American Oil and Gas Reporter - December 2017 - 95

eight weeks to comply, prompting Haley
to comment that the "deadline was a
heavy lift."
"COGA members leapt into action
when the governor issued his notice,"
Haley remarked at the annual meeting.
"Within hours, operators were testing more
than 120,000 flowlines across the state,
and within weeks we learned that nearly
every single line-99.65 percent-passed
inspection. Of the tiny fraction that did
not, no significant leaks were reported.
"That level of response is what we
would expect from this industry," he commended.
The Firestone incident was a reminder
for all that "our social license to operate
depends on people feeling safe," Haley
remarked. "There is not an operator in
this room who doesn't believe that safety
comes first and that all work must be
done to the highest safety standards."
However, tragic events such as the
Firestone explosion mean that "it no
longer is enough to say we are safe. We
have to prove we are safe day in and day
out," he asserted, adding that opponents
"are watching, critiquing and criticizing
more than ever."
Although last-minute legislation aimed
at increasing flowline setbacks and creating
comprehensive mapping of flowlines was
defeated last spring, the incident prompted
the governor to issue a policy statement
in August and the COGCC to conduct a
regulatory rule making in the fall, Haley
recalled.
In October, the commission released
draft revisions to the state's flowline definitions and to its Series 1100 rules on
flowlines. The revisions include removing
the operator exemption for integrity testing
low-pressure lines, additional steps for
installing lines as well as normal operation
and abandonment procedures, and GPS
location data for all flowlines and domestic
taps. The revisions also call for strengthening the state's 811 "one-call" line-location program.
A final hearing on the flowline revisions
was scheduled for Dec. 11-12 in Denver.
Tomorrow's Leaders
Haley also cited the continuing success
of COGA's new-leader development series.
The mission of the Energy Generation
Leadership Program (EnGen), now in its
sixth year, is to "educate and empower
the next generation of oil and gas leaders,"
according to a curriculum.
"This group of up and coming leaders
really is committed to this industry and
the state of Colorado. Running EnGen is
a highlight of my job," declared COGA
Chief Operating Officer Sarah Sandberg.
Sandberg said this year's EnGen cohort

included 36 graduates whose program
work was to be recognized at a capstone
ceremony Nov. 16 at the Brown Palace
Hotel in Denver.
In addition to its annual crop of new
leaders, Colorado's oil and gas industry
continues to make remarkable contributions to the state's economy. However,
the industry "does not do enough talking
about our community investment," Sandberg said. "The thousands of hours volunteered, the in-kind donations and the
direct contributions to charities across
the state need to be highlighted."
To document the industry's wide-ranging community support, she said COGA
had started contacting its members to
seek information about contributions companies made in 2017. "This industrywide
community impact report will show clearly
the amazing contributions we make to
this state," Haley allowed, adding that
the report would be released during the
Rocky Mountain Energy Summit next
summer.
Energy Outreach
In what has become COGA's most
successful fundraiser, the 2017 Mardi
Gras Ball last winter drew a crowd of
400 people and raised $100,000 for Children's Memorial Hospital of Denver, according to an association report.
The next Mardi Gras Ball is scheduled
for Feb. 16 in the United Club Level at

Sports Authority Field at Mile High Stadium
in Denver. The COGA Board of Directors
decided funds raised at the event would
be contributed to the Tennyson Center, a
nonprofit shelter for youth in Denver.
Drawing attention to the important
community programs COGA supports,
Haley highlighted four individuals whose
lives were touched by Colorado's oil and
gas industry. One, a woman who was
having trouble keeping up with utility
payments, found support through Energy
Outreach Colorado (EOC).
Launched by Governor Owens in 2002,
EOC relies on a portion of oil and gas
severance taxes in addition to revenues
from companies and charitable foundations. "Since the governor came up with
the idea of using a portion of our severance
taxes to help the less fortunate among us
cover their utility bills, more than $72
million in severance taxes from our industry have helped keep the lights on
and homes warm in the winter," Haley
revealed.
COGA was a strong supporter of a
bill that passed the 2017 legislature authorizing funding of EOC through 2024.
"It is through support of programs
such as this that we show we are an industry that cares," Haley held. "We care
about our state and the environment because we live here, too. Colorado belongs
to all of us, not just to the loudest voices
heard in the public meetings."
r

Education Theme Continues
For VOGA At Fall Convention
Editor's Note: The Virginia Oil & Gas Association provided the following article.
ABINGDON, VA.-Many do not realize the many ways in which the oil
and natural gas industry impacts Americans' lives. One of the goals of the Virginia Oil and Gas Association is to reach
others about energy's important role in
our lives.
VOGA points to a study the Virginia
Petroleum Council released last summer
showing that the industry supported
125,500 jobs in Virginia and contributed
$11.97 billion to the state's economy in
2015. "The oil and gas industry has supplied high-paying jobs throughout the
commonwealth, and is indispensable in
areas such as Southwest Virginia," reflects
VPC Executive Director Miles Morin.
VOGA's 2017 fall conference, held
Oct. 11-12, at the Martha Washington
Inn in Abingdon, included the Board of

Directors meeting, which offered updates
on a variety of topics, including the
current status of regulatory reviews and
progress being made on two interstate
pipeline projects.
The conference was very well attended.
"We are very pleased with the amount of
support and sponsorships we have had
for this great event," affirms VOGA President Ian Landon.
The event also included remarks from
Delegate Israel O'Quinn, R-Bristol, who
emphasized energy education, a key focus
for VOGA during past year. VOGA's
projects in that direction range from ongoing social media education to career
fairs and the introduction of the 4H energy
bowl, which will debut in pilot schools
early next spring.
VOGA's education efforts also included
participation in the United Way of Southwest Virginia Ignite Program Careers
Expo for Youth. The two-day event took
DECEMBER 2017 95

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