Gilmer to address Artesia dinner

An international authority on energy exploration data will be featured speaker at a Celebrating Oil & Gas Dinner on May 4 at the Artesia Country Club.

Allen Gilmer will describe “Where We Have Been, Where We Are, and Where Are We Going?” at the dinner.

Gilmer, managing partner of Thunderbird Pictures, started and ran Drillinginfo (now called Enverus) from 1999 to 2018. He has been producing feature films since 2018,

Allen Gilmer

He is still active leasing, drilling, and producing oil, gas, and helium in Louisiana, Texas, Colorado, and Montana through Vecta Energy Ltd, a company he helped found in the late 1990s.

Gilmer grew up in El Paso, spent summers and weekends in Ruidoso, and attended Rice University in Houston.

He received his master’s degree in geology from UTEP and went to work for Marathon Oil Co. as a geophysicist. He went independent in 1993, and pioneered shooting 3-D seismic surveys.

During his talk, Gilmer is expected to touch on the upcoming Centennial Celebration recognizing the 100th anniversary of the first commercial well completed by the Yates family and its partners in April 1924 on New Mexico State Trust Lands.

Robert G. Armstrong, president of Armstrong Energy Corp. of Roswell, and Jim Ball, land advisor for Yates Holdings in Artesia, are the dinner co-chairs.

Armstrong said the purpose of the dinner and related events is to “emphasize the importance of the oil and gas industry in New Mexico over the past 100 years and the next 100 years.

“Revenue from the event will be used to fund future Artesia Centennial events, scholarships, and energy training for science teachers through the Roswell Geological Society, New Mexico Landmen’s Association, the Desk and Derrick Clubs of Artesia and Roswell, and multiple universities,” he said.

The Artesia Centennial Committee, the Geological Society, the Landmen’s Association, and the Desk and Derrick Clubs of Artesia and Roswell are hosting the dinner.

Gilmer spoke at a similar dinner entitled “State Trust Lands: Energizing New Mexico” in April 2017 at the Roswell Convention and Civic Center. Some 600 people attended that dinner.

The 2017 dinner raised $202,000, of which $160,000 went to university scholarships, as well as student and teacher training.

This year’s dinner is the fourth in a series to honor the oil and gas industry, and raise money for scholarships and community organizations.

The dinners have resulted in $375,000 going to scholarships and training programs.

The dinners were initiated by Edward K. “Eddie” David, president of David Petroleum Corp. of Roswell, and Bill Owen, vice president and exploration manager of David Petroleum.