Oklahoma oilman Robert L. Parker Sr. was buried this week. He died July 9 at the age of 92 and for many years, led the company known as Parker Drilling Co.
Over the course of his career in energy, he was named by President Ronald Reagan in 1981 to be chairman of the U.S. Energy Policy Task Force. He was awarded the U.S. Secretary of Energy’s Distinguished Service Medal and was named to the Oklahoma Hall of Fame and the Tulsa Hall of Fame.
Parker Drilling was founded by his father in 1934 and Parker took over as chairman in 1953. The company became known worldwide, drilling in 50 countries and becoming the first western driller allowed into China, Vietnam and the former Soviet Union.
The Tulsa based company moved its headquarters to Houston in 2001, according to the Tulsa World.