Winner
Energy Technology
When John P. Havens was 23 years old, his father sent him to Houston to open the third office of the family seismic brokerage firm, Seismic Exchange Inc.
The firm his father founded in 1975 was one of the pioneers in the seismic data brokerage industry, which allows oil and gas companies to share their once proprietary seismic data via data licensing.
It didn’t take long for Havens to prove himself and turn the branch into the largest office and eventually the corporate headquarters of SEI, as well as earning Havens the title of president in 1988.
Havens recognized that, as a broker, SEI only received a commission for each license transaction it conducted and in order to expand the company’s opportunities and increase its revenue from every sale, it was imperative to own the seismic data the company brokered.
The year Havens was named president, SEI owned a seismic library of approximately 29,000 linear miles of 2D seismic data and no 3D seismic data. Today, SEI is the largest owner of 2D seismic data and one of the largest owners of 3D seismic data, currently owning or controlling 1.85 million linear miles of 2D seismic data and 40,000 square miles of 2D seismic data.
Havens has demonstrated a knack for understanding the industry’s direction as well as an impeccable sense of timing. He’s led SEI through more than 100 acquisitions over the past 14 years, many of which were conducted during downtime in the economy. The moves have resulted in a 50-fold growth of SEI’s seismic inventory.
Havens has built a trusted and respected team of key employees who mirror his understanding of where the seismic data industry is heading and are working to help move SEI toward the future.
And under Havens leadership, SEI continues to surpass its financial goals year after year.
How to reach: Seismic Exchange Inc., (832) 623-8300 or www.seismicexchange.com
