### Thor Pruckl
**Chief Operating Officer at VAALCO Energy, Inc.**
**Location:** Houston, TX, United States
Thor Pruckl stands as a paragon of operational excellence and strategic leadership in the Oil & Gas industry. With an impressive tenure exceeding three decades, Thor has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to enhancing production, operations, and management across both international and domestic landscapes. His current role as the Chief Operating Officer at VAALCO Energy, Inc., headquartered in Houston, Texas, marks a pinnacle in his career where he strategically directs project and site operations to surpass cost, quality, safety, and return on investment objectives that span six countries.
Thor’s expansive career is characterized by a relentless drive for results and a focus on solutions that have consistently delivered advancements in cost control, environmental stewardship, risk management, and production optimization. His business acumen is matched only by his technical expertise, which he leverages to spearhead process improvements as well as training and technological innovations.
Before ascending to the COO position at VAALCO Energy in February 2022, Thor honed his executive capabilities as the company’s Executive Vice President of International Operations. This role built upon his wealth of experience garnered from previous high-level positions at Noble Energy, where he served as Asset Development Director in Houston and later as Country Manager & Vice President for Noble EG Ltd in Equatorial Guinea. Thor’s journey through the echelons of leadership was further marked by significant contributions to Talisman Energy across various geographies, including Sydney, Australia, where he excelled as Operations Manager.
His ability to navigate complex cultural and regulatory environments was evident during his time as Chief Company Representative for Talisman Energy Nuigini Limited based in Papua New Guinea. His technical foundation was solidified through roles such as Operations Superintendent with Talisman Energy and earlier as Maintenance Superintendent with Greater Nile Petroleum Operating Company (GNPOC) in Sudan, where he laid the groundwork for operational excellence that would define his career.
Academically, Thor has fortified his practical experience with robust educational credentials. He completed a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from Royal Roads University, complementing his earlier studies at the University of Saskatchewan. His dedication to continuous learning is paralleled by his proficiency in languages, including English and German.
In addition to his corporate responsibilities, Thor is recognized for building strong collaborative relationships with cross-cultural teams, local community stakeholders, third-party service providers, field personnel, government entities, and regulatory bodies. His specialties encompass a wide array of expertise including Production Planning & Yield Optimization, Offshore & Onshore Operations, and Maintenance Planning & Management, among others.
As a respected member of the Oil & Gas community with over 500 professional connections on LinkedIn alone, Thor continues to influence industry standards through thought leadership while maintaining active engagement with developments that shape the energy sector.
