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This is the 28th volume of Memorial Tributes compiled by the National Academy of Engineering as a personal remembrance of the lives and outstanding achievements of its members and international members. These volumes are intended to stand as an enduring record of the many contributions of engineers and engineering to the benefit of humankind. In most cases, the authors of the tributes are contemporaries or colleagues who had personal knowledge of the interests and the engineering accomplishments of the deceased. Through its members and international members, the Academy...
This is the 28th volume of Memorial Tributes compiled by the National Academy of Engineering as a personal remembrance of the lives and outstanding achievements of its members and international members. These volumes are intended to stand as an enduring record of the many contributions of engineers and engineering to the benefit of humankind. In most cases, the authors of the tributes are contemporaries or colleagues who had personal knowledge of the interests and the engineering accomplishments of the deceased. Through its members and international members, the Academy carries out the responsibilities for which it was established in 1964.
Under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering was formed as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. Members are elected on the basis of significant contributions to engineering theory and practice and to the literature of engineering or on the basis of demonstrated unusual accomplishments in the pioneering of new and developing fields of technology. The National Academies share a responsibility to advise the federal government on matters of science and technology. The expertise and credibility that the National Academy of Engineering brings to that task stem directly from the abilities, interests, and achievements of our members and international members, our colleagues and friends, whose special gifts we remember in this book.
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BY D. NATHAN MEEHAN
WILLIAM BARNEY GOGARTY, a leading petroleum engineer and a renowned expert in enhanced oil recovery (EOR), passed away on March 31, 2024, in St. George, Utah. He was 93. He was a consultant in reservoir engineering, EOR, and management and was recognized for his contributions to oil recovery techniques. With more than half a century of seminal contributions and dedicated service to the engineering industry, Barney was regarded as a remarkable engineer and researcher who served with the utmost distinction in academia, industry, and at the state, national, and international levels.
He was born April 23, 1930, in Provo, Utah, during the Great Depression to William Bernard Gogarty and Zola Walker Gogarty. He grew up in Springville, Utah, and enjoyed exploring and fishing in the nearby Uinta Mountains. Later, he shared this love with his two sons. He had a deep appreciation for nature and all of God’s creations. He loved to explore new places and was privileged to travel, alongside his wife, much of the world.
Barney and Lois were married for time and eternity in Salt Lake City Utah Temple on Dec. 14, 1951. They were married for 64 years until Lois passed away in St. George, Utah. After an eight-year separation, they are once again united. Together, they enjoyed a lifetime of love, friendship, church service, and learning. They raised five children: Laura Gogarty Klaversma (David), Colleen Gogarty DiMario (Sal), Shaun Gogarty (Gloria), Kathlyn Gogarty-Baines (Dix), and Michael Gogarty (Nides). He is survived by his children, their spouses, 19 grandchildren, and 36 great-grandchildren.
Barney earned both a B.S. and a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Utah. He worked as a professor of chemistry and elementary engineering at Westminster College before joining Marathon Oil Company in 1959 as a research scientist. Over his professional career, he was recognized with numerous awards and held 57 U.S. patents and 80 foreign patents. He spent more than 26 years with Marathon, advancing through numerous research scientist positions and retiring in 1986 as associate research director of production at the company’s Denver Research Center.
Gogarty was elected to the U.S. National Academy of Engineering in 1990 and was an active member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE). He served as an SPE Distinguished Lecturer from 1982 to 1983 and as a member of the SPE Board of Directors from 1989 to 1990. He received the SPE Lester C. Uren Award in 1987, which recognizes a distinguished achievement in petroleum engineering technology by a member who made the contribution before the age of 45. He received the AIME DeGolyer Distinguished Service Medal in 2000, an award recognizing distinguished and outstanding service to SPE, the engineering and/or geology professions, and the petroleum industry. His SPE activities also include service on the Uren, Textbook, and Monograph committees.
In 1962, Gogarty was awarded a patent for a new miscible-type recovery process known as Maraflood™, which used microemulsions containing surfactant, hydrocarbon, and water. Marathon Oil Company and others implemented the technique to increase oil recoveries in mature oil fields.
A deeply religious man, he served valiantly throughout his life as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He presided over the California Los Angeles Mission from 1990 to 1993 and fulfilled many other volunteer assignments.
He touched many lives with his service and kindness. Of him, it was said, “Barney made everyone feel that they were his best friend.”