Jeff Sparks
My name is Jeff Sparks and I am your new chairman at the Permian Basin Petroleum Association. I am humbled when I reflect on the truly great leaders the PBPA has had in the past. I will do everything I can to continue the great legacy of the PBPA. I will need to lean on Tommy Taylor, the immediate past chairman, and other past chairmen for advice as we move forward. I look forward to working with the Executive Committee, the PBPA Board, and the PBPA staff. Together, we will continue to stand up for the good of our oil and gas industry and the Permian Basin.
I don’t want to talk about the election this November, but I feel that I must since voting will be over before you can read next month’s magazine. We need to vote for a pro-oil and gas administration. Please go vote and encourage everyone that you have influence over to get out and vote for leaders that will stand up for the oil and gas industry.
There are currently a lot of arrows being shot at our industry. We are unjustly accused of damaging the environment, killing endangered species from lizards to chickens and snails to butterflies. The federal government wants to regulate us out of business and some large financial institutions want to starve the oil and gas industry of capital. With so many against oil and gas, one must ask oneself, “Why do I work in this industry?” As for me, I work in this industry because oil and gas improves the human condition. No other industry does more to lift people out of poverty and improve the living conditions for society.
The oil and gas industry is the backbone of every other field of service to improve human life in a world that is naturally hostile to every living creature. This industry is crucial to the agriculture industry which feeds and clothes us and the world. It is an essential part of the medical field that heals us and lets humans live healthier lives. It even allows animals to live healthier lives too.
It is a necessary part of building homes, bridges, roads, and just about everything. We are part of the building materials. We power the tools. We are also a major part of the economy that allows financial institutions the ability to have capital to finance building projects across the nation. The oil and gas industry is a fundamental part of the weapons systems that keep us safe. We are part of and inspire the technology and communication industries. I can keep going on and get into details, but the short version is that the oil and gas industry is critical for food, clothing, shelter, security, and health. All the things that we need to live comfortably while we are here on this planet. We improve the human condition locally, in our state, in our country, and ultimately throughout the world.
PBPA allows us to come together with a unified voice to combat against those arrows pointed at us. Through our committees we can share best practices, discuss issues, and solve problems that would affect all of us. The professional staff here at PBPA helps us coalesce a message that they can take to our state legislators to solve a problem that, frankly, someone in government created. PBPA also tells our story of responsible energy production. Nobody drills and produces oil and gas more efficiently and in a more environmentally responsible manner than we do. I am proud of the industry that we work in, and I won’t be apologetic. I will not let anyone tell me that the oil and gas industry is a necessary evil and needs to be phased out. Instead, we all need to be unashamed and vocal in our advocacy of this essential industry. If not us, who?