma, and a MSc in Geology at San Diego State University. I have been a member of the AAPG since 1972 (CPG# 2972), and am a current member of SEG and SPE.
DAVID DROWLEY
ASSOCIATE
Specializing in Geology and Field Development
David Drowley has over 40 years of domestic and international experience with major energy firms (Chevron, Amoco, Schlumberger) and independents. He led successful geoscience programs for Amoco in the Gulf of Mexico, Basin and Range, and Pakistan. Later, he managed the Worldwide Remote Sensing Group and Geological Services Group at Amoco. Mr. Drowley managed and directed cross-discipline regional exploration and field development projects in the Gulf of Mexico. Consultant on Organizational Design for the Worldwide Exploration Business Group. Coordinated Geological Training at Amoco. Experienced teacher/trainer, mentor, recruiter, air photo/satellite image interpreter. He collaborated with petroleum engineers and petrophysicists on development, acquisition, divestment, and investment projects in offshore Louisiana, Florida, Egypt, Texas, Mid-Continent, Rockies (Idaho, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming), California. Experience in EOR reserve evaluations for waterflood and CO2 projects in Kansas and Wyoming. Early in his career, Mr. Drowley was an exploration geologist and Project Leader with Freeport McMoRan (then Phelps Dodge) prospecting for copper, gold, lead, zinc, silver, and molybdenum in Nevada, Alaska, and California. Mr. Drowley holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Geology from the Mackay School of Mines and is a P. G. in Louisiana (#310). He is an active member of the AAPG, GCAGS, HGS, and the Petroleum History Institute.
DAVID EICHEN
ASSOCIATE
Specializing in Geophysics and Reservoir Modeling
David, a Senior Geophysicist with 36 years of experience, provides comprehensive geologically integrated seismic interpretation projects for exploration, exploitation, and development ventures worldwide. His expertise also includes building reservoir models to calculate in-place hydrocarbon volumes, as well as capture flow unit / flow barrier architecture in support of statistical reservoir simulation and EOR/IOR projects. He has held both technical and project management positions with major oil companies (Unocal, and Oxy), and as an independent consultant (Kerr McGee, Chroma Energy, and Titan Resources). Â Other technical specializations include designing and managing 2D/3D seismic acquisition programs, managing seismic processing projects, well planning, and well site logging / coring programs. Geographic areas of experience include the United States (Gulf of Mexico and California), Mexico, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Libya, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Oman, Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, Angola, Nigeria, and South Africa. David is currently an active member of the AAPG and HGS.
JOHN HESSENBRUCH
ASSOCIATE
Specializing In Geology and Field Development
John Hessenbruch has over 40 years of domestic and international experience in managing programs for Fortune 500 energy firms (Oxy, BP and Shell) and private, high-growth companies. He has directed successful geoscience programs in the Permian Basin, Rockies, Mid-Continent, Appalachians, Gulf Coast (Onshore/Offshore), California (Onshore/Offshore) and Alaska. Most recently, he was associated with Oxy where he was an integral member of the transition team in Oxy’s recent takeover of Anadarko Petroleum. For the EOR business unit, he participated in multiple reserve evaluations for selected fields throughout the Permian Basin as well as provided guidance for new CO2 sourcing programs. Mr. Hessenbruch was formerly associated with British Petroleum where he provided strategic planning for domestic and international programs in SE Asia and Central America. Previously, he was a program manager with Shell Oil where he directed exploration and development programs throughout the Gulf Coast. Mr Hessenbruch is an active member of the AAPG, HGS, RMAG, and DGS.
DR. DARRELL KRAMER
ASSOCIATE
Specializing in Geophysics and Geomodeling
Dr. Kramer is an innovative, problem solving geoscientist skilled in multiple disciplines of geology, geophysics and petrophysics. He has over 30 years of experience in the geoscience field, both within the mining and oil and gas industries. Dr. Kramer has worked and managed cross-functional teams in the areas of exploration and development.  He is familiar with clastic and carbonate environments in both conventional as wells as resource plays. His background includes positions in research, teaching and mentoring, and has worked both domestically and internationally.
DAVID R SMITH
Specializing in Petrophysics and Field Development
Dave is a development geologist and petrophysicist with over 41 years of experience in formation evaluation, field studies, petrophysical integration of subsurface data, acquisition and integration of routine and special core analysis, production log interpretation, and thin bed pay analysis. USA experience includes Permian Basin, Gulf of Mexico, California onshore, Wyoming, Louisiana, and North Dakota. He spent 19 years with Amoco, 15 years with BP, and the last 7 years as a consultant for International Reservoir Technologies.
International experience was acquired while working overseas in Egypt, Sharjah, Kuwait, Bahrain, Libya, Indonesia, and Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies. His responsibilities have included project management of reservoir modelling projects, core analysis projects, petrophysical assurance and guidance in well location and long term field development planning, and the coaching and mentoring of petrophysicists, geologists, and reservoir engineers..
JAMES A. TASKER
ASSOCIATE
Specializing in Petroleum Engineering and Project Management
Jim is a senior Petroleum Engineer with over 38 years of experience in Petroleum Engineering and Project management.  His expertise includes development planning and asset management, reserves evaluation, secondary recovery, surveillance optimization (waterfloods and gas pressure maintenance), EOR (Thermal, CO2, N2, ASP, Polymer), mergers and acquisitions. Jim has international experience in Bahrain (Awali Field) and domestic USA experience in the San Joaquin Basin (Elk Hills, Railroad Gap, Kern River, Midway Sunset, South Belridge, Lost Hills, Coalinga, Kettleman City), and Sacramento Basin, California
DR. MARTIN WOLFF
ASSOCIATE
Specializing in Reservoir Engineering
Martin is a Petroleum Engineer who has worked over 40 years in the oil industry, primarily as a Reservoir Engineer. After obtaining degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the University of Illinois, he started his oilfield career in 1976 with Schlumberger as a Logging Engineer and Log Analyst in Europe, the Middle East, and the Far East. He obtained a PhD in Petroleum Engineering in 1987 from the University of Texas with a dissertation on Naturally Fractured Reservoir Simulation. He then worked for several majors and independents (Chevron, Fina, Total, Newfield, Hess, and Oxy) on domestic and international projects in Europe, the Middle East, the Far East, Australia, South America, and Africa. His work has ranged from general Reservoir Engineering and Exploration Support to Reservoir Simulation of thermal and chemical EOR processes. He also has experience analyzing, forecasting, and modeling Unconventional Reservoirs. He has published and taught internal company courses in Reservoir Engineering, Reservoir Simulation, Pressure Transient Testing, Uncertainty Analysis, and Production Forecasting.
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Our organization will be growing in the next few months, and more staff member's backgrounds will be included here at that time!