Eric Prasse

Born February 28, 1957, in Ohio, Eric passed away August 6, 2022, in Dallas. He was preceded in death by parents Ernst Irvin Prasse and Rose Marie Stephenie Noonan Prasse, and by his sister Stephenie Louisa Prasse. He is survived by family in New York, being especially close to Aunt Evelyn Fitzsimmons; cousins Evelyn Fitzsimmons Cuomo, Dianne Fitzsimmons Rosina, and David Fitzsimmons.

Eric grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland where he graduated high school in 1972 at the age of 15. He graduated from Rice University with a BS degree in Geology in 1976. Texas A&M University awarded his Masters in Geology in 1978. Eric then joined Mobil Oil as a geologist, working for 15 years in their New Orleans, Netherlands, Germany, Indonesia, and Dallas offices. While living in The Netherlands, Eric at age 28 was Mobile Oil's youngest American foreign resident. He developed a new career focus and transitioned from a geologist to a Petrophysicist. In 1991, Prasse's petrophysical analyses in the Browse Basin of Australia radically reassessed reserves and exploration potential, identifying what would eventually become a 14 Tcf discovery in what was considered a dry hole. Later, Eric's petrophysical prowess revealed 25 billion barrels of by-passed oil reserves in the Middle East.

Eric joined DeGolyer and MacNaughton in 1998 as a Senior Petrophysicist where he travelled often to Algeria, Libya, Kuwait, and Russia. His technical work ensured the success of countless projects. Eric spent 39 years working in the petroleum industry and trained engineers and geologists worldwide in the art and science of Petrophysics retiring in 2020. He was a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers and a former officer of the Society of Petrophysicists and Well Log Analysts and the American Association of Petroleum Geologists. He was a Professional Geologist in Texas and Louisiana, and an AAPG Certified Petroleum Geologist.

Eric maintained a broad range of interests including soccer, group bicycling, Dallas professional sports, all things Disney, Robert Graham hats, dapper clothing, and seasonal front yard displays at his home for the delight of all. For years, Eric volunteered managing food booths at The 500, Inc Art Festivals. His plans to travel in retirement were restricted by the Covid pandemic, and he succumbed to non-Covid illness. Eric was a person of strong Catholic faith and a Fourth Degree Knight of Columbus. Eric wished to make a difference in educating students in his field by endowing the Eric Martin Prasse Chair in Geology at Rice University.

Memorial Mass is on Friday, October 14, 2022, at 11 a.m. at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, 6306 Kenwood Ave., Dallas, TX 75214. Reception after at the Knights of Columbus Kaycee Club, 10110 Shoreview Rd., Dallas, TX 75238.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Eric Martin Prasse Chair endowment at Rice University.