American Oil and Gas Reporter - November 2016 - 101

Energy Diversity And Security
Is Goal For New IOGCC Chair

Republican presidential nominee Donald
Trump states that the United States' supply of untapped energy offers Americans
a number of great beneﬁts. Trump accepted an invitation, which was extended
to both major party candidates, to speak
at the 2016 Shale Insight Conference,
held Sept. 21-22 at Pittsburgh's David L.
Lawrence Conference Center.

vided valuable insight into what was happening in the industry as well as the possible shape of things to come as activity
began to ramp up again. One of the conference's overriding themes conveyed
that there was more ahead of our industry
than behind us, and we were ready, willing
and able to meet and surpass any challenges that might arise. Thank-you to all
of our members who were able to attend
Shale Insight 2016, and a special thankyou to members that sponsored and exhibited at this event.
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GROWTH. . . . . . .
FROM PAGE 94
important to people now and in the future.
* Look back: The campaign urges people to think about the memories that mean
the most to them, and realize how many
things that made those memories possible
came from oil and gas.
Ottoson noted that most people understood the oil and gas industry had a
huge impact on their lives, particularly
on energy-related issues: warming homes
or fueling cars. Many are willing to
listen, and even change their perceptions
as they learn more about how the products benefit their lifestyles, he said.
"The biggest opportunity for improvement in perception favorability is with
millennial-age individuals and women,
who are less likely to know about the
many types of good that are made using
our products, and are pleasantly surprised
when they hear about them," he declared.
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LITTLE ROCK, AR.-The chairmanship of the Interstate Oil & Gas Compact
Commission was passed from the governor
of Oklahoma to the governor of Arkansas
at the compact's annual conference, Oct.
2-4 in Little Rock. But one thing that
didn't change was IOGCC's commitment
to responsible oil and gas development,
and states' roles in regulatory oversight.
Incoming chairman, Arkansas Governor
Asa Hutchinson, declared his goal "to be
a voice for diversity of (energy) supply"
and "continued engagement in oil and
gas exploration and production."
Hutchinson expressed his concerns
about federal energy policy. "Coal is a
regulatory target," he observed. "Gas
could be next. Nuclear power is not favored. Oil is necessary, but not loved in
some environments in our country.
"I believe we should have a complete
diversity of energy supply that includes
all these," he continued. "I want to be an
advocate for the role of the states in
energy policy."
Outgoing IOGCC chairwoman, Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin, pointed to
her decision in 2013 to combine her state's
departments of energy and environment
under Secretary Michael Teague. "I raised
some eyebrows," she recalled. "But I think
everybody in Oklahoma now is a believer
in how important it is that these two
focuses of our economy work together."
Hailing IOGCC's mission statement
of promoting the conservation and efficient
recovery of natural resources while protecting public safety and the environment,
Fallin encouraged IOGCC to "seek an
agenda for resource management that
stresses to the public the need to fully

utilize domestic oil and gas production
and minimize waste while adhering to a
model that protects our environment."
Hutchinson boasted of Arkansas' 3.9
percent unemployment rate. He pointed
to a $1 billion investment made in southern
Arkansas by Sun Paper from China, which
he said was predicated on abundant timber,
good logistics, and an affordable and reliable energy supply.
"What we are doing as a state to be
competitive-and as a nation-has to center
on energy policy," he insisted.
IOGCC Track Record
Hutchinson praised the work of
IOGCC. "We have done well. We have a
good track record," he applauded.
Along those lines, Fallin saluted
IOGCC's States First Initiative, which she
said recognized states as leaders and innovators best able to regulate natural resources.
Among the initiative's goals, she mentioned,
"is to recognize and seize opportunities
for economic development and job creation.
Second is to seek practical state regulatory
practices, protect the environment, and
allow for resource extraction."
Fallin observed that FracFocus.org,
which IOGCC launched in 2011 as a central depository for information on chemicals
used in hydraulic fracturing, was on its
third upgrade "to provide more and better
data, and be more user friendly."
She said the compact's gas storage
work group was finalizing a report on
best practices for the underground storage
of natural gas and liquefied natural gas.
"This summer," Fallin went on, "we
also hosted a produced water forum in
Oklahoma City where IOGCC worked

Outgoing IOGCC Chairwoman Mary
Fallin (right), governor of Oklahoma,
welcomes incoming Chairman Asa
Hutchinson, governor of Arkansas,
during the general session at the
Interstate Oil & Gas Compact Commission's annual conference, held
Oct. 2-4 in Little Rock, Ar.

NOVEMBER 2016 101

American Oil and Gas Reporter - November 2016

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