I have a mechanical engineering degree from Vanderbilt University (1980), am a licensed professional engineer (PE) in the State of Nevada, and am a certified Project Management Professional (PMP®) by the Project Management Institute. The majority of my experience is in the oil and gas, geothermal, and gas-turbine power industries, with a focus on geothermal power. I enjoy applying the knowledge and experience gained from my 40-year career to help clients. Along with this, I also enjoy continuing to develop my skills and knowledge, keeping abreast of the latest developments within the renewable power industry. Fundamentally, I favor solving diverse technical and managerial problems and I particularly enjoy applying my skills to meet new and/or unique challenges. I also enjoy working on international projects including time spent in-country. Over my career I have developed a strong synergy of technical and managerial skills, knowledge and real-world experience by working directly for many of the largest global power project developers such as Chevron, CalEnergy, Calpine, Advanced Power Projects and Gradient Resources.
I have held diverse technical and engineering roles such as drilling, production, and reservoir engineer, drilling supervisor on land and offshore rigs, power plant operations engineer, and senior positions such as senior vice president (engineering and construction) and Chief Technical Officer (CTO). I have also held managerial level positions from plant manager up to and including Senior Vice President and Chief Operations Officer (COO) in both US and international locations for major power project developers. I have held the senior managerial position at many of the largest geothermal projects in the U.S., including Coso (CalEnergy), Imperial Valley (CalEnergy), and The Geysers (Calpine).
From 1980 to 1987, I gained hands-on drilling, production, and reservoir engineering experience. In 1987, I took a position as operations engineer at Chevron’s Desert Peak Geothermal Project near Reno, Nevada. In 1991, when the project was acquired by CalEnergy Company, Inc., Chevron transferred me to San Ramon, California as an offshore engineer. From 1991 to 1997, I held increasingly responsible management positions, including the position of Vice President, U.S. Operations. In 1997, still with CalEnergy, I relocated to Jakarta, Indonesia, as Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Asia where I was responsible for geothermal resource development, plant and wellfield engineering, drilling, construction, and environmental compliance. In 2000, Calpine asked that I take the position of Senior Vice President, Gas Operations and in 2006 I formed Manuel Energy Inc. and shortly after relocated to Kuwait. In 2008 I returned to the United States and continued working in geothermal energy, and eventually created Manuel Weyman Group with fellow engineer, Roland Weyman.
Some of my experience has allowed me to take lead technical and managerial positions for international projects within Indonesia, the Philippines, and Kuwait. I’ve really enjoyed the international projects I’ve been a part of and I have even resided in Jakarta, Indonesia and Kuwait City, Kuwait. To date I have traveled to twenty-one countries.