Five new inductees to the Saskatchewan Oilpatch Hall of Fame and the Saskatchewan and Southeast Saskatchewan Oilmen of the Year were named at the Saskatchewan Oil and Gas Show on Wednesday.

The Hall of Fame recipients and Saskatchewan Oilman of the Year were announced at the Centennial Luncheon, attended by Premier Lorne Calvert and Industry and Resources Minister Eric Cline. The Southeast Sask. Oilman of the Year was awarded at the evening banquet.

The Saskatchewan Oilman of the Year was Brian Schmidt, president of Apache Canada Ltd., awarded for his role at Apache, and their demonstrated corporate commitment to Saskatchewan.

Schmidt started out his career with Shell Canada soon after graduating from the University of Calgary in 1981, and spent 18 years, working his way up from a summer student driving a loader in the sulphur pits, up to Manager of development and exploitation. Apache acquired the Midale Shell operation in 1999; since then, Brian has risen from production engineering manager to vice-president of engineering, and in June 2004 was appointed president of Apache Canada.

The founder of Southeast Oilfield Services and a former superintendent of Saskatchewan operations for PanCanadian Petroleum was named the 2005 Southeast Saskatchewan Oilman of the Year.

Wilf Skjonsby accepted the trophy for Southeast Oilman of the Year at the Oilpatch awards ceremony. Taking the stage, Skjonsby introduced his family and thanked the Oil Show Board and the selection committee, adding they had done a "great job" with the Oil Show this year.

Skjonsby, who was born in Oungre, started his oilfield career in 1954 for Central Leduc in maintenance as a roustabout. He became a residential battery operator following the evolution of Central Leduc into Central Del Rio, and came to live on what is now the Weyburn Unit.

He was promoted to production foreman in 1963, and then to superintendent of Saskatchewan operations in 1972 following Central Del Rio's evolution to PanCanadian.

He retired in 1992 and immediately started a family business called Southeast Oilfield Services (SOS), training Owen Skjonsby and Laurie Campbell as battery operators. The company operated wells for companies like Langevin, Atlantis, Anderson Oil and Zargon Oil and Gas, but he consulted with numerous other companies.

The Hall of Fame inductees were Leonard Maier, who worked at Halliburton for 37 years; Jack Williams, president and CEO of Adeco Exploration Co., an oil and gas producer based in Calgary; Norm Robertson, whose career was with ATCO Structures, including as senior vice-president and president; Victor J. Zaleschuk, a director and former president and CEO of Nexen Inc. and Agrium Inc., as well as chairman of Cameco Corporation; and Bob Reid, who has served as president of Foothills Pipelines, President and CEO of Westcoast Energy, president and CEO of Pan-Alberta Gas, and president and CEO of Union Gas Ltd., as well as the founding chairman of B.C. Transmission Corp.

The ceremonies on Wednesday night were also used for the roasting of Bruce Wilson, acting deputy minister for Saskatchewan Industry and Resources, who will be eligible for retirement next year.

Wilson started with Industry and Resources in 1970 and has served with the department ever since, eventually becoming executive director of the petroleum and natural gas branch. He also played a part in getting the first Oil Show off the ground in 1985.

Throughout the roast, Wilson was applauded for his role in the setting of countless records for oil and gas drilling, production and land sales, as well as creating a productive relationship between government and petroleum industry.

"I want to say Bruce has been a friend to the oil industry in general," said Norm Mondor of Aldon Oils.