Blog Posts

Third Time’s a Charm – posted 6/14/2020

About this blog…

This is an attempt for one Oilman to better understand the current environment and outlook of the energy industry. It would be cliche to say that the way we use energy is transitioning, as it has been since man first harnessed the power of fire, but there’s no doubt that today’s environment is one ripe with forces previously unseen or less pronounced pushing stronger and stronger in a carbon-free direction. Clearly environmental concerns are more and more at the forefront, not just from activists but also from shareholders, governments, and younger generations. In addition, oil and gas companies are feeling more pressure from investors to return capital, strengthen their balance sheets, and shift to free cash flow generation. Questions of long-term fossil fuel demand are under the microscope with forecasts ranging all over the spectrum from a fully green future to one that will still require a healthy dose of fossil fuels.

Working in the oil and gas industry myself, I’ve realized how ignorant I’ve become of the current picture and how we fit into the mix of this ever-changing world. On top of that, Big Oil has been the bad guy for quite some time (although I assure you we are for the most part very nice people, but unfortunately some bad actors can paint us all in a bad light). Because of that and the current political landscape, the picture can get blurry when trying to understand exactly what the hell is going on and who is right about what.

Thus begins the purpose of this blog – to explore the themes described above and try to get as close to an unbiased take as possible. To increase my understanding of the energy landscape, climate change, renewables, and anything else relevant to today’s energy picture. I will draw upon both my career experience but also take my time to research as much as possible the topics I’d like to tackle.

I am an Oilman in transit. I do not know where my destination leads nor whether we’re in the beginning, middle, or end of this journey.

About me…

I am a skeptic. I am an optimist. I am ignorant. I’ve been in the oil and gas business for about ten years. I graduated with a degree in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Texas. My background is reservoir engineering, but I’ve served in various roles from asset engineer, business development, to leading field development planning. My career has been in shale.

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