In political circles, fall is often referred to as “harvest season.” This makes sense, especially in election years, because all of the work you’ve put in – the hours and days and weeks of preparation, of backbreaking work, of endless tasks that seem magically not to disappear when complete, but somehow multiply – now finds its ultimate result. In election terms, that result is binary. You either win or lose. There is no third option.
When it comes to the oil and natural gas industry, the “harvest season” metaphor still applies, considering fall is uniquely situated in the calendar, torn between the need to wrap up the current year’s projects and the desire to plan those of the next. But our campaigns never end. There is no finish line, and there never will be. The reasons for that are many, but one is that a very vocal and determined subset of activists will not be satisfied until fossil fuel development in all its forms ends permanently. Their campaign season is 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 52 weeks a year.
It’s easy to get cynical about this fact of our industry, considering ours is a business built on drilling wells, transporting product, refining it into its many uses, and ensuring it’s reliably there for public consumption affordably and safely – and not on perpetually counteracting a campaign designed to put us out of business. But we find we’re most effective (and happiest) when we choose gratitude instead of cynicism.
Because the fact is, whether they want to admit it or not, people do depend on us. And we’re there. The United States oil and natural gas industries are unparalleled compared to those of our peers anywhere else in the world. We drill wells cleaner and with greater environmental protections than any other country. We work in partnership with governments at every level, landowners with either surface or subsurface rights or both, and within communities where our activities benefit the local economy but have much broader impacts. And our refiners continue to innovate in such a way that they continue to increase output and meet our growing needs despite perpetually diminishing capacity in neighboring states.
Those elements are all things for which I’m proud to represent in this industry. What fills me with the most gratitude, however, is that these things are not enough for those who work in oil and natural gas. They’re not satisfied with merely – and I say merely with my tongue firmly implanted in my cheek – providing the very building blocks upon which our society runs.
No, the people in this industry seek to go above and beyond, become beacons in their communities, help those less fortunate, and offer a hand to those who need it. In the following pages, you’ll find a litany of stories about our membership putting this philosophy into action. You’ll read about scholarships that have been developed and unique community projects. You’ll see photos and stories from our annual food drive. You’ll get a taste of our constant pursuit of innovation.
So, as harvest season comes to a close and we transition from fall to winter and hopefully from an abundance of work to a time of togetherness with loved ones, I’m choosing to harvest gratitude. I hope you’ll do the same, and the stories you read in this edition of Update fill you with pride, joy, and a sense of satisfaction. Thank you for doing the work you do, and I wish you the best this season.
Enjoy the issue.
