JonOlson

About

Jon Olson is a professor emeritus and former chair of the Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering. He joined the UT PGE faculty in 1995, after spending six years in industry working for Mobil (now ExxonMobil) in Dallas, Texas.

Olson has an interdisciplinary background in geology and engineering. His research currently focuses on production optimization and environmental impact issues related to hydraulic fracturing and unconventional oil and gas development. He and his students work on problems of hydraulic fracture design and modeling, induced seismicity, wellbore stability and reservoir compaction and subsidence.

Olson’s passion for education goes beyond his role as a mentor and professor. He regularly participates in public outreach trainings and programming on energy and engineering.

He is the co-PI of the industrial affiliates program, Fracture Research and Application Consortium (FRAC), which includes 20 companies and raises approximately $1 million a year.

Educational Qualifications

Ph.D., Applied Earth Sciences, Stanford University, 1991
B.S., Civil Engineering, University of Notre Dame, 1984, magna cum laude
B.S., Earth Sciences, University of Notre Dame, 1984, magna cum laude

Select Awards & Honors

• Regional Faculty Award – Society of Petroleum Engineers (2019)
• Distinguished Member Award – Society of Petroleum Engineers (2016)
• George H. Fancher Professorship in Petroleum Engineering (2014–2015)
• Society of Petroleum Engineers Distinguished Lecturer (2014–2015 tour)
• AAPG Distinguished Lecturer (2007–2008 tour)
• Michel T. Halbouty ’30 Visiting Chair in Geology and Geophysics – Texas AM University (2005)
• Halliburton Faculty Award (2000)
• Halliburton/Brown Root Young Faculty Award (1998)
• Anadarko Fellowship #2 in Petroleum Engineering (1996–2014)

Related Websites

• Fracture Research and Application Consortium (FRAC)

Select Publications