A history of leadership. A future of growth.

Southern Petroleum Laboratories was founded in 1944 by W.A. (“Dubb”) Frier, a graduate of Texas A&M University with a degree in chemical engineering and a recognized authority in his field. Operating under the name W.A. Frier and Company, the firm initially provided only well testing services to the petroleum industry. Two years later,petroleum testing and natural gas analysis were added to the firm’s list of services and the company’s name was changed to Southern Petroleum Laboratories, Inc.

During the 1950’s and 1960’s, SPL expanded both in its service offering and in geographic reach. Herb Brown was hired in 1957 as the manager of the Carthage, TX and Lafayette, LA facilities. Following Dubb’s death in 1972, Herb was appointed president and chief executive officer of SPL. During Herb’s 55-year tenure, he continued to develop the list of services offered –growing SPL into a multi-million dollar company with ten laboratory facilities, multiple service divisions, and a solid reputation as one of the premiere hydrocarbon testing and measurement companies in the United States.

Today, led by Herb’s son, Christopher Brown, and a team of respected experts in petroleum testing, measurement, data management, and allocation, SPL is recognized globally as the industry leader in oil and gas measurement,allocations, auditing, and laboratory services.

In keeping with our firm belief in transparency and partnership, SPL extends an open invitation to visit any of our facilities to see our state-of-the-art equipment and speak with our highly-trained professionals. At SPL, you will always receive a warm welcome.