Northwood Leaves Lasting Legacy in Oil and Gas Industry

E. John Northwood was a renowned geophysicist who spent his career exploring the earth's surface and subsurface for oil and gas reserves.

He was born on March 30, 1922, in Toronto, Canada, where he also earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering Physics from the University of Toronto in 1944.

Northwood joined the Navy after graduation and was assigned to the British Navy's radar program, where he received specialized training. He later worked as a research geophysicist for Shell Oil, using electromagnetic waves to explore mining sites.

He then spent 28 years at Chevron Corporation, holding various leadership positions including Chief Geophysicist of Trinidad and West Indies operations from 1956 to 1962. During this time, he began his love affair with the ocean and sailing, a passion he shared with his family.

In 1977, Northwood was elected President of the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG), an international professional society of over 18,000 members.