November 2, 2021

Welcome XCL Resources and Lauren Brown to UPA’s Executive Committee. We’re excited to have Ms. Brown join our leadership and bring her energy and vision to the Basin.

If you are having difficulties hiring, you aren’t alone. In 2016, a research report published by the American Petroleum Institute projected a need for 1.9 million new workers to replace retiring workers and accommodate growth. Then the pandemic shutdown started in March 2020. Job shortages have gotten increasingly worse since then. Many people predicted that labor shortages would end along with pandemic unemployment benefits in September 2021. That didn’t happen. A CNBC Global CFO Council survey for Q3 2021 found that 84% of CFOs globally are struggling to hire employees. At 95%, the U.S. percentage was even higher.

UPA’s inaugural Safety & Environmental Awards are now open for nominations. Head to
https://utahpetroleum.org/awards/ to nominate those who exemplify excellence and leadership in safety and environmental performance. Winners will be announced at our annual meeting in January. Help us highlight how the industry goes above and beyond!

The Wasatch Front isn’t alone in facing ozone as our newest air quality challenge. While the drivers and details are different, the Uintah Basin also struggles with a unique wintertime ozone challenge. Winter conditions result in temperature inversions “trapping” VOC, NOx, Sulfur, and Particulates. UV light reflecting off snow then reacts with pollutants and results in high levels of ozone.

Brinderson Achieved 12 months without a recordable incident. Brinderson’s Safety excellence is the result of a dedicated team that practices safe behaviors and a strong safety culture.

It has been a busy end of the summer for UPA and our members. We’ve been hard at work on providing networking and community engagement opportunities that have been sorely missed over the last year and a half. On Sept. 9, we hosted our sold-out UPA Oil and Gas Classic Golf Tournament. Thank you to the roughly 500 sponsors and vendors that made it such a fantastic day.

In August, a reporter with the Salt Lake Tribune published a story titled “The EPA said Utah’s ozone pollution was harming public health. Industry groups pushed the state to blame China instead.” Read full story here at https://www.sltrib.com/news/environment/2021/08/25/hijacked-by-polluters/.

We want to give a shoutout to Utah Gas Corp for holding their first “Women’s Offsite” event and recognizing the inherent value of a diverse and balanced team. UPA President Rikki Hrenko-Browning and the Executive Director of West Slope Colorado Oil & Gas Association, Chelsea Miera, teamed up to talk to the women about female leadership in the energy industry.

The development and production of energy have always been politicized, I suppose. I’m a believer that energy is and always has been the essential foundation to our evolution, its role as critical as that of food and shelter. However, the hows, whys and wheres of energy development are worthwhile points of discussion, and the nuances of those conversations matter, especially to those most directly impacted by the decisions made.