Kenneth Dale Cavender

Durant, OK- Kenneth Dale Cavender, 67, passed from this life on Wednesday, August 28th, 2024 in Denison, Texas. Kenneth was born September 25, 1956 in Durant to Joe and Vonda (Williams) Cavender. Kenny is a graduate of Durant High School. He married Candy Robinson on July 23rd, 2015. He is a member of Calvary Baptist Church. He had a passion for skydiving, piloting, an avid reader, boating, water and snow skiing, and an automobile enthusiast. Kenny’s recognition from Aramco sums up his life’s work. After completing college in 1979, Kenny began his professional career drilling wells in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Kansas, and Wyoming. Switching continents, he left North America and headed to Africa, where he drilled wells in South Africa, Gabon, and the Congo. He followed up with three years of exploration all over Indonesia, including in the rubber plantations of Sumatra in the north. Deciding to give South America a try, Kenny plied his trade in Columbia and Peru. Finally settling in the Kingdom, beginning in 2001 Kenny lived for 12 years at 613 Saihat by the elementary school in Dhahran. Since 2012 Kenny worked on a 28/28 schedule. Kenny wrote that “While working in the oilfield in general and with Aramco specifically, I have been fortunate enough to have worked for and with what I consider to be some of the best people in the oilfield. During my time in Saudi Arabia, I have been lucky enough to have been associated with many aggressive projects such as the ones that culminated in the drilling of the two deepest vertical wells ever drilled in Saudi Arabia ( record stands of today).We drilled HRUR-2 in 2008 with TD in 5 7-8”hole at 22,769 ft, and HBDA-1 in 2009 with a 8 3-9” hole at 23,060 ft, the deepest vertical core was also cut on these two wells. The drilling rig was one of the largest land rigs in Saudi Arabia at the time with a 2,000,000 pound mast and National Oilwell E3000 HP draw works and National Oilwell 14-P-220 mud pumps with 2200 HP, 14” stroke and 7,500 PSI fluid ends and mud lines, on HBDA-1 we ran 17,200 ft of 9 5-8’ 58.4 lb. casing with a hook of well over 1 million lbs. During the early days of my Aramco career from 2001 to 2006, I was in the Ghazal Field where we drilled dual laterals in the Unazyah A & B formations, GHZL-6, 7, 9, 13, 14, 18, 20 and GHZL-22. The Unayzah sand is extremely abrasive and we were in the early days of trial run testing of PDC and impreg. Diamond bits before they were dependable enough to rely on, we had some wells with 68 to 70 roller cone rock bit runs from spud to TD. The deep gas team of engineers also designed the first successful Level 3 multilateral completion, the program was carried out at the well by former Aramcon Karl Hilthon and me. It has been an experience beyond my wildest dreams… I have only worked for two companies over the last 38 years, Parker Drilling from June 1979 to June 1997 and Aramco from January 2001 to present. It has been a magnificent adventure.” Kenny founded Cavender’s Consulting Company from 1990 – 1999. Kenny was preceded in death by his grandparents, Troy and Lucille Williams and Claude and Viola Cavender. He leaves behind his wife, Candy of Denison, TX; a daughter, Skye Cavender of Durant; son, Kooper Cavender of Durant, OK; his parents, Joe and Vonda Cavender of Durant; brothers, Joe Keith Cavender and his wife, Sheri, of Durant, and Kelly Cavender of Durant; daughter, Karalee Young and her husband, Joshua of Sulphur, LA; grandson, Bradley Joe Cavender of Durant; grandkids Rosy, Henry, and Piper Young of Sulphur, LA; nephew, Tod Cavender; and niece, Kendall Cavender Kirk. https://www.tributeslides.com/tributes/show/HL8CZ5G37T86FJFN

Kenneth Dale Cavender

September 25, 1956 - August 28, 2024