James Crafton is the founder of Performance Sciences, Inc. of Evergreen, Colorado. He graduated from University of Missouri Rolla in 1965 with a Bachelor's Degree in mining engineering, petroleum option, and in 2002 received their Honorary Degree of Professional Petroleum Engineer. He earned a Master's Degree in petroleum engineering from the University of Oklahoma in 1966 and a Ph.D. in petroleum engineering from the University of Tulsa in 1975. As Chief Reservoir Engineer at Panhandle Eastern Pipeline Company, he began the development of production data analysis in conjunction with pipeline and reservoir management, in addition to managing the company’s exploration and development activities in the DJ Basin, Powder River Basin, Piceance Basin, eastern Green River Basin, as well as all Mid-Continent activities. While on the faculty at Colorado School of Mines, he taught well stimulation, pressure transient theory and integrated exploration methods for over ten years. Dr. Crafton discovered and was granted the naming privilege for the Ricochet Formation and Unconformity, a major Gulf Coast geologic marker. He has developed the theoretical and practical bases for the Reciprocal Productivity Index™ technique which has become a practical method used worldwide for the evaluation of producing shale, oil, gas and coal bed methane wells. Dr. Crafton was an SPE Distinguished Lecturer for the 2003-04 season and is Chair Emeritus of the Society of Petroleum Engineers Distinguished Lecturer Committee. He was the Society of Petroleum Engineers Rocky Mountain Region recipient of the Distinguished Contribution to Production Engineering Award for 2006. He was named a Distinguished Member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers in 2008. He also received the Henry B. Matson Technical Achievement Award from the Society of Petroleum Engineers (Denver Section) in 1991. He holds a significant number of patents particularly pertaining to artificial lift technology. His professional and honorary society affiliations include the Society of Petroleum Engineers, the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Sigma Xi Scientific Honorary Society among others.