American Oil and Gas Reporter - October 2019 - 97

oil and gas industry segments, including
exploration and production, midstream,
refining and service companies, he points
out. Le Norman's own experience seems
to symbolize the new organization's broad
base, with his roots as a small independent
operator of vertical wells, participating
in hundreds of horizontal wells, owning
and operating midstream assets as well
as oil field service companies.
United Front
The Alliance emerged following several
months of behind-the-scenes talks between
10 representatives from each of the predecessor associations, reviews Le Norman,
who assumed the chairmanship from cochairs Berry Mullennix of Panther Energy
Company III in Tulsa and Wade Hutchings
with Devon Energy Corp. in Oklahoma
City, who also had been chairmen of
OIPA and OKOGA, respectively.
"It was clear to us that we were much
more effective if we spoke with a single
voice, especially with the legislature,"
Le Norman says. "In fact, membership
prompted us to try to speak with a single
representative voice to avoid confusion
and make their jobs easier."
Although three-fourths of the industry-pertinent bills proposed during the
2019 Oklahoma Legislature could have
adversely affected Alliance members, the
actual outcome was relatively quiet because of the Alliance's united front at the
state capitol, Le Norman assesses.
President Chad Warmington says the
Alliance has been able to build on its
committee structure and bring together
experts in a variety of petroleum industry
segments during its short history.
"We do a very good job of having
technical committees with industry experts
in our building solving problems and
working on outcomes with state regulators
and others," he describes. "We have added
a lot of smart operators who were not involved in our committees because they

weren't members, but who are now
plugged in to these committees that are
tackling tough issues. One of the most
important parts of this merger is having
very engaged technical committees with
experts working through the challenges
our members face."
The Alliance will continue to educate
Oklahomans on the industry's contribution
to the state and counter those who seek to
raise the industry's taxes, says Le Norman,
who points out that the oil and gas industry
generates about 25 percent of Oklahoma
tax revenues in the form of direct gross
production, payroll, and sales taxes.
Alliance members also generate business that helps fill small town hotels and
restaurants, they fund road improvements
and are at the forefront of the oil and gas
companies that are funding 15 labs for
Oklahoma City elementary schools for
science, technology, engineering and math
disciplines, he says.
"These labs are investments in Oklahoma's greatest resource, which is its
people," comments Le Norman, who also
is vice chairman of the Oklahoma Energy
Resources Board, which will provide the
STEM centers with oil-and-gas-specific
curricula and resources. All 33 participating
elementary schools will have STEM centers in a partnership between the Foundation for Oklahoma City Public Schools
and the Cal Ripken Senior Foundation,
Le Norman points out.
"It is extraordinary in Oklahoma how
oil and gas dominates the landscape, and
what industry people give back to their
communities is incredible," Le Norman
marvels. "Oil and gas people and Oklahomans in general are resilient and meet
challenges head-on. Is everybody down
about the current status of the industry?
No. Everybody has seen versions of the
current environment before. Our members
are persevering. Our role is to remove as
many roadblocks as we can for them,
and our state, to be successful."
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American Oil and Gas Reporter - October 2019

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