By: Will James
In this interview, we sit down on the sidelines of CERAWeek 2025 with Skip Alvarado, a seasoned energy executive whose career spans over five decades in the oil and gas industry. From his rancher family beginnings in Texas to working on major international projects in the Arabian Gulf and Asia, Alvarado has witnessed and contributed to key developments in energy infrastructure worldwide.
Today, Skip shares insights on his journey, experiences in global energy markets, and his perspective on the future of nuclear energy working with Wadie (WJ) Habboush at ENTRA1 Energy. The collaboration with ENTRA1 Energy represents a promising effort in advancing next-generation energy solutions.
Q: What initially drew you to the oil and gas industry? Was there a particular experience, mentor, or event that shaped your decision?
Skip Alvarado: I came from a hard-working Texan family. My primary ambition was always to be resourceful and productive and to make a self-made living. Growing up in Texas, two industries were ingrained in my psyche—oil and gas and cattle ranching. My grandfather was a rancher, so I grew up around that world, but oil and gas were everywhere in Texas.
While in college at Texas A&M, I was determined to find a summer job that paid well enough. Initially, I tried home building, but I quickly realized it barely covered basic expenses. That’s when I came across Brown & Root, a well-regarded Texas company, through a friend’s father. They offered me a job on a steel mill project near Houston, where I was so inspired that I worked double shifts, sometimes 16-hour days. As a young man, I found the pay rewarding, allowing me to finance almost my entire year of college!
After three summers at Brown & Root, I became deeply familiar with the company’s culture. By my senior year, they offered me a full-time position upon graduation. Interestingly, it was the lowest-paying offer I had compared to Bechtel and others, but I valued the experience, the people, and the adventure more than the salary. That’s how I got my start in the oil and gas industry.
Q: You started working internationally early in your career. What was that transition like?
Alvarado: I graduated on a Saturday, started work on Monday, and by the following weekend, I was deployed to Central America—Honduras, to be precise. The project involved surveying for a potential oil pipeline from the Caribbean coast inland.
At that time, I had no aspirations of working internationally, but once I got a taste of it, I realized I adapted well to that environment. Many people struggle with international assignments, but for those of us who enjoy it, it’s a highly engaging experience. That first assignment led to two decades of mostly international projects with intermittent projects in the United States.
Q: What were some of the biggest cultural or operational differences you encountered while working in Asia and the Middle East?
Alvarado: My grandfather taught me an invaluable lesson—leadership is about working with people, not above them. As a builder and rancher, he had crews of laborers, and he treated them with the utmost respect. I watched him engage with his team, learning from them just as much as he taught. That shaped how I worked and formed the foundation of my approach internationally—I never sought to impose my way of thinking but instead integrated into the local workforce, providing guidance and leadership when necessary.
One memorable experience was in Indonesia, where we were building an offshore Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) plant. We flew in skilled craftsmen from the U.S. to train the local workforce. I personally met every incoming worker at the airport to assess whether they could communicate cross-culturally and adapt to the local culture. If they struggled to integrate, they went straight back home.
Brown & Root had a program to identify employees who thrived overseas. I was fortunate to be among those who adapted well, which allowed me to work in diverse regions worldwide.
Q: You have significant experience in the Gulf region and have played a key role, particularly in Kuwait during Desert Storm. Can you share your experience in the region’s oil & gas, and civil infrastructure sectors?
Alvarado: I had a great experience working in the Middle East, particularly the Arabian Gulf region. One of my significant assignments was in Kuwait just days after the Gulf War ended. The country was in an unfortunate state—unexploded ordnances, no electricity, no running water. We lived out of our trucks, flew in water daily, and had to be extremely cautious. At the time, no one knew how long it would take to extinguish the 770 oil fires. Red Adair, the legendary firefighter, testified before Congress that it would take five years. Through coordinated efforts, we managed to complete the work in eight months.
As I traveled across the region in the 1980s, I became familiar with the well-established Habboush name, which was highly regarded at senior levels for its role in major infrastructure projects. A key part of a successful strategy is recognizing the value of strong partnerships rather than working in isolation. That’s where the Habboush Group played a critical role in fulfilling American infrastructure initiatives in the region. Our collaboration extended to key geographies, including Turkey and Iraq, and we worked in partnership with Fluor Corporation and other American companies like Halliburton.
Q: You’ve worked extensively in oil and gas, but now you’re focused on Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). What excites you about this technology?
Alvarado: I’ve witnessed technology transform the oil and gas industry. When I started, laying a pipeline in 400 feet of water was groundbreaking. Today, we do it in thousands of feet of water. The shale revolution unlocked resources we once thought were inaccessible.
When WJ Habboush introduced me to the SMR concept, I recognized it as a transformative development in the energy sector. SMRs offer a potentially scalable, cost-effective, and sustainable baseload power solution. Compared to traditional nuclear plants, they may require one-third the cost and one-third the time to build.
During CERAWeek, experts acknowledged our technology across multiple panels as the first U.S. NRC-approved SMR technology positioned for deployment. The market is increasingly recognizing how SMRs can bridge the energy gap. Demand appears to be growing, and I believe SMRs have the potential to become a standard part of global energy infrastructure. The challenge now is execution—scaling these projects efficiently across multiple locations. ENTRA1’s partnership has assembled a strong one-stop-shop solution that aims to address this challenge effectively.
Q: Looking back, what are you most proud of in your career?
Alvarado: One of my proudest moments was in Kuwait. As I was leaving, the Chairman of Kuwait Oil Company presented me with an award and said, “You have a home in Kuwait from now on because you put our skin over your skin.” That was his way of recognizing that I truly became part of their team.
This industry isn’t just about projects and profits—it’s about people, relationships, and making a lasting impact. That’s what has kept me going all these years.
Final Thoughts
Skip Alvarado’s journey reflects the evolution of the energy industry—from traditional oil and gas to advancing nuclear technology alongside innovators like WJ Habboush. His leadership, adaptability, and vision for the future of SMRs could help shape the next chapter of global energy development through the initiative.
Published by Joseph T.
