Although his time in Aberdeen was relatively brief, the impact John Trewhella made remains significant to this day.
In 1987, along with a friend, he founded Oilfield Production Support, now known as the OPS Group, based in Bucksburn, Aberdeen. It was started up, and remains to this day, as a supplier of experienced personnel to the oil and energy industry, with other branches in Dubai and Australia.
The company now leads the way globally, specialising in coiled tubing, pipeline and process, cementing and well services.
Originally, Mr Trewhella, who has died in his native Cornwall, aged 83, had worked in mining, before a change of career which took him all over the world.
His route to Aberdeen started off in the Middle East when he joined the Kuwait Oil Company as a petroleum engineer in 1956.
From there, he went to work for French company Flopetrol and was responsible for setting up operations bases in Algeria, Nigeria, Holland and, finally, Great Yarmouth.
On April 12, 1973, along with Aberdeen man Jimmy Ross, he formed Exploration and Production Services (North Sea) Ltd, now known as the Expro Group. It employs 5,000 people in 50 countries.
Two years after the company was created, it was producing the first oil from the Argyll field, signalling the birth of the North Sea oil industry, while moving into its new headquarters in Aberdeen.
Expansion into Europe followed, with the opening of premises in Holland, then regional bases all over the world as more projects were taken on as demand for their services grew rapidly.
This culminated in Expro winning the Queen’s Award for Export Achievement in 1977 and 1978, while Mr Trewhella was made an OBE, also in 1977.
During his time with the company, he was also appointed chairman and distinguished member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, in 1984.
Having established Expro as one of the UK’s most successful oil companies, his departure, in December 1987, followed a change in shareholding control.
He was joined by former Expro colleague Steve Pryor in creating OPS and setting up a base at Kirkhill Industrial Estate, Dyce.
Speaking to the Press and Journal at the time, he said: “Recognising an increasing level of activity associated with current and planned new field developments, my company is gearing up to meet a growing demand for specialised contract staff.”
It was to be his last involvement in the industry and he retired in 1991, leaving Aberdeen for Cornwall, with Mr Pryor becoming managing director.
Mr Trewhella died at the start of the year in Treliske Hospital, Truro, after a long battle with deteriorating health.
His son Roger said: “My father will be forever remembered by his many friends and former colleagues as a great and good man who had a huge influence on many in the oil industry.”
He is also survived by wife Joan, sons Jeremy and Ross, and grandchildren Josh, Jenna, Matthew and Christopher.
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