My name is Scott Kidwell and I am your new chairman here at the Permian Basin Petroleum Association. I am truly humbled to stand on the shoulders of former chairmen, such as Kyle McGraw, Clint Walker, and Danny Campbell, and will do everything I can to help lead our organization and our industry ever forward.
The PBPA is the voice of the Permian Basin, a region of West Texas and southeastern New Mexico that, even during the times in which we’ve found ourselves, is the most prolific, and possibly the most influential, oil and gas producing region in the world. Because of the experience, expertise, and knowledge possessed by the PBPA staff and membership, our association has the ability to positively influence regulations and legislation at the local, state, and federal levels. Such influence is needed now more than ever, and it is our responsibility to take advantage of these abilities by reacting to the challenges around us as opportunities instead of detriments.
While there are possibly at least a few negative adjectives that you might hear being used to describe what is going on in the Permian Basin and the challenges we find ourselves facing right now, perhaps the most important emotion we should all exemplify, is humility. And while the challenges we are up against today may indeed be unique when compared to those in the past, we have the tools and ability to face those challenges because of the work put in by those who came before us. We owe a great deal to those who preceded us. We are a community now, because of that work. Our association may not even exist today without the determination and forethought demonstrated by our 36 founding members back in 1961. I am grateful for the opportunity to help lead this historic and powerful organization and cannot express my gratitude enough for the job my predecessors have done to equip the association with the tools and abilities to confront today’s challenges.
That’s why, while I am incredibly proud of how far the PBPA has come, I am even more excited about where the PBPA is going. I know the challenges are great and that to maintain the Permian Basin’s prominence in our industry will take considerable effort and commitment on our parts. The changing landscape will require we operators and service providers of the Permian Basin to continue to improve our actions and operations. Our ability and our predecessors’ ability to utilize technology and our desire to achieve ever-increasing efficiencies has afforded us opportunities, in times of challenge, to stand strong where others might fade. No matter the technological efficiencies we develop and deploy, a key ingredient to our region’s success, especially with our current circumstances, will be a strong, unwavering advocacy to help communicate the story of the Permian Basin to all those who oppose us, as well as to those who support us and those who just don’t know enough about us.
To best serve our region and honestly ourselves, we must continue to empower those able to be our voice and therefore we each need to have a commitment to the PBPA. It will take all of us to ensure that the PBPA remains the powerful and successful advocate it has become. The PBPA is not just the voice of oil and natural gas—it is the voice of the entire Permian Basin, and that voice echoes in the rotunda in Austin, in the round house in Santa Fe, and even in the halls in Congress in Washington, D.C.
The PBPA is a community with a diverse background providing the association with a strength and knowledge that is difficult to deny. With our commitment, the PBPA can focus and even magnify the resources of our members. By supporting the PBPA, you are not only ensuring your voice is heard, but you are also enriching the way of life for all citizens of the United States who are benefited by a strong, if not dominant, domestic energy sector.