In the 16th century, a Dutch philosopher named Disiderius Erasmus wrote a textbook called Copia: The Foundations of Abundant Style, which contributed to the time’s existing scholarship on style. In essence, what Erasmus argued was that style must be abundant in order to be effective. And what is abundance? Abundance can be thought of as variety, and variety comes in two forms: in the way something is expressed and in using that expression with regard to a variety of subject matter. Variety, Erasmus says, “is so powerful in every sphere that there is absolutely nothing, however brilliant, which is not dimmed if not commended by variety.”
I thought about abundance and variety as we concluded a monumental legislative session immediately followed by a jam-packed annual meeting. When you live and breathe this industry day in and day out as we do, it can often feel like we’re talking about the same things again and again and again. That’s the nature of any work. When you’re in the thick of it, the repetition of the conversations you need to have to be effective can feel a bit numbing and like the endless whir of a machine that never stops cycling.
Yet, when I take a step back and consider the depth and breadth of topics this industry encompasses, I’m amazed at the variety and abundance of stories to be told, lessons to be learned and insights to be gained. We talk about gas prices because that is the immediate entry point for most people even to consider the work we do. We talk about air quality because Utah’s unique geographic and topographic features render considering it a prerequisite for any industry, not to mention that most of us also happen to breathe it every day. We discuss technological advances because we always have been and always will be an industry of problem solvers and innovators, pursuing the constant evolution of improvement. And we spend a great deal of time considering policy at the local, state and federal levels because policies written there filter down to our member companies, the supply chain and ultimately the millions of consumers of our product in Utah and beyond.
All of those topics could be considered and discussed from a multitude of entry points, which, in my estimation, makes this industry endlessly fascinating. The conversations necessitated by its complexity are the very definition of what Erasmus articulated in Copia. To that end, in this issue, you’ll find a recap of both this year’s record-breaking legislative session and our annual meeting, which we hope you’ll find informative and stimulating.
Looking back, time will show that we are at a critical juncture. Utah’s oil and gas growth is new and rapid and could be revolutionary for the basin and state. We now have the ability to not only meet the SLC refinery market demand but also to export fuels out of the state in growing volumes. However, this evolution comes with an abundance and variety of growth challenges, mostly in the form of infrastructure. We need roads, pipelines, storage, electrification, and workforce. The ability of our members to be proactive and collaborate on this new variety will make or break this nascent revolution.
And speaking of growth in exports and successes, it also bears mention that this legislative session, we secured $88.5 M in funding for improvements to HW 191, which will allow us to continue delivering product safely from the basin to rail and onto the export market. This is truly a significant achievement and investment into rural Utah. While we celebrate this accomplishment, we recognize this is just the beginning of what needs to be done.
This budding revolution is the direct result of all of your efforts. Our industry continues to grow and thrive, and in so doing, provides the energy necessary to power Utahns’ daily lives. This continued growth and success is particularly notable because the industry faces continued headwinds, not the least of which, can be traced directly to the actions — and sometimes inactions — of the federal government. Despite abundant headwinds, we will continue to prevail.
True to his own premise, there were at least 85 editions of Erasmus’s work printed during his own lifetime alone. His original version contained 153 chapters. In its final version, there were 206. We have many more chapters to write in the business of Utah oil and natural gas development. This issue reflects on an important one. The abundance and variety of the issues demanding our attention is impressive.
Enjoy the issue.
