James Daniels
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     They were successful in exploration, resulting in producing properties in Trego, Graham, Rooks, and Ellis Counties.   Jim recalls that while sitting on one of D & D's wells in Norton County, he was occupying one of the company's small wellsite trailers during some extremely cold weather.  He left word on the rig floor to awaken him if his services were needed.  A crew member rattled the trailer door and Jim climbed into his shoes, but could not move.  His first thought was that the “roughnecks" had played a trick on him, as they have been known to do, and nailed his shoes to the floor.  He eventually realized that it was so cold that his shoes were frozen to the floor.

     In 1967 they sold their rig and Jim was hired by Bill Murfin as General Manager.  When the sole proprietorship became a corporation, Jim became Executive Vice-President of the company, his present position.   KGS members currently employed by Murfin are: Scott Robinson, David Doyel and Barbara Dodson.

     Jim belongs to a number of professional organizations in addition to KGS:  AAPG, SPE, RMAG, and IADC.  He has been particularly active as one of the Kansas official representatives on the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission (IOGCC).  He served as a director on the Colorado School of Mines Alumni Association for six years.  Jim has served the Kansas Geological Foundation as Vice -President and has worked as scholarship chairman for university students, one of the Foundation's highest priority activities.

     On a local level, in the past, he has been active in working with the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts.  He also has been involved in church activities at Blessed Sacrament and Church of the Magdalen.

     In looking back on his career, Jim believes that probably his father was the professional that exerted the greatest influence on him and the fact that his father was a geologist was the determining factor in his selection of geology as a career.  He also gives credit to Fritz Aurin, Chief Geologist at Marland and later President of Southland Royalty as exerting some early influence on him. 

      His own advice to any geologist just entering the field as a professional would be to find employment with a large company to gain the broad type of experience and knowledge that will allow them to deal with all types of geological challenges.  Jim believes that one of the most challenging of geological problems in his own career has been the Morrow Sand of SE Colorado.

     At this time Jim does not have any plans for retirement and still has several particular areas of interest in his geological and industry activities.  One is the CO2 project in Russell County that involves Murfin, Kansas Geological Survey, TORP, and the DOE.  Jim enjoys working with the latest technology and in particular 3-D seismic.

     Even though he doesn't have plans for retirement, if he ever slows down a little he plans more time with his children and grandchildren and more time for recreational interests such as trout fishing.  He also says that currently he plays a little golf and in the past played a lot of tennis.

     It is difficult to condense what has been a full and active professional and personal life of a successful practitioner of geology into a short profile like this one.