The SMP Technical Team

Ramon (Ray) Elias

President and SMP Co-founder

Mr. Elias has almost 35 years of oil industry experience. Prior to helping form Santa Maria Pacific, Mr. Elias ran a successful upstream oil industry consulting firm specializing in leading edge and advanced oil recovery technology. He held an executive management position with Enercap Corporation, an oil exploration and production company in Houston. He also worked 12 years moving into increasingly responsible positions with Texaco starting immediately after graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Arizona. Mr. Elias has taught courses in petroleum engineering in Mexico and South America, has remained active in the Society of Petroleum Engineers and is a California registered professional engineer. Click here to download Ramon Elias' resume.

Michael Prats

Special Reservoir Engineering Consultant and SMP Co-founder

Mr. Prats is a noted petroleum reservoir engineering scientist and engineer known the world over for his technical accomplishments. He spent 40 years working for Shell Oil Company's  Production Research and Development group in Reservoir Engineering using experimental, theoretical, and numerical approaches. His publications are numerous and include technical papers and books. He also holds over 33 patents filed in four different countries. He started providing consulting services to the industry upon his retirement from Shell in 1989 and, since then, has had clients in all continents except Africa. His professional service to the oil industry has won him numerous awards for technical excellence and achievement. Mr. Prats holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Physics from the University of Texas at Austin. Besides having taught numerous reservoir engineering courses all over the world, he has also served as an adjunct professor at the University of Texas at Austin, a visiting professor at the Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey, and a consulting professor at Stanford University. Click here to download Michael Prats' resume.  

Frank Lawrence

Facilities Development Manager

Mr. Lawrence has over 30 years of oil industry engineering experience with notable accomplishments in the field of thermal oil recovery using steam injection techniques. He has held responsible positions with Getty Oil, Texaco and then Chevron before retiring from Chevron in 2001. Since then he as developed a successful independent consulting engineering practice serving both domestic and international clients. His oil industry expertise, though varied, is focused on the design, application and use of state-of-the-art surface facilities and equipment. He is an honors graduate from the California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo in California with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering. Click here to download Frank Lawrence's resume.

Eric L. Berger

Reservoir Development Manager

Mr. Berger has over 30 years of oil industry engineering experience also with notable accomplishments in the field of thermal oil recovery using steam injection techniques. He has held responsible positions with Getty Oil, Texaco and then Chevron before retiring from Chevron this year. He as developed a successful independent consulting engineering practice serving both domestic and international clients. His oil industry expertise, though varied, is focused on the design, application and use of state-of-the-art surface facilities and equipment. He is an honors graduate from the California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo in California with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering.

Mark Wilson

Geological Specialist

Until recently, these resources were considered marginally viable by the oil industry. New technology now exists to develop these large assets economically. Two SMP principals are credited with some of the new innovations being used by industry and SMP.

Our development plans combine proven conventional and proprietary elements that are designed to have a minimal impact on the environment. State-of-the-art systems are included that safely maximize efficiency while exceeding current and expected tightened environmental standards and regulations.

Our staff includes over 20 well-qualified professionals and technicians.

Our project infrastructure is designed to support local needs whenever possible.

We pledge to work in partnership with the community and local government to the extent possible, and be good stewards of the land.

The SMP

Approach