Cris Thompson, a former petroleum geologist, will present The Big Rich, a history of four Texas oil tycoons, on Aug. 5 from 2:30 to 4 p.m. in the library.
Becky Frusher
Cris Thompson, a Robson Ranch library volunteer for the past two and a half years, can’t hide the excitement she feels as she re-reads Bryan Burrough’s New York Times Bestselling chronicle of the Texas oil industry in preparation for her book talk on Aug. 5 from 2:30 to 4 p.m. in the library.
The Big Rich weaves together the multigenerational sagas of the Texas oil industry’s four wealthiest families, headed by men known in their day as the Big Four: Roy Cullen, H. L. Hunt, Clint Murchison, and Sid Richardson, all swaggering oil tycoons who owned sprawling ranches and mingled with presidents and Hollywood stars.
“I’ve met men like these men,” Cris says. In her former role as a development geologist for Getty Oil, Cris says she worked with well-known Houston oil tycoons who were known for their independent spirits. “They were not keen on having big Eastern companies come in and take over their oil fields,” she says. “In most countries, the government owns the mineral rights. In the U.S., many individuals still own their mineral rights. So, when we were drilling, we were drilling for them. We would get so excited for them. That’s still true to some extent today.”
Cris received her B.S. in geology, with an emphasis in oil exploration, from Texas A&M University in 1975. Her first job was with a small Houston company that allowed her to venture into oil and gas exploration and travel abroad.
“It was very unusual for a young, new hire to work in the international department of this company, but I had a great boss who gave me the opportunity to spend two weeks as an observer on an oil rig in the North Sea,” Cris says. “We had a 25 percent share of this rig, which was owned by a big company such as Amoco or Mobil, and we wanted to make sure we were getting what we were supposed to be getting. We also had some hand in decision-making regarding operations and where to drill.”
Cris was just 22 when she flew to Aberdeen, hopped in a Sikorsky helicopter, and was dropped off on the top platform of a semi-submersible oil rig on a stormy, windy day in the North Sea. “This helicopter full of men invited me to get off first,” Cris says with a smile. “But I didn’t know where I was going so, finally, someone got off and showed me what to do.”
Cris’ globe-trotting oil career can hardly be summed up here, so come to her book talk to hear more, even if you haven’t read the book. Cris is excited to share it with you.
“I loved the book,” she says. “The oil industry is so much a part of Texas culture, and these four men’s stories are told against the larger backdrop of the history of Texas oil.”