Chris Curtis has built an 18-year career at H&P that spans from the rig floor to the corporate office, where he has witnessed the company’s commitment to safety, innovation and employee development.
When Curtis started looking for work in 2006, he didn’t know the oil field would become his calling. Nearly two decades later, he became a manager for H&P’s drilling performance operations, directing teams across continents. What drew him to H&P wasn’t just the opportunity — it was the company’s reputation.
“I heard about their safety culture. I heard about all the good things that they were doing, the advancements, technologies and new rigs,” Curtis said.
From the Rockies to Tulsa
Curtis began his H&P journey as a roughneck on Rig 159, quickly working his way up to derrickhand and then driller. For five years, he operated rigs across Colorado and Wyoming in the North District under the leadership of Conly Pritchard and Toby Kern — mentors who helped shape his career trajectory.
“He’s definitely up there on my mentor list of guys that I look up to,” Curtis said of Conley, adding that these leaders taught him essential skills in delegation and leadership that he still relies on today.
The 2014 industry slowdown brought change, as it did for many in the oil field. Curtis transitioned to Oklahoma as a rig manager, continuing in that role for four years before making the leap to headquarters in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Supporting the Next Generation of Technology
Today, Curtis manages an 11-person drilling performance team that provides 24/7 support to drillers worldwide. His team consists primarily of former drillers and rig managers who now support field operations from the corporate side.
“We specialize in downhole dysfunction,” he said.
Curtis’ philosophy centers on what he calls “quality of life drilling” — using technology to make drillers’ jobs easier rather than more complicated.
“Instead of making their lives more complicated, drilling a well, these tools, these technologies are there to provide a quality of life drilling for them at the rig site,” he said. “To reallocate their time to focus on becoming a leader and not solely a control system operator.”
Innovation in Action
Among the recent innovations Curtis is most excited about is StallAssist® technology, a hard-coded algorithm that identifies when stalls happen during drilling operations.
“The system identifies the stall and it turns off the drilling equipment to safely mitigate the stall,” Curtis explained. “It handles that procedure in seconds versus minutes of a human doing it.”
The technology represents more than just operational efficiency — it’s about safety and cost savings.
“A stall could lead to a trip or a lost tools in hole. It’s very costly,” Curtis noted. “Safety gets impacted because now we’re exposing our crew to the rig floor, which is inherently dangerous place to be.”
Building the Driller Performance Academy
One of Curtis’ proudest achievements has been his involvement in H&P’s Driller Performance Academy. Working with colleagues Bobby Sizemore and Rhett Stricker, Curtis helped create a comprehensive training program that brings in 20 drillers every other week.
“It was definitely a team effort,” Curtis said of the academy’s development. The program combines behavioral training with hands-on drilling technology instruction, using interactive games and real-world scenarios.
Curtis teaches the technical portion, focusing purely on drilling and the company’s Flex App technologies. His approach to training reflects a broader philosophy about leadership and development.
“The idea of not training the person below you because you’re fearful that they’re going to take your job one day is ridiculous to think about,” Curtis said. “We need to change our focus to training the people below us to make our jobs easier as managers and people leads.”
A Global Perspective
Curtis’ responsibilities extend far beyond U.S. operations. His team supports rigs worldwide, including South America, and he manages a five-person team in India that handles administrative data functions.
“Something that's worth mentioning is our team in India. Five individuals that help do a lot of our administrative data type stuff in the back end,” Curtis said. “They’re a huge portion of the U.S. Remote Operations Center’s success and it doesn’t get highlighted enough.”
The H&P Difference
After 18 years with the company, Curtis remains enthusiastic about H&P’s culture and opportunities. When asked how he’d describe the company to potential employees, his response was immediate.
“I would describe it as an amazing place to work,” Curtis said. “The culture feels big as far as individuals that you haven't met before that work here, but it still feels very family-oriented.”
That family feeling extends to his own family. Curtis’ 17-year-old son has expressed interest in joining the oil field, and Curtis’ advice reflects his confidence in H&P.
“I told him it’s not a life of luxury, there is going to be some hard times that you’re going to have to go through,” Curtis said. “The only drilling contractor that I would ever advocate that he joins would be H&P for many reasons. The safety culture is probably the biggest reason.”
Looking Forward
Curtis’ daily motivation comes from the constant challenges and the tight-knit team he leads. His team has evolved beyond typical workplace relationships.
“If my team was any different than who they are right now, we not only — you know, employee-boss type situation. We’re friends,” Curtis said.