OBITUARY

Andrew Potts died on 03/06/2019.

Professor Andrew Elmhirst Potts was an engineer, entrepreneur and luminary who made global breakthroughs in offshore drilling.

Born in 1959, Professor Potts graduated from Monash University with a Bachelor of Engineering in 1983 and a Master’s in Offshore-Structural Engineering Science in 1989. He completed his PhD in Offshore Engineering at the University of Reading in 1993.

In 1991 Professor Potts founded the Australian Marine Offshore Group, which went on to trade as AMOG Consulting. AMOG does engineering work in the oil, gas, mining, transport, renewable energy and defence sectors. Under his leadership, the company grew from humble beginnings to become a global consultancy that operates across five continents.

Professor Potts was motivated by a dedication to engineering, a passion for innovation, a devotion to sharing his knowledge and drive to excel. Elected a Fellow in 2017, he championed engineering excellence through partnerships with companies, governments and academia.

Renowned for his commitment to research and development, Professor Potts won numerous awards, spearheaded leading joint industry projects, developed patented technology and presented technical papers at conferences around the globe.

One of his passions was the science of biomimicry: the use of features from nature for mechanical engineering outcomes. He researched the fluting on cactuses that withstand high winds and applied these insights to design more resilient drills.

His work in the offshore oil and gas sector including projects relating to fixed and floating offshore structures, submarine pipelines and highly flexible systems such as moorings and flexible risers. He was an expert in advanced numerical and finite element analyses and physical model testing, and designed criteria, facilities, structures, operations and installations.

A skilled project manager and technical engineer, Professor Potts often provided specialist advice in legal cases, business plans, project management, specification development, tender evaluation, contract negotiation and assessment of contracts.

This work often extended into the field of failure investigation, forensic engineering and the provision of expert witness services. Professor Potts was also an authority in the area of steel wire ropes and fibre rope systems used in marine applications.

Professor Potts died on 6 March 2019 aged 59. He is survived by his wife Sue and six children.