Here are this week’s special guests on The Crude Life Week In Review Episode 455:
The Crude Life’s Chief Intention Officer Jason Spiess interviews Curtis Shuck, Chairman of the Board, Well Done Foundation regarding a major announcement of a 10-year partnership with Newlight Technologies as well as their four-well-plugging awareness effort.
“Today on this Earth Day, I am down in Oil City, Louisiana finishing up the Tito’s Trifecta, but we have other orphan wells being plugged on Earth Day across the United States,” Shuck said. “We’re marking the occasion with four active plugging projects running simultaneously across four states – Ohio, Pennsylvania, Louisiana and Montana.”
Shuck said the major partnership with Newlight Technologies will ensure the plugging of hundred of more wells across the United States for the next decade.
Newlight is a biotechnology company producing advanced sustainable materials. Over 10 years of research and development, Newlight developed a biotechnological process to harness microorganisms found in the ocean to convert greenhouse gas into a meltable energy material found in all living things: a naturally-occurring, biocompatible material that can be used to make fibers and solid parts, and help reduce the flow of carbon and synthetic plastic into the environment.
Following commercialization in 2013, AirCarbon was named “Biomaterial of the Year” by the Nova Institute in 2013, “one of the 100 most technologically significant innovations of the year” by R&D Magazine in 2013, and “Innovation of the Year” by Popular Science in 2014, and received the prestigious EPA Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge award in 2016. Today, Newlight is focused on growth through both internal and licensed production to help fulfill the company’s mission: to protect and improve life by accelerating the world’s transition to sustainable, regenerative materials.
This partnership continues the momentum of corporate sponsors helping plug orphan wells across America. Texas-based distillery Tito’s Handmade Vodka and the Felty Family Challenge recently funded the non-profit’s first well-plugging project of 2022. The well, known as Fenner #2, was installed near Caddo Lake on the Louisiana/Texas border in 1985, and abandoned in 2017.
Shuck was in Louisiana during the Earth Day interview with Jason Spiess completing “Tito’s Trifecta” of orphan well plugging.
Alma Cook joined Jason Spiess on the Zoom Line to talk about her new music video “5000 Candles” and the final stretch of completing her music album. Spiess contends that while many in the oil and gas industry are still searching for ways to connect with tomorrow’s leaders today, Alma is singing her way into their hearts and minds.
The two discuss the music video from the production elements to the industry workers in the video to the Bakken communities and the video footage included in the video. Cook who works for Cook Compliance Solutions during the day, found time on nights, weekends and in dreams to write and produce a song about flaring in the energy industry.
Last summer, Alma performed “5000 Candles” at the Bakken BBQ with children on stage to raise awareness about not only the issue with emission management, but also the solutions.
“5000 Candles” is the story of unexpected love for people, place, and industry. A tribute to the North Dakota oilfields, it humanizes a part of American life that’s typically kept behind a curtain.
In a culture that encourages us to airbrush our lives with Instagram filters and clever status updates, the emerging voice of pop/soul artist Alma is challenging this generation to pause and self-reflect. With a strong emphasis on message over medium, she sees art as a transformative tool and has made it her mission to teach listeners the value of honesty and vulnerability.
“Using songwriting to vent about breakups or whatever—there’s definitely a place for that,” Alma says. “But if you’re gonna make music your personal therapist, I hope you’re getting your money’s worth. You don’t go to therapy so that you can revel in your problems, you go because you want to understand and conquer them.”
For her, understanding and conquering problems begins with asking “why?” and ultimately “what next?” Alma aims to kickstart this dialogue through her songwriting, most often by being upfront about her own shortcomings.
“I basically just put all my dirt out there,” Alma laughs. “We all have this vague idea that ‘nobody’s perfect,’ but until you actually put a name to your imperfection—jealousy, anger, whatever—you won’t look it in the eye long enough to fight it. Honesty is power.”
James Willis, Marcellus Drilling News, gives an update from the Marcellus Utica region. Willis starts off with an update from Coterra Energy, which is a company based on a merger between Cabot Oil and Gas and Cimarex Energy for $17 billion merger. The Houston oil and gas company on Friday said it will start trading Monday on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol CTRA, which will replace Cabot’s ticker symbol of COG.
Coterra Energy Inc. is a company engaged in hydrocarbon exploration organized in Delaware and based in Houston, Texas. The company has operations in the Permian Basin, Marcellus Shale, and the Anadarko Basin.
“They are drilling for natural gas about 20 miles from where I am standing right now on the other side of the border in Susquehanna County (PA), which is the only county where they drill for natural gas,” Willis said. “Not much has changed since the merger. I still see they are getting permits as I see their permits still coming through.”
Willis said he has personal friends who work for Coterra and said everything from what he can see, hear and read is positive. Although Willis did opine on one concern.
“My one concern is that with the price of oil, that perhaps, given their interests in the Permian and Anadarko, would they shift money away from natural gas drilling,” Willis said. “All of our drillers (producers) here in the Marcellus Utica are constrained. The great ongoing theme here is that we can’t build any pipelines because of this vivacious opposition from (pause) wackos. But they are well funded wackos.”
Joe Sinnott, Witting Partners, who also hosts The Energy Detox Podcast, explains how companies who are experiencing turnover right now can learn a lot from sports organizations, like in this example St. Peter’s. Sinnott is specifically talking about the recent news of Shaheen Holloway who after leading Saint Peter’s to the Elite Eight in this year’s NCAA tournament has left St. Peter’s for a head coaching position at Seton Hall, his alma matter.
“First and foremost, in the St. Peter’s example you are talking about an overwhelmingly positive situation right? I feel like its a win win win for everyone involved,” Sinnott said. “The St. Peter’s coach, who is now the Seton Hall coach, Shaheen Holloway, and the players, everyone is winning. Even St. Peter’s for getting put on the map and getting the exposure.”
Sinnott compares the St. Peter’s example to the corporate and small business worlds.
“Getting positive exposure when one of your leaders leaves or there is turnover or turmoil or even if there is a mass exodus, I think by in large as a coach, it is nice to accentuate the positives first,” Sinnott said.
The conversation transitioned into how job hopping, resume building and social media loitering can work against the individual in the workplace and professional settings.
“You mentioned the word balance, and it is a good one, but possibility overused, much like the work sustainability, which I think is a better fit” Sinnott said. “You want someone who wants a sustainable career. Sustainable trajectory. You want companies that are sustainable. Teams and organizations. Not necessarily from an economic standpoint or environmental standpoint, rather the ability to just keep moving forward towards the ultimate destination.”
The two talked about dream jobs and achieving your personal success rather than the success Hollywood or pop culture present as a template for professional happiness.
“The more transparent someone is in the beginning the easier adjustments are for everyone involved if they leave and there are no surprises,” Sinnott said. “The problem I see a lot of times with individuals is that they are not clear what their ultimate destination is.”
Music heard on The Crude Life Week in Review is written and performed by Alma Cook. Support her music career at www.hearalma.com
Alma Cook released her video “5000 Candles” worldwide with a professional video and production company. Cook also works for Cook Compliance Solutions in the oil and gas industry as a safety compliance officer.
Music heard on The Crude Life Week in Review is written and performed by Alma Cook. Support her music career at www.hearalma.com
About The Crude Life Week in Review
Award winning interviewer and broadcast journalist Jason Spiess and Content Correspondents engage with the industry’s best thinkers, writers, politicians, business leaders, scientists, entertainers, community leaders, cafe owners and other newsmakers in one-on-one interviews and round table discussions.
The Crude Life Week in Review has been broadcasting on radio stations since 2012 and posts all updates and interviews on The Crude Life Social Media Network.
Everyday your story is being told by someone. Who is telling your story? Who are you telling your story to?
#thecrudelife promotes a culture of inclusion and respect through interviews, content creation, live events and partnerships that educate, enrich, and empower people to create a positive social environment for all, regardless of age, race, religion, sexual orientation, or physical or intellectual ability.
Sponsors, Music and Other Show Notes
Studio Sponsor: The Industrial Forest
The Industrial Forest is a network of environmentally minded and socially conscious businesses that are using industrial innovations to build a network of sustainable forests across the United States.
Weekly Sponsor: KBL Complete Services
Strikingly dynamic, incomparably strong and absolutely reliable, KBL Complete Services excels at all of your pipeline needs. From AGM Surveys, ILI tool tracking, Digsite Locating, and Equipment Decontamination, to Project Management, KBL Complete Services are ready to make your project a success.
Weekly Sponsor: Great American Mining Co
Great American Mining monetizes wasted, stranded and undervalued gas throughout the oil and gas industry by using it as a power generation source for bitcoin mining. We bring the market and our expertise to the molecule. Our solutions make producers more efficient and profitable while helping to reduce flaring and venting throughout the oil and gas value chain.
Join Podcasters from across the world and all walks of life as they unite to bring civil solutions to life and liberty.
Studio Email and Inbox Sponsor: To Be Announced
Featured Music: Alma Cook
For guest, band or show topic requests, email studio@thecrudelife.com
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