SEC Division of Corporation Finance Appoints Academic Engineering Fellow

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
2007-211

Washington, D.C., Oct. 3, 2007 - The Securities and Exchange Commission's Division of Corporation Finance today announced the appointment of Dr. W. John Lee as an Academic Engineering Fellow. Dr. Lee will serve a one-year term ending in August 2008, and will work on various issues related to the disclosure of oil and gas reserves.

"I look forward to working with John Lee as we begin a review and evaluation of our current disclosure requirements for oil and gas reserves," said John White, Director of the SEC's Division of Corporation Finance. "Dr. Lee has a unique background and distinct area of expertise which I believe will significantly enhance our ability to evaluate, among other things, new technologies that companies may use to evaluate current, and identify new, reserves. He will also assist us in determining what recommendation we will make to the Commission, if any, about revisions to our current disclosure requirements."

Dr. Lee, who specializes in the field of petroleum reservoir engineering, holds the Peterson Chair in Petroleum Engineering at Texas A&M University, where he has worked since 1977. His areas of specialization are unconventional resources, reservoir management, gas reservoir engineering and pressure transient testing.

Earning his B.Ch.E., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees at Georgia Tech, Dr. Lee worked for Exxon Corp from 1962 to 1976, focusing on simulator reserve studies and heading Exxon USA's major field study group. He also worked for petroleum engineering consulting firm S.A. Holditch & Associates from 1980 to 1999.

Dr. Lee has authored or co-authored several textbooks published by the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE). He is a past SPE board member and a Continuing Education Lecturer for the SPE, and the recipient of numerous awards including the SPE's Distinguished Faculty Achievement Award, SPE's DeGolyer Distinguished Service Medal, and the SPE/AIME Anthony F. Lucas Gold Medal.

http://www.sec.gov/news/press/2007/2007-211.htm