Let’s Make Championing Our Industry’s Image a Personal Mission

Eve S. Sprunt, 2006 SPE President • president@spe.org

SPE is about you, the individual member. Over the last year, I have written a lot about how different aspects of industry image impact our industry’s ability to operate. Now, let’s make this personal and look at how industry image affects us as individuals and what each of us can do.

My daughter is now 25 years old. Recently, she reminisced about how, when she was 9 years old and in the fourth grade, I had visited her class to talk about my work. I was pleased that the visit had created such a strong positive memory. For my visit, I borrowed an SPE Magic Suitcase, which holds simple equipment to demonstrate the fundamentals of porosity, permeability in sand, oil sources and traps, and gas- and waterdrives (www.spe.org/web/suitcase/default.html). One demonstration that I thought these 9- and 10-year-olds would understand illustrated the concept of porosity. You can put it together yourself, using an empty container, granular material such as sand, beads, or marbles, and a container with water. Show the children the empty container. Then fill the container with granular material and ask them if it is now full. Then show them how you can add water to the “full” container. I also talked to them about what I enjoyed about my work.

Your section may have a Magic Suitcase that you can borrow. The Aberdeen Section has an active program using the Magic Suitcase to encourage children to take interest in science and engineering and to promote the oil and gas industry to educators and students at school career events. A slide show that is part of the Magic Suitcase materials is available at SPE.org. We are currently developing new pre-packaged presentation kits that our members can use in classroom visits or with civic groups. We want to make it easy to provide information to today’s students about the importance of energy in our everyday lives and about the outstanding career opportunities for young people in our industry.

Talking with your children, other family members, and friends is a good way to start working on improving our industry’s image. It also has the benefit of helping them better understand your personal role.

For the last couple of years, in conjunction with my job managing research in alternative energy, I’ve circulated news tidbits on alternative energy technologies within Chevron. One of my colleagues told me that he had shared some of this information with his daughter, a doctor in San Francisco, who works with the homeless and, with her friends, has modified a minivan to run on used vegetable oil. His daughter had previously chided him about his choice of occupation. However, he shared with her information on energy alternatives and convinced her that Chevron was serious about considering alternatives, thereby making her more favorably disposed towards his employer. This illustrates how little things can make a difference. My friend was pleased that just a small amount of information had made a difference in his relationship with his daughter.

Just like my colleague’s daughter, many members of the public are very suspicious of the oil industry and its motives. Many people believe that oil companies conceal alternative-energy and energy-efficiency technologies so as to artificially inflate oil prices. For example, even though most cars no longer use carburetors (which mix the right amount of gasoline with air so that the engine runs properly), some people still believe that oil companies are hiding “magic carburetors” that will enable extremely high fuel efficiency. Despite widespread implementation of fuel injection, which provides better fuel efficiency and lower emissions, legends of suppressed devices persist. Public distrust of our industry runs deeps.

We should engage people in constructive dialog. If the only people talking are those who are opposed to our industry, the public will not hear our side of the story. As individuals we can work to dispel mistaken impressions of our profession. We may have more credibility in one-on-one discussions than large companies have in expensive ad campaigns. The SPE website has a lot of good information and links to other websites with information that you can use in talking with people of all ages (About Oil and Natural Gas | Energy Education | Learn About Energy, www.spe.org/spe/jsp/basic/0,2396,1104_1722_0,00.html).

Consider participating in programs organized or sponsored by your local SPE section. Here are a few examples:

Aberdeen Section created a museum exhibit entitled EvOilution, which included interactive sessions with section members. The exhibit, which was originally planned to run for 3 months, was ultimately extended to a 6-month run from August 2005 to January 2006. When I visited in June, the section members were still very excited about their experiences with the program.
Azerbaijan Section has a strong mentorship program in which local students interact with mentors from companies in Baku. Monthly face-to-face meetings cover topics such as behaviors expected in the industry and how to apply for jobs. During my visit, I saw the strong bonds that had been created between mentors and mentees.
Dallas Section participates in education partnerships with local schools, providing support for field trips and speakers. I was privileged to join some of the Dallas Section Young Professionals in visits with girls at both a middle school and a high school in conjunction with the U.S. “Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day.”
Gulf Coast Section annually holds Petroleum Engineering Recruiting Fairs and held five during Nov. 15-19, 2005, to encourage students to consider petroleum engineering as a career as well as to attract bright applicants for section scholarships.
Los Angeles Basin Section is a major contributor to a 1-week introduction to the oil industry for high school students and teachers. The program, which is called COMET (California Oil Mentoring and Entrepreneurial Training), has been presented annually since 1997. It is held at the University of Southern California in late June and is coordinated and taught by section members.
Port Harcourt Nigeria Section has a program called “Catch Them Young” for senior-level secondary students. In cooperation with the SPE Nigeria Council, the section invites secondary schools to participate in essay and quiz competitions. The three best students are provided financial support so that they can participate in the subsequent SPE Nigeria Annual International Conference and Exhibition (NAÏCE), where they receive their prizes. About the time you are reading this, I will be at the 2006 NAICE.

One of the great things about SPE is that if you don’t find something you want to do, you can volunteer to start a new program. SPE is a member-directed organization. It is of, for, and by members.

If you are just paying your dues and merely listening to SPE programs, you are not getting full value from your membership. What I have learned from volunteering is that the more you put in, the more you get back. Active participation in SPE builds self confidence, which then positively impacts everything you do. When you volunteer to lead an existing program or to help start a new one, you get fantastic leadership, organizational, and operational experience. Even without formal mentor programs, you can get incredibly valuable advice from fellow volunteers.

If you are wondering how to get involved, just show up for local section meetings and meet your section’s leadership. Volunteer to help and follow through on your commitments. You will be amazed at how your initiative is rewarded in friendships, new insights, enhancement of your skills and competencies, and self-esteem.

With my year as SPE President coming to a close, I am thinking about how I will continue as an SPE volunteer. I want to help ensure the success of my presidential initiatives to improve industry image, to promote universal adoption of a single set of reserves and resources definitions, and to develop the SPE Women’s Network on SPE.org. After that, I’m sure there will be other exciting, new volunteer opportunities that I can’t resist.

The greatest pleasure of serving as SPE President has been making friends with many of my fellow active SPE members worldwide. The enthusiasm of our section officers and other active SPE members all around the world is exhilarating. I will treasure my memories of learning about their activities, their cultures, and their communities. As I continue as a volunteer, I hope to make friends with even more of you.