Stronger Together

Fellow “Oilys”: 

We are in the midst of unparalleled times – in our industry, our nation, and our world. Caught in the crossfire between an oil price war and an unprecedented drop in demand are the people who literally fuel our economy. The people I call family. We are all cut from the same cloth­ — resilient, stubborn, sometimes downright abrasive…but the same. The best people on the planet belong to this fraternity — “Oilfield Trash,” and we are all very proud of our title.

The challenge presented by the COVID-19 pandemic highlights something Oklahomans already know – the oil and natural gas industry is essential, in multiple ways. When Gov. Kevin Stitt put in place protections to slow the coronavirus’ spread, he wisely followed federal guidelines and industry advice by designating the oil and natural gas industry “critical infrastructure.”

Exempting the energy industry from shut-down orders makes every American more secure. This decision means the resilient people of the oilfield will continue to provide the fuel and raw materials Americans rely on for transportation, manufacturing and electricity. The lights will stay on, and delivery trucks will keep rolling because of the oil and natural gas industry.

Remember, the energy industry does not just keep our country operational in times of crisis. Individuals and companies leverage their collective strength for the good of their community as well. Our industry has answered the call after hurricanes, tornadoes and other tragedies, and we will honor the legacy of previous generations by leading the way once again. Through the Petroleum Pandemic Response, Alliance members are providing masks, disinfectants, and other equipment critical to protecting the medical workers on the front lines and for treating patients. Our oil and natural gas are also critical to Oklahoma’s economy through countless good-paying jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars poured into our schools and towns each year.

Now is the time for our industry to unite. Now is the time to find common ground and collaborate. We cannot lose all our wisdom and divide our voices over petty “non-issues” or egos. The Petroleum Alliance was put together differently than its predecessors — OIPA and OKOGA. Designed to provide equal weight to the largest and smallest producers in Oklahoma, while more than tipping our hats to midstream providers and our beloved oil and gas service sector, who continue to be the “canary in the coal mine”. . . running out of oxygen first while the rest of us fight for breath.

The founders of OEPA felt like they had been brushed aside. They were promised relevancy under a new flag. The truth is, they have never been anything but relevant in my eyes. The men that we have lost set the standard for all of us . . . men that had a personal impact on me . . . like Bob Waller and Lew Ward. Many others continued the mission and proved to be visionaries and carried the torch, like Pete Brown, Ronnie Irani, Harold Hamm, and others too numerous to name. Our past leadership developed the idea and implemented the founding of the Oklahoma Energy Resource Board — to provide the public service of education and the restoration of long-forgotten and abandoned, orphaned well sites.

We all know folks like those mentioned above. “After midnight in the little town of Alice, Texas a man received a call on a party line. ‘Hey, we have lost pressure on #6, truck will be by in 20 minutes.’ The man knew exactly what to do. He put on his work clothes and boots and walked outside, had a smoke of a cigarette he rolled himself without a filter, jumped into the truck and rode out to the country. He told the driver, ‘Stop here at the section line,’ and got out, slung a clamp over his right shoulder with shovel in hand, lantern in the other, proper wrench sticking long out of his pocket, and began to walk the line. After hours of walking, found where the leak was, set the lantern down a safe distance, and began to dig. Dug the leak out and clamped it — noting and estimating how far from the nearest section line he had walked to tell the crew to complete a permanent repair. Then he walked to the nearest section line and waited for the truck to come by and pick him up.”

That man was my Grandfather. He would always find chores for my brother and me to keep busy and mostly stay out of trouble. He used to tell me when I was doing any job, “Make a game out of your work . . . enjoy it . . . but most of all . . . TAKE CARE OF YOUR JOB.”

I am sharing this story with you because we all had fathers, grandfathers, and mentors that showed us the way and guided us in this industry and life. I could tell you countless stories of riding in the front seat, standing up without a seatbelt, on lease roads at night with my Dad when he was a young petroleum engineer . . . “checking on a few things” as he would say.

The vast majority of the regulatory, legislative and macro-related headwinds for our industry in Oklahoma are not divisive. We will, together, find solutions.

My personal goal is that we all ultimately unite under the Petroleum Alliance Flag and once again speak with one voice to represent and advocate for the tremendous people of Oklahoma’s Oil and Natural Gas Industry. We govern by consensus and have a committee structure in place to ensure we draw on each members’ expertise and experience. We provide opportunities for smaller companies to save money through programs like the Alliance Health and Benefits plan (see page 54). Strength and bargaining power with our collaborative numbers and voices.

So spread the word - the Petroleum Alliance of Oklahoma was created for ALL constituents of our oil and gas community. I love this quote from American author Patrick Lencioni, who said: “If you could get all the people in an organization rowing in the same direction, you could dominate any industry, in any market, against any competition, at any time.” Let us pick up the phone and mend our fences because we are stronger TOGETHER.

Sincerely,

David D. Le Norman

Chairman, Petroleum Alliance of Oklahoma

Originally published in the April 2020 Wellhead magazine.

Ashley McClain