American Oil and Gas Reporter - October 2020 - 33

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necessary to monitor surface casing pressure. I think everyone should do that for
each well that is drilled going forward,
but cutting the backsides open on some
older wells poses real risks. If the state
insists we go back like that, it risks triggering the sort of accidents that will cost
somebody-probably multiple people-
their lives or serious injury.
"That means those of us in the industry
have a real responsibility to participate
in these discussions to help prevent a
flawed and arbitrary process," Robinson
holds. "We need to work together to
come up with something we all can live
with that will allow us to work in a safe
and responsible way."
Despite the seeming futility of the exercise, Robinson says INOGA continues
to do its part, not only because the regulatory
revisions are a worthy goal, but also
because it still trusts DNR staff to do the
right thing. "Although I am growing weary,
I still have faith in the DNR," he affirms.

cannot come about from clicking our
heels and expecting instantaneous results.
"We probably have not found the solution to replacing hydrocarbons, but I
think our industry can be part of that
change," Robinson continues. "Unfortunately, many people outside the energy
industry do not understand the reality of
what we do, and too many of them envision
us as a bunch of greedy guys out devasting
the landscape in search of a quick buck."
Moreover, he suggests, the sources
most commonly associated with clean
energy-wind and solar generation-seem
to be the longest shots for fully powering
a modern, industrial economy. And the
life cycle for energy sources with green
reputations still entails using oil and gas,
Robinson observes. "You cannot build a
windmill without hydrocarbons," he notes.
"It is not even physically possible to construct the materials from which it is made,
and even after that, how are you going to
lubricate the gearing system?"

Electoral Unease
One deep source of uncertainty that is
scheduled to resolve before year-end continues to occupy the minds of many,
Robinson notes. "Regardless of industry,
I think everyone is nervous about this
election in this unique year," he holds.
"We, as a country, all will feel a little
better when we have some certainty to
move forward with whatever outcome
we get."
Even so, he continues, some contingencies seem more foreboding than others.
If voters sweep too many oil and gas opponents into elected office, those policymakers may overreach and do deep and
lasting damage to the country's oil and
gas industry. Such an outcome would not
bode well for the U.S. economy or national
security, he warns.
"Killing the energy industry in our
own country will have no bearing on the
other countries producing crude oil and
natural gas," he points out. "Instead of
producing it here, we will buy it from
them and revert back to the 1970s, when
we relied on countries that did not have
our best interests at heart."
Contrary to the rhetoric emanating
from some quarters, Robinson insists,
most people who work in oil and gas
seek to be exemplary stewards of the environment, which certainly includes an
openness to smart energy innovation. "The
vast majority of people in this industry
that I encounter are environmentalists
who absolutely believe that all energy,
including renewable energy, is vital," he
attests. "I suspect most people in our industry even embrace some sort of energy
transition, but they know that such a thing

Annual Meeting Plans
As he ponders life in autumn 2020,
Robinson acknowledges there have been
better times to be an Illinois Basin independent oil and gas producer. Even so,
he considers, such figurative tempests
feel most intense when one is in their
midst. "This is not the first storm and it
certainly will not be the last, but we are
in the teeth of it for sure," he reflects.
"All of us are trying to do more with
less. I feel bad for some of the newer
companies and younger people that only
knew the good times and maybe were
not prepared for this."
Nevertheless, the view from his perch
as INOGA president apparently tells
Robinson that his industry colleagues do
not easily yield. "I think morale is holding
up," he assesses. "Oil producers and service providers generally tend to be a pretty
resilient bunch. We know it will come
back at some point."
In the meantime, he considers, even
troughs carry with them unique opportunities on which some companies will capitalize. "We have to use this as an opportunity," he reasons. "Companies with strong
balance sheets that traditionally have acted
in a responsible manner may be able to
take advantage of some bargains."
Of course, the pandemic and the havoc
it has wrought on commodity markets
across the globe continues to be a factor.
He notes that Robinson Engineering and
Oil had to adjust its 2020 plans as the situation took shape, and his company is
hardly alone in such adjustments. "We
definitely had to scale back on some

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SEE MEETING PAGE 81
OCTOBER 2020 33

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American Oil and Gas Reporter - October 2020

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