There are stories aplenty of “company towns” built by oil companies in oil’s early 20th century heyday, but no company town fit the mold better than a Basin town, Texon, that endured for generations. by Bobby Weaver Back in 1955 Tennessee Ernie Ford had a hit song entitled “Sixteen Tons” concerning the travails of a […]
HRIQ: Child Labor – Is It Okay?
by Bill Price It might seem surprising to see a headline calling attention to a discussion of child labor, and child labor laws—that whole topic seeming like something right out of the 19th century. But child labor is still a topic of discussion, even today, and knowing about it, and about its governance, is […]
Fifty Years
Diversification by industry and geography has fueled Saulsbury’s expansion through its first half-century, and equips the firm for its foray into the next. By Paul Wiseman The oil and gas business isn’t actually like a roller coaster, though many have made that comparison. On a real roller coaster, you see the dramatic rises and […]
The Well That Launched the Permian
Santa Rita #1 was the discovery well that opened what would prove to be the biggest oilfield in America, and what might someday become the biggest in the world. Its story is one that epitomizes what the oilfield is all about. by Bobby Weaver It has been almost one hundred years since the Santa […]
Saulsbury Industries at 50
Notching its 50th anniversary, Saulsbury is the archetype of the classic Basin-grown business. And for the folks at SI, growth with integrity is not an option—it’s an imperative. By Paul Wiseman People often ask Saulsbury Industries founder Dick Saulsbury if, in 1967, he thought his little two-person electrical company would grow to employ hundreds […]
Q&A with Ben Shepperd
With the PBPA Annual Meeting looming near, we present a question-and-answer conversation with Ben on the meeting to come. Permian Basin Oil and Gas Magazine: It’s already coming back around again! What can we expect in the October Annual Meeting? Ben: We have a full slate of sessions and we’re pleased to have some very […]
I.T. Meets Oil: And Nothing Stays the Same
The oilfield’s IT revolution is streamlining operations and connecting the field with the back office like never before. These connections are changing the corporate culture for the better. by Paul Wiseman For the better part of a century field personnel have been chastised and glared at, if not outright berated, by office personnel seeking […]
When Staying in the Dark is the Brightest Idea
PBPA gets behind an idea that is out of this world: the Dark Skies Initiative. Acting before drilling operations pose a serious problem in Reeves County and Jeff Davis County (and the Fort Davis area), oil companies get on board a plan to keep the skies dark above the McDonald Observatory. By Bill Wren, McDonald […]
PBPA Matters: On Texas and the National Economy
The discussion that follows was the luncheon presentation at the Sept. 23 meeting of the membership of the Permian Basin Petroleum Association, held at the Midland Country Club, in Midland, Texas. The proceedings were taped and this is an edited transcript of that event. PBPA President Ben Shepperd: We’re going to hear a conversation […]
From Fresnos to Caterpillars
Dirt Work is the oilfield’s under-appreciated trade, and yet nothing gets done in the Patch until the dirt’s been worked. by Bobby Weaver I’ll never forget the first time I went out on a tanking job. It happened early in the summer of ’55, when we contracted to build a battery of two hi-fives in […]
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