Stephen D. Smith
Vice President—Operations
A native of Kermit Texas, Stephen D. Smith (Steve) came to Harding Company in 2005 as Vice President of Operations, bringing with him more than 30 years of experience in the oil and gas industry in seven states as well as in the countries of Mexico, Algeria and Tunisia as well as in North Africa. His areas of expertise include all drilling technologies, High Pressure, High Temperatures (HPHT), Heavy mud weights with Oil Base Mud systems, under-balanced and mud-cap drilling, Multi-lateral drilling and completions, workovers, re-completions, well logging and interpretation with reservoir simulation and fracture designs as well as multiple computer applications. He has managed the successful drilling and completion operations of wells with depths of up to 30,000 feet both onshore and offshore.
He is a member of the third generation of his family to have been employed by Sid Richardson and the Fort Worth, TX Bass family, where he spent more than eight years working as an Assistant Drilling Engineer in its West Texas Division Office in Midland.
Smith’s professional memberships include the Fort Worth Petroleum Club, Forth Worth Society of Petroleum Engineers, Petroleum Engineers Club and American Association for Drilling Engineers. He is also very active in his church, Boy Scouts of America and coaching multiple sports with his son.
Currently President of STEKAT Resources, LTD and SDS Joint Ventures, he has held key posts with other companies, such as Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, First Calgary Petroleum, Aspect Oil and Gas and Clayton Williams. His training has included technical and professional courses at various colleges and universities in the USA and Europe.
