November-December 2022
Oil seekers hit gold – black gold, that is – when they found oil in the small South American nation of Guyana in 2015 which, according to David Blackmon for Forbes.com, came just in the nick of time as the global oil industry was underinvesting in new reserves, making it...
“It was the perfect time to start my business,” Tracy Lenz says of the decision to go out on her own in 2020 after nearly 15 years as a petroleum engineer. It was also the start of a worldwide pandemic. “I had my very first client project in March, the...
My “Pilot Program” for Independence
I recently returned from a month-long culinary trip to the country of Georgia. In the lead up to the trip, people quizzed me about my itinerary and my plans, and were often surprised by my answer that, while I had some concrete plans, much of it was up in the...
Lost in Translation: Transitioning into the Renewables Space
Traditional oil and gas companies are transitioning into the renewables space. One might presume they would be particularly well suited for offshore wind development after a half century or more spent developing offshore oil and gas. Indeed, there are a number of ways those decades of oil and gas experience...
Helium: An “Escape Artist” on Earth
Helium (He) is the second lightest element in the universe and the second most abundant, and yet is incredibly rare here on earth. While the process of fusion in our sun produces an estimated 700 million tons of helium per second, our earth’s atmosphere has only a paltry 0.0005 percent...
The Oil and Gas Industry – A 40 Year Retrospective
When I retired from the American Petroleum Institute (API) in May of this year, I decided to write a retrospective, having worked in the oil and gas industry for almost 40 years. In that time, I have had the opportunity to witness many changes in the culture, technologies and impacts...
Four Ways to Acquire Renewable Energy Certificates
To reduce Scope 2 emissions (those associated with electricity use) and meet renewable energy targets, companies need to acquire, and retire, renewable energy certificates (RECs). There are a handful of ways that a corporation can go about acquiring RECs, and most companies use more than one method to reach their...
Jennifer Haley, CEO, Kern Energy
Rebecca Ponton: I found it so interesting that when you joined Kern you didn’t have energy industry experience. What attracted you to the refining industry, and Kern in particular? Jennifer Haley: At my heart and, particularly with my legal background, I like to solve problems. I enjoy challenges. When I...
Women and Children in the Dark Due to Energy Insecurity
As much of the world focuses on the energy transition and lessening its dependence on fossil fuels, while increasing the use of renewable forms of energy, it is shocking that according to the International Energy Agency (IEA) there are still 770 million people in the world without electricity from any...
Katie Mehnert Has A Story To Tell
There’s nothing like a good movie recommendation from a friend to change the course of your life’s work. “We go way back,” Mehnert says of her friendship with Jennifer Hohman, then-chief information officer at Seadrill. On a business trip between London and Houston in August of 2019, Hohman told Mehnert...
No Limits: Why Diversity in Leadership Can Benefit the Oil and Gas Services Industry
Things are looking up for female business leaders across corporate America, and the entire U.S. workforce is the chief beneficiary. As industries become more competitive amid a shakily rebounding macroeconomy, diversity of thought and perspective at the top of the corporate ladder is growing in importance. New challenges from inflation and...
Letter from the Editor-in-Chief (November-December 2022)
I have the privilege of talking to women at the highest levels of the energy industry, and I learn something new with each interview – the cover story feature for this issue is no exception. In the course of my conversation with our interviewee, Katie Mehnert, the founder and CEO...
Oil and gas operations are commonly found in remote locations far from company headquarters. Now, it's possible to monitor pump operations, collate and analyze seismic data, and track employees around the world from almost anywhere. Whether employees are in the office or in the field, the internet and related applications enable a greater multidirectional flow of information – and control – than ever before.
