Frank Rickwood
Frank Kenneth Rickwood | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1921 Cessnock, New South Wales, Australia |
| Died | 2009-07-19 Barbados |
| Occupation(s) | Petroleum executive, geologist |
| Years active | 1956–1980 (BP), 1980s (Oil Search chairman) |
| Known for | President of BP Alaska; Chairman of Oil Search; development of Prudhoe Bay Oil Field; discovery of Kubutu Oil Field |
Frank Kenneth Rickwood OBE (1921–2009) was a prominent figure in the Australian petroleum sector. His career at BP spanned from 1956 until 1980, during which he held the position of President of BP Alaska between 1969 and 1980. Subsequently, he took on the role of Chairman at Oil Search, concentrating on oil exploration in Papua New Guinea.
Early life
Rickwood was born in 1921 in Cessnock, New South Wales. He was the son of George Rickwood, an English immigrant who worked as editor of the Cessnock Eagle and contributed to the Daily Telegraph, and his wife Elizabeth. His education included attendance at a convent school in Nulkaba and Cessnock High School, culminating in his graduation from the University of New England in 1945.
Career
Beginning his professional journey, Rickwood lectured in geology at the University of Sydney and engaged with Oil Search through exploratory research missions to Papua New Guinea. At BP (previously known as Anglo-Persian Oil Company), he played a key role in developing oil fields across Somalia as well as Central and South America. During his tenure as President of BP Alaska from 1969 to 1980, he directed the growth of the Prudhoe Bay Oil Field.
In the 1980s, while serving as Chairman of Oil Search, Rickwood was instrumental in uncovering the Kubutu Oil Field within Papua New Guinea. His governance extended to board memberships at companies such as Ampol, Pioneer International, and Peko Oil. In 1992, he published The Kutubu discovery: Papua New Guinea, Its People, the Country and the Exploration and Discovery of Oil.
Among his accolades, Rickwood received the Haddon Forrester King Medal awarded by the Australian Academy of Science in 1993 and was honored with the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) distinction bestowed by Queen Elizabeth II aboard the Britannia.
Personal life
Rickwood was homosexual and shared his life with partner Justin Rainey until Rainey's passing in the early 1990s; however, he maintained privacy regarding his sexual orientation within professional circles. Remarkably, during his management of John Browne in New York, neither individual was aware of the other's sexuality.
He possessed Minimbah House, a heritage estate near Singleton, New South Wales, before moving during the 1990s to Colleton Great House, a plantation residence located in Saint Peter, Barbados. Additionally, Rickwood was recognized for his significant collection of art.
In 2004, he received a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease.
Death
Rickwood passed away on 19 July 2009 in Barbados. His funeral service took place at St Peter's Church in Speightstown on 28 July 2009.