Robert “Bob” “Sonny” Fogal, Jr., one of the icons in the offshore oil and gas industry, has decided to retire from front-line work as Zentech’s Director of Business Development.  Zentech’s President Ramesh Maini noted on August 28, “All the serious players in our industry know Bob and his many accomplishments. He is clearly among the elite in this group.”

Fogal has spent his entire career in the rig building business, starting with Levingston Shipyard and subsequent work with major designers and builders in the U.S. as well as Singapore, Japan, China, Brazil, India, South Africa and the Middle East.  His official full-time employment began in 1957, although Bob admits that he was actually working part-time in the shipyard even before then.

His earliest assignments included engineering, estimating and QA-QC in the shipyard, followed by equal success in construction, projects, yard management and ultimately sales. This is where his star really started to shine, where Bob discovered his true passion. Ramesh Maini points out that “Since that time, Bob has been heavily involved in the sale and building of over 100 rigs and vessels.” 

Throughout his career, Bob has accumulated many awards and accolades for his contributions to the industry.  He has held memberships in IADC, MTS, SNAME, SPE and the NOMADS.

When asked about his future plans, Bob was noncommittal about his next adventure, although he wants to spend more time with his wife at their home in Alabama, and also with his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Zentech is a Houston based marine engineering and naval architecture consulting firm specializing in the offshore oil and gas and renewable energy industries.  The company has a 35 year history of providing innovative engineering solutions, and employs a professional staff of over 160 in six international locations.  Zentech’s expertise encompasses dynamically positioned semi-submersibles, drillships, jackup drilling units, barges, fixed offshore platforms, fabrication yards, floating production systems, risers and pipelines. 

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