The year 2012 is off to a wonderful start. Last month’s Top Hand award banquet, honoring Tim Leach of Concho Resources, was a tremendous success and I appreciate the strong level of support. This marks the fifth year in a row that the event has sold out. I apologize to those who were not able […]
From the Chairman of the Board
As the Permian Basin Petroleum Association moves into its 50th year we find our organization in many ways reflecting a rich history while at the same time meeting challenges and accomplishments that are in themselves historic in nature. Thanks to the efforts of Ben and his staff we have a PBPA membership that is highly […]
From the General Counsel ~ Angela Staples
Based on the frequency of my articles that concern the statute of limitations, I am certain that some (many?) of you must think that I am unreasonably obsessed with the topic. While I can’t dispute that it interests me, the number of articles is actually due to the recent surge in lawsuits, and Texas Supreme […]
News Reviews
The Texas Railroad Commission recently adopted what it calls one of the nation’s most comprehensive chemical disclosure rules for hydraulic fracturing fluids. The rule will require Texas oil and gas operators to disclose on a website chemical ingredients and water volumes used to hydraulically fracture wells in Texas. The rule applies to wells that receive […]
“A Special Place” – PBPA Top Hand Banquet
In accepting the PBPA Top Hand award on Jan. 19, Tim Leach turned the event into a celebration of his own “top hands” and a tribute to Midland, the Permian Basin, and the people who make their shared world special. It was a “roast” of sorts, as master of ceremonies Steve Beal led the string […]
Workovers
Bits and Bites A late winter (early spring?) roundup of tidbits and talking points. With Valentine’s Day upon us, can spring be far behind? And if spring is not far behind, then while you’re pondering that Valentine’s Day gift for her, you could be contemplating a place for dinner—and we’ve served up the first in […]
SpOILed: The Movie ~ Is America SpOILed?
A new feature-length film documentary on the oil industry answers oil’s critics but goes far beyond to supply a much-needed reality check, not just for America but for the world. The early buzz—at least within the Permian Basin—for the just-released feature length film documentary SpOILed is enthusiastic. Filmmaker Mark Mathis will be in Midland Feb. […]
Making An Impact: Dick Sivalls is a giver, a doer, and most of all a leader.
Dick Sivalls’ roots in the oil and gas business run more than a century deep. “My grandfather started a company similar to ours in 1900 in Ohio and then moved to Bartlesville and Oklahoma City, following the oil patch,” he said. “He sold the business, but then my father started the business in 1947 in […]
Needed Reforms
By Doug Robison, Chairman, PBPA. As the Permian fuels far more than its own ends, creating jobs and supplying national energy needs, its own need arises—for relief from federal regulatory overreaching. To make a poor application of Charles Dickens’ immortal line, “It is the best of times, it is the worst of times” in the […]
Workovers
Structurally Speaking… … and just speaking free-form as well. A miscellany of observations that doesn’t stand on ceremony. While presidential politics charge into an election year (and you thought it had been election season for the past year or two!), while regulators and energy producers wrangle over regs, while the world goes spinning on with […]