The American Oil and Gas Reporter - January 2012 - (Page 250)

nearly 900 in three and a half years,” French reports. “We will continue to build that membership base. At some point, we fully intend to be the largest industry membership organization in the state, simply because this is something companies see as so critical to their success.” He says the foundation anticipates dramatic growth over the next five years as it recruits new members and retains current members, who renew their memberships annually. “With this membership model, you have a snowball effect and can generate a significant amount of funds over a relatively short period,” he reflects. The foundation, which modeled itself after the Oklahoma Energy Resources Board, continues to conduct four major programs. French says its “New Perspectives for a Stronger Energy Future” educates the public through statewide media campaigns. During the four rounds of the foundation’s Barnett Shale campaign (each lasting one month), he says more than 20 million impressions were generated. French calls reaching such a large number of Texans in a single campaign a significant achievement. It was accomplished, he details, through a media mix that included radio (30- and 60-second spots) on top-rated country station KPLXFM and top-rated news talk station WBAPAM; newspaper support with one-half page, page-dominant ads in the Fort Worth Star Telegram, Dallas Morning News and local community newspapers; online advertising; and television coverage on channels such as Fox News, CNN Headline News, MSNBC and CNBC. French says the foundation’s “Facts about Oil and Gas” focuses on schoolchildren. This year, the organization will continue its partnership with the Offshore Energy Center and its Mobile Oilfield Learning Unit in schools around Texas, he says. “The Natural Gas Advantage” promotes the benefits of Texas’ abundant natural gas resources, and its “Citizen Partnership” is an information resource for communities impacted by oil and gas operations. “It’s more important than ever for the industry to respond in a proactive manner,” French maintains. “That is why all these programs are so important. The media campaigns that change how the public views our industry are critical. Changing how students view our industry also is crucial because how young people feel about our industry is going to have a major impact on our future.” The industry’s understanding of the need for public education continues to grow, French says. “Our industry understands the cause and effect relationship between public attitudes and public policy,” French says. “If we aren’t telling our story and presenting the facts about oil and gas, the alternative–lack of information and misinformation–will create an environment that makes drilling for oil and gas extremely difficult.” Offers Bole, “The foundation’s goal is to play an even greater role in defining how the public views us. The bottom line is that a strong voice for the Texas oil and gas industry has never been more important.” Ì Legacy Lawsuits Hot Topic At LOGA BATON ROUGE, LA.–It should come as no surprise to members of the Louisiana Oil & Gas Association that legacy lawsuits will be a hot topic at their annual convention this year. The meeting is set for Feb. 26-28 at the L’Auberge du Lac Casino Resort in Lake Charles, La. “The legacy lawsuits are the numberone issue facing the oil and gas industry in our state,” asserts Gifford Briggs, LOGA vice president. “They are crippling the industry, specifically in southern Louisiana, but over the entire state as well. Our members have a vested interest in this legal climate and putting a stop to frivolous lawsuits. “These legal actions are a cottage industry run by a handful of plaintiffs’ attorneys seeking to gain windfall personal profits by avoiding the system the state has set up to fairly and appropriately address environmental damage claims,” he says. Legacy lawsuits affect all types of oil and gas production in Louisiana, and are causing the state’s economy to flounder, according to Briggs. “Abusive litigation over past oil field operations in Louisiana is causing onshore oil and gas exploration and production to stagnate,” Briggs maintains. “This exacerbates the state’s unemployment and budget crises, and further harms its ability to attract economic investment. “In places where environmental damage from oil field activity occurs, it should be remediated,” Briggs allows. “However, because of this legacy litigation, cleanup does not take place for years while the lawsuits wend their way through the courts. Therefore, much of the money is going into the pockets of plaintiffs’ attorneys and plaintiffs, rather than being spent on remediation.” The top priority for LOGA and others associated with the oil and gas industry is to clarify the legacy claims process, he adds. Legislative Preview Attendees at LOGA’s annual meeting also will look ahead to the upcoming legislative session, which begins early in March. “We will discuss the legislative instruments that we will bring to lawmakers, as well as those issues we will be defending,” Briggs reports. “The topics will include regulatory and water issues.” The business portion of LOGA’s convention will begin Monday, Feb. 27, with a 7:45 a.m. breakfast session; the speaker will be announced later. At 9:30 a.m., LOGA members will hear from new Independent Petroleum Association of America Chairwoman Virginia Lazenby, chief executive officer of Bretagne LLC; and Lisa Rickard, president of the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform. “We are excited to have both of these great guest speakers,” Briggs comments. “We always hear from the IPAA chair, but this is Rickard’s first time at our meeting. She will be able to speak to this legal climate, the legacy lawsuits, and how important tort reform is for our state from an economic standpoint. The timing is perfect.” LOGA’s luncheon is set for 11:45 a.m. Monday with a keynote speaker to be announced. Briggs says the afternoon session, which begins at 1:45, will feature Scott Angelle, secretary of the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources; Jim Welsh, commissioner of conservation; Buddy Caldwell, Louisiana attorney general; Peggy Hatch, secretary of the Department of Environmental Quality; and Robert Barham, secretary of the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Breakout sessions are scheduled for 3:15 p.m. Briggs says he will moderate a legislative preview, and Jodee Bruynincxk, LOGA’s director for North Louisiana, will lead a discussion on Louisiana shale and resource plays. The evening reception begins at 6:30 p.m., and dinner and a special event are set for 7 p.m., Briggs mentions. Tuesday’s breakfast session starts at 8 a.m., Briggs continues, and the LOGA Board of Directors meeting will get under 250 THE AMERICAN OIL & GAS REPORTER

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The American Oil and Gas Reporter - January 2012

The American Oil and Gas Reporter - January 2012
Contents
Calendar
Oil & Gas Counts
State Legislative
Industry Digest
Tech Connections
Washington Watch
Federal Legislation
EPA
Gulf of Mexico
Resource Plays Providing Wealth of Opportunities
Tight Plays Poised to Transform U.S. Crude Supply
El Paso Project Optimizes Eagle Ford Completion Design
Real-Time Forward Modeling Improves Bakken Horizontals
Cover Story
Financial Firms Expand Oil and Gas Divisions
Multicomponent 3-D Poised for Growth in Shale Plays
Cloud Computing Driving Business Step Changes
Advanced Attributes Improve 3-D Interpretation
3-D Data Improve Knowledge of Shale Heterogeneity
HBUR RSS Solves Granite Wash Drilling Challenges
Technologies Improve Production Consistency in Resource Plays
SaaS Helps Operator Streamline Data Management
Automation Enhances Operations in Challenging Applications
Dispersant Chemistry Combats Plugging in Low-Gravity Oil Wells
New Technologies Optimize Production
PIOGA
Drilling Regs
IOGAWV
The Presidential Papers
Energy Education
Conventions
Shale Gas
New Lits & Products
Computer Currents
Industry Focus
Classified Advertising
Advertisers Index

The American Oil and Gas Reporter - January 2012