Political Sidetrack

Hart Energy’s Women In Energy podcast is back with another installment focused on managing from the top level and the path of one industry executive to leading her own company. In this episode, Ann Fox, president and CEO of Nine Energy Service Inc., joined hosts Jessica Morales and Emily Patsy to discuss what she’s learned from holding the top position at a leading oilfield services company and the advice she has for the younger generation. Fox, who served multiple tours of duty in Iraq in the U.S. Marine Corps, spoke with us about her entry into the energy industry (1-minute mark) after her service. She also spoke more about her experiences in the military (1:45) and how that molded her into the leader she is today (4:15). One of the correlations between her military service and time with Nine Energy that she shared was her approach to the downturn after assuming the CEO role in 2015 (4:45). In addition, Fox talked about the moment she felt she had found her calling in life while still early on in her career (8:25). Lastly, Fox shared advice on building a strong team (10:10), mentors (11:55) and millennials (13:10). You can comment on this podcast in the comments section or by tweeting our hosts @JessicaMNews or @EmilyPatsy. This and all episodes of Women In Energy are available via Soundcloud, the podcast app and iTunes. Featured on this episode: Ann Fox serves as the president and CEO of Nine Energy Service Inc. Fox graduated from Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service with a Bachelor’s of Science in Diplomacy and Security in World Affairs. Upon graduation, she joined the private sector as an investment banking analyst in New York. Answering a different call of duty, Fox then joined the Marines, where she served several tours of duty in Iraq on a team that reported directly to General David Petraeus. After Iraq, she completed her MBA from Harvard Business School. Next was a move to Houston, Texas, where Fox was evaluating and executing investment opportunities within the oilfield sector at SCF Partners. Now, Fox is well positioned to take advantage of global opportunities for Nine. Hosts: Jessica Morales is the video reporter for Hart Energy. Jessica’s 10 years of news reporting experience has carried her from a political journalism internship in Washington, D.C. to a professional career in television news. She joined Hart Energy in August 2017 after serving as the main evening news anchor for the FOX affiliates in Tyler and Waco, Texas. She previously worked as a news producer in Knoxville, Tenn., and as an anchor, reporter and producer at the FOX affiliate in Beaumont. In 2010, Jessica traveled to Haiti to cover the earthquake-ravaged capital of Port Au Prince. She garnered awards from the Press Club of Southeast Texas for Documentary and Series recognition for her reports titled “Healing Haiti.” She holds a bachelor’s degree in communications/broadcast journalism from Lamar University and studied at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Jessica can be reached at [email protected]. Emily Patsy is the associate managing editor for Hart Energy’s digital news group. She’s responsible for the daily news flow and also manages the A&D Watch weekly newsletter. She joined Hart Energy in November 2012 and previously worked as a reporter for Houston Community Newspapers. She holds a bachelor’s degree in editorial journalism from Texas Tech University. Emily can be reached at [email protected].

With the decline in commodity prices, oilfield operators find themselves looking for more efficient ways of producing oil and natural gas. But the question many people in the industry end up asking themselves is what actually works? Big data has ushered in new ideas and means of creating efficiency in the oil patch, and it’s taken hold in several areas of exploration and production. In this first episode of the DUG Technology podcast with Hart Energy’s chief technical director, Richard Mason, who serves as host of the DUG Technology series, and Jessica Morales, we dive deep into the opportunities big data presents to shale players. But what is DUG Technology? In 2018, Hart Energy conferences added new technical content to its second-day agendas at DUG Permian Basin, DUG East, DUG Eagle Ford and DUG Midcontinent. This programming features regionally-focused and technologically-driven sessions. Expert panels, technical spotlights and roundtable discussions cover a range of topics, including: • Proppants; • Well stimulation practices; • Water sourcing, treatment and reuse; • Completion optimization; and • Artificial intelligence In our first episode, Jessica and Richard look back at the first DUG Technology held during DUG Permian Basin in Fort Worth, Texas, in May. In this episode: • Alex Robart, CEO, Ambyint USA, discusses examples of how data technology, including the Internet of Things (IoT), is being used in the oil patch (2:40); • Victor Figueroa, southern U.S. sales director-OFS, Baker Hughes, a GE Company, opines on how to optimize the use of data and monitor it from afar (4:44); • What other ways do service companies employ data technology in the oil patch? Ron Gusek, president, Liberty Oilfield Services, talks about different programs (6:09); • Blake Carlson, president and COO, WellAware, talks chemical management at the well site, particularly how low-cost IoT can help keep capex spend be reasonable (8:34); and • How you can get involved with DUG Technology conferences (11:50).

Hart Energy’s Women In Energy podcast returns for its second installment with a look at the inherent challenges faced by women in the energy industry and how two highly-respected industry powerhouses overcame those roadblocks. First off, Melody Meyer, president of Melody Meyer Energy LLC, joined hosts Jessica Morales and Emily Patsy to discuss her decades-long career with Chevron Corp. and what she is doing to give back to the industry now that she's in the second phase of her career. Regina Mayor, global and U.S. energy sector leader for KPMG LLP, also joined us later in the program to talk about how she fell in love with the industry early on in her career and what skills her military experience has given her that has led to her success. Meyer, who is also a non-executive director of BP, AbbVie and NOV, spoke with us about being one of the few women engineers when she began her career at Gulf Oil which was later acquired by Chevron (1-minute mark). She also discussed the importance of having a diverse set of experiences to be a leader in the oil and gas industry (4:30) and how she handled biases toward women early on in her career (5:30) as well as the need for diverse leadership in the industry still today (6:25). Additionally, Meyer talked about Women With Energy LLC, a company she founded to advocate for women in the industry around the globe (8-minute mark). And later in the program, Mayor joined us to discuss what attracted her to the oil and gas business (11:30) and how her experiences in the military gave her skills to excel in her professional career (12:20) as well as how important it is to establish strong relationships (15:45). In addition, she said her advice for success also includes having a genuine passion for your job and to always be learning (18:20). Lastly, Mayer spoke with us about the national Veteran’s Network she helped co-found at KPMG to give back to those who have served in the U.S. military (19:25). You can comment on this podcast in the comments section or by tweeting our hosts @JessicaMNews or @EmilyPatsy. This and all episodes of Women In Energy are available via Soundcloud, the podcast app and iTunes.

Hart Energy’s Oil and Gas Investor kicked off its inaugural Women in Energy program earlier this year, showcasing the accomplishments of 25 distinguished women who have influenced all aspects of the oil and gas industry, rising to the top of a male-dominated business. One of those women—Deborah Byers, the U.S. oil and gas leader and Americas industry leader for Ernst & Young LLP—joined hosts Jessica Morales and Emily Patsy for our first Women in Energy podcast to discuss how successful women in the industry can stand out despite challenges they might face. Byers, who is a 30-year veteran of EY, spoke with us about how she got her start in oil and gas (2-minute mark) and talked about the challenges she faced while launching a new group at the start of the shale revolution (3:10). She also discussed the importance of confidence (5:50) and speaking up for yourself to progress your career (7:00) and why it’s vital to have a sponsor as well as a mentor (9:40). And later in the program we are joined by Peggy Williams, vice president and editorial director of Hart Energy (16:04). She shared her own experiences as the first female geologist at a company that had been in business since the 1880s and what she did to advance her career (20:30). Williams also spoke about the progress the industry has made regarding gender and diversity in the workplace (21:25) and gave us insight into how the Women in Energy program got started (22:34). You can comment on this podcast in the comments section or by tweeting our hosts @JessicaMNews or @EmilyPatsy. This and all episodes of Women In Energy are available via the podcast app and iTunes.

Fracking bans are in force or being considered by several state governments. Our roundtable discussion with experts from Maryland, New York and Pennsylvania details the impact and likely outcomes of these campaigns and how the oil and gas industry can respond. The cost of state regulations that ban hydraulic fracturing are not borne by upstream drillers alone. Midstream operators are targeted by the forces that oppose the oil and gas industry, and the citizens of states that ban fracking miss out on jobs and tax revenue needed to support education and other government programs. In this episode of Political Sidetrack, a roundtable of three experts join host Len Vermillion to discuss the impact of these bans and concerns about future efforts to restrict fracking. Mike Hogan is an energy consultant in New York; Dan Weaver is executive director of the Pennsylvania Independent Oil and Gas Association; and Drew Cobbs oversees the American Petroleum Institute’s activities in Maryland, which recently banned fracking. You can comment on this podcast in the comments section or by tweeting our host @LenVermillion. You may also email us at [email protected]. This and all episodes of Political Sidetrack are available via the podcast app and iTunes. Featured on this episode: Len Vermillion (host) is group managing editor for Hart Energy’s Digital News Group. Based in Houston, he manages editorial content development for Hart Energy’s upstream and midstream websites. He has worked in publishing for more than 20 years, having led several magazines and digital products serving various industries including engineering, retail and travel. He has a bachelor’s degree in communications and journalism from the University of Pittsburgh.

President Donald Trump invoked his campaign mantra of jobs and unleashing the economy on March 28 as he signed an executive order rolling back six executive orders and presidential memorandums guiding the Obama administration’s climate change policies. The oil and gas industry embraced the action that undid the Clean Power Plan. But there are many more regulations, including many that that industry leaders consider overreach, impacting industry growth. In this episode of Political Sidetrack, Kathleen Sgamma, president of the Western Energy Alliance, which represents over 300 energy companies in 13 western states, discusses the impact of regulations such as BLM methane rules, NEPA reviews, fracking regulations and more, on the growth of oil and gas production and economic growth. She also discusses the industry environmental record and initiatives it has already self-imposed to contribute to a decline in greenhouse gases. You can comment on this podcast in the comments section or by tweeting our hosts @LenVermillion or @JHmarkman. You may also email us at [email protected]. Featured on this episode: Kathleen Sgamma, president, joined Western Energy Alliance in March 2006. Prior to joining Western Energy Alliance, she spent 11 years in the Information Technology sector, including managing the European consulting practice for a software vendor, and three years as a Military Intelligence Officer in the US Army. She holds a B.S. in political science/defense and arms control studies from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an M.S. in information technology from Virginia Tech. Len Vermillion (host) is group managing editor for Hart Energy’s Digital News Group. Based in Houston, he manages editorial content development for Hart Energy’s upstream and midstream websites. He has worked in publishing for more than 20 years, having led several magazines and digital products serving various industries including engineering, retail and travel. He has a bachelor’s degree in communications and journalism from the University of Pittsburgh. Joseph Markman (co-host) covers midstream operations and finance for Hart Energy’s websites. He also edits the weekly MIDSTREAM MONITOR digital newsletter and authors the NGL Frac Spread feature, which is published online and in MIDSTREAM BUSINESS. He joined Hart Energy in 2010 after more than 20 years in the daily newspaper business, many of them with the Houston Chronicle. He has also written and edited for Newsday and The Jerusalem Post, among other publications. Prior to moving to Hart Energy’s editorial division, he served as editor and communications manager for the company’s research and consulting unit, now known as Stratas Advisors. He received his bachelor's of science degree in journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

You’ve seen the footage from Standing Rock. You’ve heard the news reports. But do you really understand the legal dynamic that was at play during the months-long Dakota Access Pipeline standoff in North Dakota? In this episode of Political Sidetrack, Troy Eid, an experienced attorney on Native American consultations for energy and infrastructure, explains what happened in the lead up to the protests and how the court proceedings, particularly when it comes to tribal law, played out. He also discusses the possible lasting effects of the standoff and the rulings on the energy industry. Featured on this episode: Troy Eid is a shareholder with the law firm Greenberg Traurig in Denver, Colo. A former U.S. attorney, Eid focuses his litigation, mediation and transactional practice on government enforcement, investigations and compliance, environmental law, energy and natural resource development, and Federal Indian law and Native American and Alaska Native tribal law. He is a trusted advocate and mediator in the Rocky Mountain West and in federal, state and tribal trial and appellate courtrooms across the country. Len Vermillion (host) is group managing editor for Hart Energy’s Digital News Group. Based in Houston, he manages editorial content development for Hart Energy’s upstream and midstream websites. He has worked in publishing for more than 20 years, having led several magazines and digital products serving various industries including engineering, retail and travel. He has a bachelor’s degree in communications and journalism from the University of Pittsburgh. Joseph Markman (co-host) covers midstream operations and finance for Hart Energy’s websites. He also edits the weekly MIDSTREAM MONITOR digital newsletter and authors the NGL Frac Spread feature, which is published online and in MIDSTREAM BUSINESS. He joined Hart Energy in 2010 after more than 20 years in the daily newspaper business, many of them with the Houston Chronicle. He has also written and edited for Newsday and The Jerusalem Post, among other publications. Prior to moving to Hart Energy’s editorial division, he served as editor and communications manager for the company’s research and consulting unit, now known as Stratas Advisors. He received his bachelor's of science degree in journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.