The oil and gas industry is similar to the National Football League these days. While the primary focus of each is being productive—whether it is drilling successful wells or scoring touchdowns—much of the emphasis seems to be on safety. The oil patch is still a dangerous place to work. According to statistics from this region, […]
From the President: PBPA
March was a busy month for both state and federal issues. I spent the first part of the month in Washington, D.C., as part of the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) call-up. The Permian Basin was very well represented this year with six PBPA representatives joining operators from around the country as we called […]
From the General Counsel
Joint Operating Agreements at Issue Recently, the Texas Supreme Court heard oral argument in its review of a decision by the Court of Appeals in Tyler. The case involves the finding of liability by an operator for, among other claims, failing to maintain production or operations on leased acreage, causing the leases to terminate. What […]
From the Chairman of the Board
Deserving of an Industry’s Gratitude One of the strengths of the Permian Basin Petroleum Association has been a long-established reputation as an association that is reasonable and well thought out in the positions that we present before the Texas legislature and other regulatory agencies. A big part of that reputation is PBPA’s ability to work […]
From the World to the Permian: Part 2 in a Series
In oil and gas fields around the world, there are products in use that wereconceived and constructed in the Permian Basin. And technologies in use that were perfected here as well. The caller said he was from Israel and needed replacement parts for seals manufactured by Westech Seal, Inc. “How did our parts get over […]
March Miscellany
A smattering of not-so-serious news in a month, and a business climate, that’s packed with the other kind. Just our usual potpourri of odds and ends. Enjoy. What needs saying more—and doesn’t get said enough—is our appreciation for all the advertisers who make this magazine go. Thanks for making this an especially good issue for […]
Indemnified or Not?
Merriam-Webster defines “indemnity” as follows: 1. a: security against hurt, loss, or damage; b: exemption from incurred penalties or liabilities. Those in the oil and gas industry define it as a necessary evil, but also a tricky one. The issue of indemnity provisions in contracts has been the subject of much scrutiny by both the […]
From the Permian Basin to the World
Charlie McCoy couldn’t believe his eyes. Gas was flowing from a well into the sand and lying on the ground in the middle of it were dead quail. The Gulf employee accompanying McCoy said the well had a problem producing, that gas locked the downhole pump. “I watched that pumping unit run and thought, ‘How […]
Toward an Unspoiled Future
I don’t often recommend movies, and certainly haven’t done so in this column. However, there are always exceptions. Mark Mathis, director of what will hopefully become a movie sensation, gave the folks in Midland and Odessa the opportunity to view his production of spOILed. I viewed spOILed on a Thursday afternoon at a 2:30 showing […]
New Mexico Rulings, Texas RRC Opening
The New Mexico legislative session ended February 16th and the legislature fulfilled its primary duty of passing the budget. It was one of the least controversial budgets in years. The budget passed with only five total dissenting votes. The House passed the budget unanimously and that group consists of 33 Republicans. The Combined Reporting bill […]
