With an engineering degree from Oklahoma State University and graduate work in industrial engineering, Richard Spears has worked for 40 years in the upstream oil and gas industry, starting as a field engineer for Halliburton. Today, Richard is one of the managing directors of Spears & Associates, an oilfield market research firm founded in 1965. The firm has over 350 clients worldwide. Richard has been with the firm since 1985. Richard is a 35-year member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers. Richard is on the board of directors of Evolution Engineering, a manufacturer of measurement while drilling systems.