Matthew R. Simmons, an energy investment banker and author of the book “Twilight in the Desert” that suggested Earth’s supply of oil is dwindling, died yesterday. He was 67.
Simmons “passed away suddenly,” according to an e-mailed statement today from the Ocean Energy Institute, founded by Simmons in 2007 to explore opportunities for harvesting energy from the seas. Simmons is survived by his wife, Ellen, and their five daughters.
Simmons is the founder and former chairman of the investment banking firm Simmons & Co. International, based in Houston. He started the company in May 1974 with a focus on the oil-services industry, according to its website. By the end of 1981, Simmons & Co. had a staff of 13. About 17 years later, the company opened its first office outside Houston, in Aberdeen, Scotland. It has expanded to offer research, institutional sales and investment banking in the energy industry.
“We are deeply saddened by the unexpected loss of a true visionary and friend,” Michael E. Frazier, chief executive officer of Simmons & Co., said today in a statement. “As a pivotal figure in the lives of many of our employees, and countless others across the energy industry, Matt will be sorely missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time.”
Simmons founded the Ocean Energy Institute in 2007 as a think tank and venture-capital fund for U.S. offshore renewable energy, including wind-powered energy, according to that group’s website.
On June 16, Simmons announced his retirement as chairman emeritus from Simmons & Co. so he could focus on the Ocean Energy Institute. He was a frequent critic of BP Plc’s efforts to stanch its oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, suggesting at one point that the best option would be to detonate a small nuclear bomb undersea to kill the well.
