American Oil and Gas Reporter - July 2017 - 113

ConventionCoverage: Oklahoma Independent Petroleum Association
though the population has grown by 90
million people since 1979, the country's
efficiency use has increased as well."
Exports are the only viable method of
capitalizing on domestic gas sources,
Schaffer asserted. Nine LNG export facilities and several pipelines serving Mexico are either built or fully approved;
LNG export terminals alone would provide
a capacity of 16 billion cubic feet a day
in the near future, he said.
"The real outlook for growing shale
gas production is exports," Schaffer said,
adding his company forecast projects an
additional 14 Bcf/d in exports, boosting
U.S. totals to 18 Bcf/d, by 2025.

Schaffer pointed out exported U.S.
gas would compete in the international
market, reconnecting domestic prices to
the international gas price and making
that the new price mechanism.
"Oil prices on an energy equivalent basis-along with LNG prices overseas, and
U.S. domestic prices at Henry Hub-essentially all moved together," he said. "LNG
was sold relative to the price of oil, and domestic prices followed LNG prices because
the United States was a natural gas importer.
It made sense because the markets were
connected, and gas was connected to oil."
Those connections fell apart in the
face of soaring oil prices in 2004 and the

U.S. shale boom, Schaffer recounted.
LNG roughly moved in line with oil, but
U.S. gas prices were linked more to coal
than anything else, he said.
"That changes now," Schaffer predicted. "The United States has enough
export capacity, and we think international
gas prices become the new price mechanism. If you think back to what the first
conclusion was on oil, we see a big up
cycle in four-six years. If LNG is linked
to oil, and U.S. prices are linked to LNG,
we could see an up cycle in LNG and
U.S. gas prices in the next couple of
years as well."
r

Panel Offers Tips For Industry Women

LAS COLINAS, TX.-Women seeking
leadership roles in the oil and gas industry
should strive to work as close to the
wellhead as possible, recommended Valerie Mitchell, chief executive officer of
Conterra Energy.
Participating in a panel discussion at
the Oklahoma Independent Petroleum
Association's annual convention, Mitchell
said concentrating on the transitions-between drilling and completion, completions
and production, and throughout the artificial lift cycle-were crucial to increasing
profit margins. "Those are the places
where you can make money for your
company and yourself. At the end of the
day, you have to know enough about
everything in order to make money for
your company," she described.
Joining Mitchell on the panel were Monticello Investments Vice President Amber
Knapp Vawter and Petroflow Energy Chief
Operating Officer Kim Booth. Geree WaldMorton, vice president of marketing and
business development for Plaster & Wald
Consulting Corp., served as moderator.
Booth told OIPA her early career mascot was SpongeBob SquarePants, who
reminded her of the importance of soaking
in her surroundings. "Learn everything
you can from everyone you are around,
and don't be afraid to try things," Booth
offered. "Absorb everything you can from
everyone around you. Help a land technician, help a geologist, go to drafting
and learn from them. Learn everything
you can, because college gives you a degree: that teaches you how to learn. One
other thing: Don't have a chip on your
shoulder. Nobody owes you anything.

You are going to earn respect, and you
will earn it by listening, learning and respecting the people you work with."
Vawter pointed to the importance of
women asserting themselves in meetings
and project planning. "Even if you are
only coming into the industry, you have
something to offer," she said. "If you
think of something and it help moves
the project or team forward, don't be
afraid to speak up. The more opportunities
you have to do that, the more you can
prove your track record, and the more
you will grow."

Find A Mentor

For a new worker, an established relationship with a mentor sets the foundation for an entire career, Vawter advised,
"whether you are mentoring someone or
you have had a group of mentors shepherd
you along the way." She stressed the importance of keeping strong contact with
mentors as one's career progressed.
Finding a mentor is the most important
thing a women can do as she begins her
career as a young engineer, geologist or
landman, Mitchell seconded.

Participating in the women in leadership panel discussion at the Oklahoma Independent
Petroleum Association's annual convention are, from left, Valerie Mitchell, chief executive
officer of Conterra Energy; moderator Geree Wald-Morton, vice president of marketing and
business development for Plaster & Wald Consulting Corp.; Monticello Investments Vice
President Amber Knapp Vawter; and Petroﬂow Energy Chief Operating Officer Kim Booth.

JULY 2017 113

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