Rocky Mountain Oil & Gas Awards 2012 Winner's Yearbooks by Marc Bridgen

2012

Rocky Mountain Oil & Gas Awards Winnerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Yearbook

Oil & Gas Awards 2012

Welcome to the commemorative yearbook for the 2012 Rocky Mountain Oil & Gas Awards

he organizations in this journal were acknowledged by the Awardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s judging panel to have excelled at their core business in 2012, whilst also focusing on the core values of Health & Safety, Environmental Stewardship and Corporate Social Responsibility. The Oil & Gas Awards recognize the outstanding achievements made within the Upstream and Midstream sectors of the Oil & Gas industry, acknowledging the producers, pipelines, service providers and suppliers that support them. The Awards are a platform for the industry to demonstrate and celebrate the advances made in the key areas of environmental stewardship, efficiency, innovation, corporate social responsibility and health and safety. The Awards show the industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s motivation to develop by recognizing and rewarding the efforts of corporations and individuals. The Oil & Gas industry is of the upmost importance to the U.S. national economy and instrumental to both national and energy security. In its areas of operation, the Oil & Gas industry also plays a key role for local communities and their economies. Through innovation, the industry has driven forward technological developments. Which have created a renaissance in the energy sector, enabling the U.S. to tap into one of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest natural gas reserves. In spite of its significance, the industry still has its critics and gets more than its fair share of negative press. The

Oil & Gas Awards aim to highlight the lengths the industry goes to in protecting the environment, the effort made to maintain the health and safety of employees and citizens, and to what it contributes to local communities. I would like to congratulate all the companies that were voted finalists by the judges, and to the winners - well done! Many thanks to the thought leading companies and individuals that participated in these inaugural awards and supported this new initiative. We especially appreciate the support of our judges, sponsors and partners, without whom the Oil & Gas Awards would not be possible. These inaugural 2012 Rocky Mountain Oil & Gas Awards have been a terrific success and we are very much looking forward to hosting the industry again next year. The 2013 Rocky Mountain Oil & Gas Awards will be held in Denver, CO in March 2014. Please visit www.oilandgasawards.com to find out how your company can participate. I hope that you enjoy reading this commemorative yearbook. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you would like to share your thoughts and feedback. Best wishes,

Daniel P. Creasey Chairman, Oil & Gas Awards

Oil & Gas Awards 2012

For any specific sponsorship opportunities, please contact:

For any marketing and media partnerships, please contact:

For any table sales and general enquiries, please contact:

For any event logistics enquiries, please contact:

Daniel Creasey Phone: +1 210 591 8471 Email: daniel@ oilandgasawards.com

Marc Bridgen Phone: +1 210 591 8475 Email: marc@ oilandgasawards.com

Oliver Bridgen Phone: +1 210 591 8481 Email: oliver@ oilandgasawards.com

Andrew Perry Phone: +1 210 767 3320 Email: andrew@ oilandgasawards.com

Contents Guest of Honor

Judging panel

Congratulations to the 2012 Northeast Winners

Congratulations to the 2012 Gulf Coast Winners

A-Z of finalists

E&P company of the Year

Terminal of the Year

Water management company of the Year

Trucking company of the Year

Corporate social responsibility initiative of the Year

Health & Safety initiative of the Year

Drilling & Well services company of the Year

Insurance provider of the Year

Environmental initiative of the Year

Future Industry Leader

Law Firm of the Year

Industry supplier of the Year

Transaction of the Year

Recruitment Agency of the Year

Consultancy of the Year

Midstream company of the Year

Engineering company of the Year

Industry Leader

Manufacturer of the Year

Oil & Gas Awards 2012

13 19

Winners pages

Editorial

Fueling the Future: Natural Gas as the Alternative Fuel of Choice

Horizontal Drilling Helps Produce Oil and Gas from NonTraditional Sources

Tax Law Changes May Have Unwanted Consequences

Should Oil 32 23 Companies Go Green?

42 52

North American M&A could heat up with political certainty, technological knowhow Workforce Housing and Feeding Solutions for Health, Safety, Productivity and Morale

Guest of Honor G

Governor John Hickenlooper uest of Honor at the Rocky Mountain Oil & Gas Awards was Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper, who gave an engaging and entertaining keynote address. John Hickenlooper calls himself a recovering geologist who once owned a brewpub and was goaded into running for mayor of Denver in 2003. He spent nearly eight years at City Hall before he became governor of Colorado in 2011. Hickenlooper and his team at the state Capitol are working hard to promote an all-the-above energy policy that balances pursuit of Colorado’s abundance of natural resources with preserving the natural beauty that attracts so many people to the state. Some of the highlights from Gov. Hickenlooper’s keynote address: “I especially want to thank all of the companies and the individuals that make the companies up, for their constant, continual effort to do the job better.” “We have to be able to demonstrate that as we harvest oil and gas, and not just hydrocarbons - everything, that we do it in a way that in the end, 50 years from now or a hundred years from now that landscape comes back; and that we accept that responsibility and as we are exploring and drilling and producing that we are constantly finding ways to limit and ultimately

end our methane escapes, that we find ways to recycle our fluids of all sorts, not just frac fluids, but everything.” “…continually reassure the public, right, that we take as a country, as a state, as an industry the risks very seriously to air, to water, to the land and that we accept that responsibility and are going to continually do a better job of anticipating the challenges and figuring out systems by which we are continually improving.” “…it is about public sentiment, and all of you here – by investing yourselves and your companies in that continual constant pursuit of improving our systems are what its going to take to really convince the public… we have the chance to make North America energy independent in the next 3 to 5 years, I mean if you had told me that when I was a geologist that that would ever happen…it is remarkable – we are in a moment of history right now that is hard to believe that what is right before us is achievable and I think that one of the biggest challenges we have is making sure that we do focus back on that public sentiment. I think that’s what you are all here for.” To see the video of Gov. Hickenlooper’s complete keynote address please visit www.oilandgasawards.com.

Oil & Gas Awards 2012

Judging panel

Guy Goudy

Charles E. Wilkinson

President & Chief Operating Officer, Austin Exploration

President, Stonehenge Energy Resources

Austin Exploration’s Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, Mr. Guy Goudy is responsible for senior management, development team oversight, and investor relations and operations oversight. He has served as the President of Austin Exploration’s fully owned North American subsidiary, Austin Exploration North America, for the past three years. Mr. Goudy has been instrumental in driving the business forward to a cash flow positive operation, while strategically shifting the business focus towards nonconventional oil and gas exploration in North America. During his tenure at Austin Exploration, Mr. Goudy has also served as a Director on Austin Exploration’s board. He studied at the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS), where he holds various formal qualifications in Business Studies. Prior to his work with Austin Exploration, Mr. Goudy worked in the financial services sector and was an authorized representative with a leading stock broking and financial advisory firm.

Oil & Gas Awards 2012

Patrick Rutty Vice President Exploration, Fidelity Exploration & Production Company

M r. Wilkinson joined Stonehenge near M r. Rutty joined Fidelity in September its inception in early 2008. Stonehenge developed and built Keystone Midstream Services, LLC, which gathered and processed NGL-rich gas in Pennsylvania. Keystone was sold in 2012 for $0.5 billion. Subsequently, Stonehenge Energy Resources II, L.P. and Stonehenge Ohio Partners, LLC were formed to develop new midstream projects in the Appalachian and Rocky Mountain regions. Mr. Wilkinson has 37 years of experience in the energy industry, primarily in the natural gas midstream sector. Prior to Stonehenge, Mr. Wilkinson served for 23 years with Enron Corporation, and then five years with MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company, in engineering, business development and asset management positions, involving a broad range of facilities including gathering, compression, dehydration, processing, treating; NGL transportation, fractionation and storage; interstate natural gas transportation and storage; and CO2 transportation. Mr. Wilkinson began his career in 1975 with Black & Veatch Consulting Engineers, primarily designing civil and structural facilities for gas turbine and nuclear power plants and electrical transmission lines. Mr. Wilkinson received his B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Nebraska and his M.B.A. from Houston Baptist University.

of 2011 and currently leads the company’s oil and gas exploration efforts. Prior to joining Fidelity, he served as Geophysical Advisor for Anschutz Exploration, Exploration Manager for Hungarian Horizon Energy, and in a number of geoscience technical assignments with Aspect Energy, Saudi Aramco, Sonat Exploration, and Amoco, working basins in the Mid-Continent, onshore Gulf Coast, and Rocky Mountains in the U.S.; the Pannonian Basin in Europe; and the Arabian Basin. Mr. Rutty earned a B.S. in Earth Sciences from Dartmouth College, and an M.S. in Exploration & Development Geophysics from Stanford University. He is currently the Board Chair of the Denver non-profit Open Door Ministries.

Richard P. Crist

Richard Wanger

VP Business Development & Exploration, Gasco Energy

Midstream Business Development, Monarch Natural Gas

M r.

Crist joined Gasco on March 1, 2012. With over 42 years of oil and gas experience, Mr. Crist has a broad range of managerial and technical expertise that includes 25 years in corporate and senior management roles. He has relevant expertise in new business development in the Rockies and other North American basins. His past positions include senior technical and business development roles at energy companies including Denver-based White Birch Energy, Elk Resources, a Denver-based oil and gas company focused on the US Rocky Mountain region, GLOBEX Energy, Inc., Triton Energy Corporation, The Superior Oil Company and Sinclair/Atlantic Richfield where he began his career as a geophysicist. Mr. Crist earned his degree as an engineer of geophysics with a minor in geology from the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colo. He is a member in good standing of the Society of Exploration Geophysicists and the American Association of Petroleum Geologists and is a Certified Petroleum Geologist.

ichard Wanger began his career in the oil and gas industry more than 35 years ago, when he joined Shar-Alan Oil Company as principal and Vice President. Wanger was instrumental in developing growth and financing strategies for this closely held company and its investor groups. After consummating the sale of all of the Shar-Alan assets, Wanger began to focus on the mid-stream sector. These activities included the formation of a joint venture to acquire, own and operate the assets of Cowboy Pipeline, a small Houston, Texas based midstream company. Wanger then joined KN Energy (later Kinder Morgan) as a Director of Business Development. Wanger also served Kerr-McGee (later Anadarko Petroleum) as a Business Development and Commercial Representative for one of the company’s flagship assets, the Wattenberg Gathering System and was later advanced to have commercial responsibility for all KerrMcGee Rockies Region midstream assets that included Colorado, Utah and Wyoming. Wanger earned both BS and MBA degrees from CCU (California Coast University) and completed the Mineral Economics certificate course “Economic Evaluation and Investment Decision Methods” from the Colorado School of Mines.

Oil & Gas Awards 2012

E&P company of the Year

Winners page

WINNER

E&P COMPANY OF THE YEAR Rocky Mountain

QEP Resources, Inc QEP Resources, Inc. is a leading independent energy company focused on the exploration, production, gathering, processing and marketing of natural gas, natural gas liquids and crude oil in the continental United States.

Sponsored by:

TEEMCO is a registered professional engineering firm providing a onestop-shop for every environmental compliance need. The company’s six regional offices serve the industry coast-to-coast. Selected as the exclusive environmental-services provider to the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers, TEEMCO’s expertise, products and services are recognized as the industry standard.

Oil & Gas Awards 2012

Our corporate heritage, which spans nearly a century, reflects a longterm commitment to creating value for our shareholders, exceptional opportunities for our employees and economic benefits for the communities in which we operate. QEP operates three wholly-owned subsidiaries: QEP Energy, QEP Field Services and QEP Marketing. QEP Energy is actively involved in several of North America’s most important hydrocarbon resource plays including the Northern Region (primarily in the Rockies and the Williston Basin) and

the Southern Region (primarily Oklahoma, Louisiana, and the Texas Panhandle). QEP Field Services invests in midstream (gathering, processing and treating) systems to complement its natural gas, oil and NGL operations in regions where QEP Energy has production. QEP Marketing provides wholesale marketing and sales of affiliate and third-party natural gas, oil and NGL. Headquartered in Denver, QEP employs more than 900 people in eight states and is an S&P 500 member-company.

Our corporate heritage, which spans nearly a century, reflects a long-term commitment to creating value for our shareholders, exceptional opportunities for our employees and economic benefits for the communities in which we operate.

Further information on these winning organizations, interviews and photos can be viewed at www.oilandgasawards.com

Terminal of the Year

Winners page

WINNER

TERMINAL OF THE YEAR Rocky Mountain

Savage The Savage terminal in Trenton, ND is strategically located to gather crude oil from the Williston Basin and Bakken Shale Play and facilitate its transport to key refinery markets. The terminal provides the oil industry with inbound gathering access and storage through truck receiving stations, pipeline connections and crude oil tankage and outbound transportation via unit train loading and departure on the BNSF mainline.

The terminal provides the oil industry with inbound gathering access and storage through truck receiving stations, pipeline connections and crude oil tankage and outbound transportation via unit train loading and departure on the BNSF mainline.

Trenton Facility Highlights

• Over 24,000 feet of linear track

• Located on the BNSF mainline

• Double loop track capable of loading two unit trains

• Customers include crude marketers, producers and refineries • Receives, transloads and dispatches crude oil • Employs 50 full-time team members. Near term expansion to create 20 additional positions

• (118 railcars each) • Optionality to transload, process, store and/or distribute chemicals, sand diesel or pipe • Services expanding to include railcar maintenance and storage • Terminal spans 273 acres

• Five truck unloading bays • Three storage tanks (300,000 barrel capacity)

Further information on these winning organizations, interviews and photos can be viewed at www.oilandgasawards.com Oil & Gas Awards 2012

Water management company of the Year

Winners page

WINNER

WATER MANAGEMENT COMPANY OF THE YEAR Rocky Mountain

Beneterra Formed in 2002 to focus on the U.S. coal bed methane (CBM) market, BeneTerra specializes in land-based wastewater dispersal systems. The stewardship of water and land is central to our business proposition. We are dedicated to finding solutions to derive the maximum benefit from wastewater while caring for the environment in a sustainable manner which allows our customers to then focus on their own core businesses.

We utilize our soils, agronomic and project management skills to provide quality, stewardship-based environmental services as a complement to our water management services.

Our focus has expanded to include a broader range of environmental services which were previously performed in-house only, including soils investigation, site remediation, reclamation, and environmental monitoring and regulatory compliance activities. We utilize our soils, agronomic and project management skills to provide quality, stewardshipbased environmental services as a complement to our water management services. BeneTerraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s capabilities include the development and management of beneficial water use projects. Our team has expertise in technical areas

such as water chemistry, soil science, water treatment and agronomy. We do business with large multinational companies while at the same time working with rural landholders in remote communities. We pride ourselves in being able to bring the right elements together that make projects successful by delivering the best, fit-for-purpose solution. We align ourselves with top research organizations as part of our commitment to continuous improvement. This assures that we stay on the leading edge and are achieving the best results possible for our clients and other stakeholders.

Further information on these winning organizations, interviews and photos can be viewed at www.oilandgasawards.com 10

Oil & Gas Awards 2012

21st Century Technology for 21st Century Regulations

Registered

Professional Environmental Engineers

HOUSTON

PITTSBURG, KS

WASHINGTON, D.C.

MIDLAND, TX

OKLAHOMA CITY

Corporate Headquarters: 1600 East 19th Street, Bldg-5, Edmond, OK 73013 Tel: 405.216.1300 12

Oil & Gas Awards 2012

PITTSBURGH, PA

Fax: 405.341.3095 www.theteemco.com

Editorial

Fueling the Future: Natural Gas as the Alternative Fuel of Choice Norman Herrera, Chesapeake Energy Corporation, Director of Market Development

With today’s gasoline and diesel prices, natural gas has an opportunity to complement – if not compete with – traditional transportation fuels. Significant progress has been made to encourage adoption, and the market is moving at a rapid pace. Natural gas as a transportation fuel practically sells itself – at half the cost of gasoline, lower emissions, and support for a domestic product – but many wonder if the fuel can be mainstream due to infrastructure and vehicle availability questions. Infrastructure Update Currently the U.S. has more than 1,000 natural gas filling stations and interest is growing among fueling retailers. According to the Convenience Store News 2012 Motor Fuels Study, just 1.7 percent of retailer respondents currently sell natural gas, but 21.9 percent plan to sell it in 2017. That’s a more than tenfold increase in five years. The majority of compressed natural gas (CNG) station growth is occurring in areas with natural gas exploration and production. My home state of Oklahoma has seen rapid station adoption in the last three years. Nearly 100 public stations are open or in the planning stages, and it is now possible to drive across the state on CNG. The fuel sells for as low as 99 cents per gasoline gallon equivalent thanks to retailers such as Love’s Travel Stops and Country Stores, OnCue and Hutch’s.

To accelerate the transition to natural gas, Chesapeake Energy Corporation subsidiary Peake Fuel Solutions and General Electic introduced CNG In A Box™. CNG In A Box is a plug-and-play system for retailers and fleet managers interested in easy access to CNG. The compact system connects to a utility natural gas line and incorporates all of the necessary equipment for offering CNG refueling. Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) availability is also growing because of investments by leading truck stop operators such as Pilot Flying J and Travel Stops of America, working with market leaders such as Clean Energy Fuels. Clean Energy, with support from Chesapeake, pledged to open 150 fueling stations across more than 30 states along interstate highways. Named “America’s Natural Gas Highway,” this network of LNG

continued overleaf To accelerate the transition to natural gas, Chesapeake Energy Corporation subsidiary Peake Fuel Solutions and General Electic introduced CNG In A Box™

Oil & Gas Awards 2012

The Chrysler Group announced plans to produce factory manufactured heavy-duty bi-fuel trucks last year and General Motors continues to sell its bi-fuel pickup trucks and vans. stations will serve robust trucking corridors, as well as several major metropolitan areas. Additionally, last year Shell announced a partnership with TravelCenters of America to build and operate at least 200 natural gas fueling lanes for heavy-duty trucks along the interstate system. NGV Availability and Affordability While I am certainly an advocate for natural gas as a transportation fuel, I also recognize the investment necessary to convert vehicles and complete the other side of the equation. Fortunately, the natural gas vehicle market is at a major turning point. The “big three” automakers and Honda Motor Company have endorsed CNG, with fleet vehicles driving demand and increasing consumer options. The Chrysler Group announced plans to produce factory manufactured heavy-duty bi-fuel trucks last year and General Motors continues to sell its bi-fuel pickup trucks and vans. Meanwhile, Ford Motor Company has identified several Qualified Vehicle Modifiers that use Ford CNG engines for conversions of Ford vehicles to natural gas. On the passenger vehicle side, Honda continues to sell its dedicated natural gas Civic at more than 200 dealerships in 38 states. Green Car Journal ranked it the 2012 Green Car of the Year. Costs for natural gas vehicles will continue to decrease as adoption

Oil & Gas Awards 2012

and economies of scale increase, and equipment is manufactured at lower costs. Chesapeake and 3M’s partnership to develop a lower cost, higher performance portfolio of CNG fuel storage tanks is an example of market progress. Since the fuel tank is the most expensive single component of a natural gas vehicle, less expensive tanks – with more fuel storage capacity – will enable greater adoption across all sectors. 3M’s newly certified tanks deliver both.

applications, and there is significant anticipation for the launch of Cummins Westport’s 12-liter engine later this year. The dual-fuel market continues to develop as well, with Peake Fuel Solutions launching Diesel Natural Gas (DNG) – an EPA-certified conversion kit that allows heavyduty trucks to run on a mixture of diesel and up to 70 percent CNG or LNG. If neither natural gas fuel is available, the trucks can switch to 100 percent diesel.

When talking economies of scale we must note the leadership of 22 governors in support of natural gas as a transportation fuel. Through an initiative led by Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin and Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper, the states issued a request for proposal (RFP) to automakers to produce lower-cost natural gas vehicles for use by state fleets. The RFP required that the vehicles be comparably priced to gasoline models and carry the same reliability and warranty standards. So far, the RFP results have been positive and appealing at even the county and municipal fleet levels. For example, Oklahoma’s natural gas vehicle purchase price dropped 10 to 20 percent, and the state has ordered more than 200 vehicles soon to be operating on Oklahoma roads.

What the Industry Can Do

There has also been market movement on the heavy-duty side. Several engine manufacturers are marketing natural gas engines for commercial transportation

Just as the dairy farmer should drink his or her own milk, our industry must support both supply AND demand. We need to show support and strength for our product before we can expect others to consider it for their operations. One tangible step industry peers can take is to convert their fleets to run on natural gas. Not only does conversion offer economic and environmental benefits, but it can help propel infrastructure growth by guaranteeing fueling traffic. Chesapeake is currently converting its 4,000-plus fleet to natural gas. Once the conversion is complete, we expect to save more than $10 million annually on fuel costs alone. Now is the time for our industry to show leadership and create attractive business opportunities for those outside of oil and natural gas to further spur market growth and demand.

Trucking company of the Year

Winners page

WINNER

TRUCKING COMPANY OF THE YEAR Rocky Mountain

Brady Trucking Brady Trucking began operations in 1980. Founder, Larry Brady, operated the Company as a single truck, owner/operator business for the first 16 years of service. In 1996, Brady Trucking incorporated and began growing the business operation in response to the needs of their growing business base. Brady Trucking, Inc. takes pride in its long, steady, and sustainable growth in an extremely unpredictable marketplace.

Recently, Brady has expanded its services to include Mining & Chemicals, Hazmat, Agriculture and Construction Materials and Heavy Haul.

Further information on these winning organizations, interviews and photos can be viewed at www.oilandgasawards.com

Today, Brady Trucking owns and operates 140 power units and over 175 trailers. Brady Trucking opened its first facility in 1996 in Vernal, UT where it grew and soon expanded to Grand Junction, CO. In 2010 Brady Trucking opened a facility in Williston, ND and Farmington, NM, due to customer request for services in those areas. The fleet size grew from 70 power units between Utah and Colorado divisions to over 140 power units among all divisions. We currently operate using the most advanced high-tech systems available in our industry. Qualcomm offers the company trucks tracking accessibility 24/7, as well as incab satellite communications. TMW dispatch software allows for optimum utilization of our capacity, to ensure the best service available. Serving the gas and oil industry hauling frack sand, fly ash and

cement has been the Company’s cornerstone. Recently, Brady has expanded its services to include Mining & Chemicals, Hazmat, Agriculture and Construction Materials and Heavy Haul. From day one, safety has been a core Value of Brady Trucking, Inc. Brady’s leadership has built excellent working relationships with regulatory agencies such as DOT, EPA, and OSHA. Brady Trucking, Inc. continually strives to deliver the highest level of customer service. A leader in Safety, Performance, and Reliability, Brady Trucking, Inc. has long been known as the “Best in Class.” and has recently been named “Trucking Company of Year” by Rocky Mountain Oil and Gas Awards. By virtue of many years of service, and continued successes, Brady Trucking, Inc. is confident we will continually exceed our customer’s expectations.

Oil & Gas Awards 2012

Corporate social responsibility initiative of the Year

WINNER

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR Rocky Mountain

Aon Corporation Global risk is increasing and becoming ever more complex, particularly within the energy sector. From upstream to downstream operations, the industry faces increased risk from a long list of sources including more remote exploration, deeper wells and water, greater civil liability, regulatory and political risks. These risks are amplified as companies face higher capital expenditures to complete new projects while dealing with the volatility in the commodity and financial markets. Aon Risk Solutions Energy has the expertise to develop insurance and risk management programs to help you understand, quantify, and mitigate your risk.

Recent losses in the sector have highlighted the need for effective insurance and risk management programs. The last thing that an organization needs in the middle of a crisis is to find out that the insurance they were relying upon is anything other than completely effective. Aon Risk Solutions Energy has the expertise to develop insurance and risk management programs to help you understand, quantify, and mitigate your risk.

Further information on these winning organizations, interviews and photos can be viewed at www.oilandgasawards.com

Oil & Gas Awards 2012

Our exclusive focus on the energy industry enables us to have dedicated professionals that look after clients in a variety of energy sectors including Upstream, Major integrated and national oil and gas companies, Midstream, Contractors, Downstream and Mining.

Obtaining the broadest coverage at the most competitive rates in a niche market requires the skills of a firm that is active in the energy market every day. The vast amount of business we place in the energy market enables us to establish broader policy terms and conditions and competitive pricing for our clients. Energy claims are complex and our clients benefit from the knowledge and experience of our dedicated claims team. In the event of a claim we work on your behalf with the insurance markets and the legal sector to facilitate a prompt and satisfactory resolution.

Fast-Paced Industry Sweeping changes and a reset energy future make the news and analysis found in each issue of AOGR, as well as the exclusive online information found at www.aogr.com, all the more important! As independent operators accomplish what once was deemed impossible, AOGR is with them every step of the way. It is the one and only source that integrates the business, financial and technical information that busy executives and operations managers need to hone their skills and make the right decisions. For your 2013 Media File, please call 1-800-847-8301 today!

www.aogr.com

Integrated Communications Oil & Gas Awards 2012

Health & Safety initiative of the Year

Winners page

WINNER

HEALTH & SAFETY INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR Rocky Mountain

FTS International FTS International is a leading provider of well completion services. The company focuses on creating and delivering advanced pressure pumping and wireline services that maximize results. The company engineers, manufactures and produces many of the key components used in its operations, including high-pressure hydraulic pumps and mobile pressure pumping units. The company’s research and development efforts are focused on improving hydrocarbon recovery while minimizing environmental impact and operational footprints.

Further information on these winning organizations, interviews and photos can be viewed at www.oilandgasawards.com

Oil & Gas Awards 2012

FTSI also owns and operates sand mines and processing facilities for producing proppants, as well as an extensive logistics network. In addition, the company is launching its new Aquacor™ system of water management solutions. FTSI has the unique ability to customize, maintain and deploy solutions based on the needs of each customer and specific well. FTSI is committed to every aspect of safety in its operations. Professional health, safety and environment (HSE) staff administer year-round safety training programs designed to deliver a best-in-industry record. Over the past year, the company’s Services Division decreased its OSHA total recordable injury rate by 38.3 percent, making FTSI’s incident rate 58.8 percent lower than the company’s national industry peer group, as provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

FTSI’s new Corporate Technology Center provides world-class technology, equipment and resources for the company’s elite scientific team of experienced chemists, biologists and engineers to help solve the complex puzzles found in shale plays. The company’s research and development efforts are focused on improving hydrocarbon recovery while minimizing environmental impact and operational footprints. FTSI is currently developing advanced technologies such as alternatives to guar-based completion additives. FTS International employs almost 3,500 people, with more than 200 employees working in the Bakken Shale and Rocky Mountain areas. FTSI is a partner in the communities where its employees live and work — charitable giving and community volunteerism are part of the corporate culture.

Editorial

Horizontal Drilling Helps Produce Oil and Gas from Non-Traditional Sources By Guy Goudy, Chief Operating Officer

Once again companies in Colorado and Wyoming are leading in the search for oil and gas due to a shale formation called Niobrara. Only this time their exploration buddies are Nebraska and Kansas. Niobrara Shale is a formation that occupies about 8,000 square miles in these four states.

In Colorado, AE’s main objective horizon ranges from a depth of 4000-6000 ft. By using casing drilling technology the company was able to successfully drill through highly naturally fractured formations avoiding low/high pressure zones to reach target point.

Because technology is creating the ability to get oil and gas from unconventional sources, the U.S. is now forecast to be a net exporter of energy by 2020. This will reverse the U.S. debt and will have a huge social impact here. Energy policy will play a major role as the U.S. recovers from one of the most significant global crises in living memory. We are entering a truly exciting period in unconventional exploration and the boom we are now seeing in shale exploration is just the beginning. Juan Carlos Carratu, Austin Exploration’s (AE) vice president for energy and technology, says that horizontal drilling and fracking are two of the major elements that are making it possible to get more oil and gas from Niobrara Shale. “All previously impermeable rock formations, thought to be uneconomical, are now providers of hydrocarbons due to the combination of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing” The Florence Oil Field in southern Colorado has had major developments since the late 1800s,

when drilling was targeted at shallow formations ranging from 300 to 4000 ft. At these horizons, one of the main drilling challenges arose from highly naturally fractured formations that consequently resulted in massive circulation losses while drilling. Frequently this resulted in losing a well and having to start from scratch at a significant cost to the company. In Colorado, AE’s main objective horizon ranges from a depth of 4000-6000 ft. By using casing drilling technology the company was able to successfully drill through highly naturally fractured formations avoiding low/high pressure zones to reach target point. Through drilling a pilot vertical well, AE was able to drill its 1st Niobrara horizontal with high degree of efficiency, both operationally and economically. Shale reservoirs need to have an acceptable range of specific rock properties, which can be summarized by hydrocarbon content and maturity as well as

continued overleaf

Oil & Gas Awards 2012

Editorial: Horizontal Drilling Helps Produce Oil and Gas from Non-Traditional Sources Continued from page 19

rock brittleness. AE had drilling cuttings analysed to identify the formation’s potential for commercial production. The combination of the above coupled with AE’s engineering team has led to its recent exploration success in Fremont county. Horizontal drilling not only diminishes the drilling footprint of traditional wells, but also it can be accomplished much faster – in 20 to 30 days. In fact, the entire shale revolution has been brought to you through the technology associated with horizontal drilling, and in many cases fracking. As most who read this article know, fracking is a process where water is used to create high pressure in the shale creating small fractures in the area where the pressure is applied which subsequently allows oil and gas to produce in commercial quantities. While horizontal drilling and fracking have been used for years, they are getting a lot of attention now because of their ability to produce oil and gas, in geologic horizons that were proven unviable prior to the technology breakthrough seen in drilling and stimulation techniques. The Niobrara shale play in Colorado is still in its infancy, particularly in the Northern DJ Basin, however, early results are causing much excitement and interest in the industry.

Because of the newness of the impact of horizontal drilling and fracking Austin Exploration is teaming with Colorado School of Mines professors in looking for new technological solutions to drilling and producing oil and gas from Niobrara Shale. The School of Mines has experts in many disciplines including geology, geophysics and petroleum engineering, many of whom continue to develop techniques that enhance the amount of oil that can be liberated from these tight rock, shale formations. Austin also is drilling horizontally in Eagle Ford Shale in Texas. This rock formation necessitates deeper drilling. For example the horizontal wells in Eagle Ford Shale have to go to 9,000 feet while currently we are Niobrara Shale at 5,000 feet. Austin’s ambition for 2013 is to drill at least three horizontal wells in Fremont County and to do so while improving time to midstream as well as costs of drilling. The most important thing to remember is that this is about the U.S. economy, finding nonconventional sources of oil and gas and how horizontal drilling and fracking are helping us to produce this commodity in non-traditional rock formations.

Oil & Gas Awards 2012

About Guy Goudy Guy Goudy, Chief Operating Officer for Austin Exploration, is responsible for senior management, development team oversight, and investor relations and operations oversight. Goudy, along side the Company’s CEO, Dr Mark Hart, has been instrumental in driving the business forward to a cash flow positive operation, while strategically shifting the business focus towards non-conventional oil and gas exploration in North America. During his tenure at Austin Exploration, Mr. Goudy has also served as a Director on Austin Exploration’s board. He studied at the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS), where he holds various formal qualifications in Business Studies. Prior to his work with Austin Exploration, Goudy worked in the financial services sector and was an authorized representative with a leading stock broking and financial advisory firm in Australia.

Drilling & Well services company of the Year

Winners page

WINNER

DRILLING & WELL SERVICES COMPANY OF THE YEAR Rocky Mountain

Marquis Alliance Marquis Alliance understands the value of service. Their vision of being industry leaders is focused entirely around exceeding customersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; needs. They are committed to aligning the many services throughout the full cycle of oil and gas exploration, to production, and final reclamation. Marquis Alliance and its parent company, SECURE energy services, specialize in providing drilling and completion fluids, solids control equipment, waste processing, hydrocarbon recovery and byproduct disposal services. In the USA, our expertise and knowledge is focused on the Rocky Mountain States with warehouses and facilities to service active oil and gas plays such as the Bakken and Niobrara.

Further information on these winning organizations, interviews and photos can be viewed at www.oilandgasawards.com

Drilling & Completion Fluids As the largest provider of drilling fluid services in Canada, Marquis Alliance is active in all oil and gas plays within the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin. To clients, our experience and expertise in multiple regions means cost effective, and more importantly, successful drilling programs. Solids Control Equipment Marquis Alliance provides solids control and ancillary equipment for drilling operations in Western Canada and the Rocky Mountain States of the US. They provide: nn Best in class solids control equipment on a proactive maintenance schedule nn Experienced field service technicians and a preferred consultants list nn Full service shops located conveniently in Leduc, Alberta and Williston, North Dakota

nn 24 hour customer service nn Extensive solids control equipment selection Processing, Recovery & Disposal SECURE provides waste processing, recovery, and disposal (PRD) services. The PRD facilities safely handle waste and byproducts that are created throughout the full cycle of oilfield exploration, production, and final reclamation. SECURE facilities are equipped for deep well injection to dispose of produced and salt contaminated (waste) water. With 19 facilities in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin and 3 in North Dakota, SECURE is actively expanding into the Rocky Mountain States. As Marquis Alliance and Secure grow, they will continue to deliver innovative, efficient and environmentally responsible fluids and solids solutions.

Oil & Gas Awards 2012

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Oil & Gas Awards 2012

Editorial

Tax Law Changes May Have Unwanted Consequences by Chris Bischof for the Bakken Oil Business Journal, www.bakkenoilbiz.com.

As always, the battle over corporate taxation rages on, especially when the debate involves taxing the US petroleum industry aka “Big Oil”.

Critics of the energy industry, a group that includes the President, are quick to claim that oil and gas companies are rewarded with generous tax deals, which they usually describe as “loopholes”, subsidies or special favors. Additionally, they assert tax rules for oil and gas companies put billions of dollars in the hands of businesses not needing the extra subsidies. However, a look at the impact of the proposed changes suggests the sacrifices outweigh the gains. In his recent State of the Union address, the President included comments about the oil and gas industry as well as taxes or lack of them paid by them. He acknowledged that domestic exploration and production of crude oil and natural gas was up and oil imports were down. But, nevertheless, we should strive to become a nation relieving itself for the need of fossil fuels as our main energy producer, a goal, he asserts, we can achieve by imposing higher taxes on the oil and gas industry.

What does his administration have in mind? There are eight energy tax laws it hopes to repeal. However, due to the revenue involved, the following three stand out. Manufacturing Tax Deduction (Section 199) The Obama Administration has proposed the elimination of the domestic manufacturing tax deduction, known as Section 199, which was enacted in 2004 to increase employment among US manufacturers as part of the American Jobs Creation Act. The act covers companies with production, manufacturing and extractive operations, which includes the Oil & Gas industry. Section 199 is specifically aimed at inducing US companies to increase both employment and output at domestic operations even though lower labor costs are available in other countries. The goal is achieved by permitting the deduction of a percentage of wage costs. For most industries the allowance was set at 9%.

Is the repeal harmful to employment? Clearly, the answer is “yes”. © Travis Dewitz - Oil and Gas Industry Photographer www.travisdewitz.com/crude-oil

continued overleaf Oil & Gas Awards 2012

Editorial: Tax Law Changes May Have Unwanted Consequences Continued from page 23

The Obama Administration has proposed the elimination of the domestic manufacturing tax deduction, known as Section 199, which was enacted in 2004 to increase employment among US manufacturers...

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, March 2013 Short-Term Energy Outlook. Monthly crude oil production in the United States is expected to exceed the amount of U.S. crude oil imports later this year for the first time since February 1995. The gap between monthly U.S. crude oil production and imports is projected to be almost 2 million barrels per day (bbl/d) by the end of next year—according to EIA's March 2013 Short-Term Energy Outlook.

However, for the Oil & Gas Industry, the deduction was capped at the less generous level of 6%. The administration estimates the elimination of this tax deduction would increase Oil & Gas Industry tax payments by $11.6 billion over the next decade. However, industry sources estimate a higher tax burden. They project a tax increase of $14.8 billion over the same period. Is the repeal harmful to employment? Clearly, the answer is “yes”. A study by Wood Mackenzie estimates the loss of almost 60,000 jobs in the first year this

Oil & Gas Awards 2012

deduction is eliminated. Moreover, the areas of the country most likely to experience immediate losses are the Rocky Mountain and MidContinent regions with equipment manufacturers of oil exploration equipment. Furthermore, the study suggests the loss of the deduction might reduce crude oil and gas production by as much as 600,000 barrels of oil per day. It seems remarkably misguided to impose tax regulations that would reduce the number of well-compensated workers and cut production, which would result in fewer fees and royalty payments sent to Federal and state governments.

Expensing of Intangible Drilling Costs The federal tax code has also permitted the expensing of Intangible Drilling Costs for the last century. Briefly, Intangible Drilling Costs are the outlays generally incurred while drilling exploratory wells. Those outlays include ground clearing, surveying, wages, supplies, drilling mud, chemicals, and cement needed to begin drilling. They most closely resemble the deductible Research & Development costs that arise in other industries. These costs typically account for 60 to 80% of drilling outlays. Allowing the

Photo courtesy of Travis W. Cooksey

expensing of these costs is meant to attract capital to what has been a high-risk activity by permitting quicker investment returns through lower tax payments. In recent years, advanced seismic analysis and horizontal drilling have made costly “dry holes” less likely. But even though these advances have increased the range of exploration and production capabilities, the risks remain substantial, especially for smaller competitors. Despite the realities, the FY2013 budget proposal includes the repeal of the existing rule and offers an alternative based on a less beneficial cost recovery scale.

The Obama Administration estimates that repealing the expensing of Intangible Drilling Costs would increase tax revenue by about $14 billion over the next 10 years ($3.5 billion in the first year). However, the administration has offered no estimate of the reduction in drilling and job cuts that might result from the termination of this deduction. According to the Independent Petroleum Association of America, the repeal might reduce spending on oil projects by as much as $3 billion in the first year alone. That figure represents a lot of lost jobs and forgone purchases of capital equipment.

WHO OWNS BIG OIL? ... WE DO! 6.6

2.8

Pension Funds Individual Investors Pension Funds

31.2 17.7

Individual Investors

Asset Management Asset Management Companies Companies

IRAIRA Other Institutional Investors

Other Institutional Corporate Management of Oil Investors Companies Corporate Management of Oil Companies

20.6 21.1

SOURCE: Who Owns America’s Oil and Natural Gas Companies. SONECON. October 2011

According to the Independent Petroleum Association of America, the repeal might reduce spending on oil projects by as much as $3 billion in the first year alone.

continued overleaf

Oil & Gas Awards 2012

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Oil & Gas Awards 2012

Editorial: Tax Law Changes May Have Unwanted Consequences Continued from page 25

Repeal of Percentage Depletion Allowance For almost a century Oil and Gas companies, as well as Timber and Mining companies, have been permitted to reduce their gross income by an amount tied to their annual production. The Percentage “Depletion Allowance” is analogous to the more generally known accounting treatment of depreciation, a standard deduction for every corporation. Both principles account for the declining values of assets and both result in the recovery of investment costs. Currently, the allowable depletion rate is 15%. What would its repeal mean? Without the allowance, it’s estimated that energy companies would pay an additional $11.5 billion in taxes through FY 2022. However, as with all tax increases, there would be job losses, especially among smaller companies. Photo by Renae Mitchell, Life Through the Lens - renaemitchell.com Renae is a contributor to the Bakken Oil Business Journal.

The current administration has repeatedly stated it supports small businesses, but its tax proposals run counter to its rhetoric. In Sum At a time when the Oil & Gas Industry is predicting it may well create a million new jobs – high-paying jobs – it seems counterproductive to impede its growth, an outcome assured by raising taxes. Given the extraordinary production increases owing to hydraulic fracturing combined with horizontal drilling, it appears far more likely the Energy Industry can single-handedly raise the nation’s Gross Domestic Product. By paying more Americans to produce more energy here we would increase tax revenue in the best possible way – by enlarging the nation’s economic, which could be the best formula for our future success in our country becoming energy secure.

Chris Bischof studied mechanical engineering before starting a career on Wall Street where he began in securities sales, then moved into stock analysis. He also became a bond analyst and financial writer covering several industries and segments of the securities markets. Chris is a regular contributor to the Bakken Oil Business Journal and enjoys jogging, weight training, reading and living in New York City.

Oil & Gas Awards 2012

Insurance provider of the Year

Winners page

WINNER

INSURANCE PROVIDER OF THE YEAR Rocky Mountain

IMA, Inc.

Protecting Assets. Making a Difference.

IMA Inc., a retail insurance broker, is a subsidiary of The IMA Financial Group, Inc., a diversified financial services company. Consistently ranked amongst the top 20 independently owned brokers in the United States, IMA offers a full range of risk management and insurance related products with offices in Dallas, Denver, Kansas City, Topeka and Wichita.

IMA’s specialization in the energy sector helps create proprietary insurance and bond programs, customized coverage forms, and energy packages for domestic and international energy operations.

Founded in 1974, IMA remains independent and employee-owned, still charged with the ambitions of loyal associates who see the company’s future as their own. Our associates tackle each new challenge with expertise and industry intelligence. They examine issues from all angles and creatively address and solve problems. In addition, because of the global reach of IMA, our team members have access to an incredibly wide range of products and services.

Further information on these winning organizations, interviews and photos can be viewed at www.oilandgasawards.com

IMA’s mission is to protect assets and make a difference. The mission is lived every day through the thousands of volunteer hours donated by IMA associates each year, as well as the annual corporate contribution to support the IMA Foundation. The IMA Foundation and IMA and its subsidiaries provide financial support to more than one hundred community partners annually.

Oil & Gas Awards 2012

IMA is a leader in several practice areas, including energy risk management, insurance and surety bonding. IMA’s specialization in the energy sector helps create proprietary insurance and bond programs, customized coverage forms, and energy packages for domestic and international energy operations. IMA handles all aspects of the oil and gas industry – upstream, midstream and downstream – for owners/operators, non-operating interest owners and contractors. We have specific expertise in the onshore U.S. oil and gas basins including Alaska, offshore Gulf of Mexico and California, and international including “wet” operations such as the North Sea. Our energy industry expertise was further expanded in the past decade to include electric co-ops, biofuels including ethanol, wind, solar and mining, domestic and international.

Environmental initiative of the Year

Winners page

WINNER

ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR Rocky Mountain

TEEMCO TEEMCO is a registered professional engineering firm providing a one-stop-shop for every environmental compliance need. The company’s six regional offices serve the industry coast-to-coast.

Selected as the exclusive environmental-services provider to the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers, TEEMCO’s expertise, products, and services are recognized as the industry standard. In addition to the Texas Alliance, over 1,000 oil & gas companies rely on the company’s air & water compliance programs and TEEMCO’s comprehensive environmental services which include:

Sponsored by:

• Nationally Acclaimed Environmental Laboratory, Accredited in all 50-states • ENVITE 8.0™ (Automated Environmental Management Software)

Austin Exploration engages in the acquisition, exploration, development and production of onshore oil in the United States and Australia. The company was founded in 2006 and is based in Melbourne, Australia, with operations in Denver, Colorado.

• TECAT 1.0™ (Environmental Compliance Assessment & Planning Software) • TAM 1.0™ (The most accurate Air Emissions Model in the industry) • Phase-I ESA and Due Diligence • Air Emissions, Permitting, and SPCC Environmental Services • Water Management, SWPPP, NORMs, and NPDES • Accredited EPA-Required Training Program • EnviroTell™ (Weekly online newspaper) • Over 85 Spill-Prevention Products and Facility Maintenance Services

Selected as the exclusive environmental-services provider to the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers, TEEMCO’s expertise, products, and services are recognized as the industry standard.

Further information on these winning organizations, interviews and photos can be viewed at www.oilandgasawards.com Oil & Gas Awards 2012

Future Industry Leader

Winners page

WINNER

FUTURE INDUSTRY LEADER Rocky Mountain

Megan Starr Megan Starr began her journey toward her professional career as a Petroleum Engineer at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado. Her experiences at Mines provided opportunities for field work in Bakersfield, Santa Barbara, and Long Beach, California, and Rangely, Colorado. She interned for Devon Energy in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and Baggs, Wyoming. During college Megan was a member of the Pi Epsilon Tau Petroleum Engineering Honor Society and the Society of Woman Engineers

Megan has enjoyed serving and being involved with community projects including: Urban Peak, Denver Rescue Mission and Streets Hope

Further information on these winning organizations, interviews and photos can be viewed at www.oilandgasawards.com

Oil & Gas Awards 2012

Upon graduation with her Bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree in 2006 she started as an Operations Engineer with Devon Energy gaining experience in SW Wyoming. She has also held various engineering roles at QEP Resources in Denver, covering fields including Moxa, Wamsutter, Powder River, Paradox Basin, San Juan Basin, and the Williston Basin. Megan currently works as a Production Engineer for Zavanna, LLC in Denver, covering the Williston Basin. Megan has been involved in the industry as a leader and member of numerous organizations: Society of Petroleum Engineers as Community Outreach Chair (8/2012-current), Young Professionals Chair (8/20106/2012), and Young Professionals Events Chair (9/2008-6/2010). She is Co-founder and board member of the Next Generation of Oil & Gas Professionals group (2008-current),

and former member of SPE Oklahoma City section. Megan has served on the Colorado School of Mines Young Alumni Association Board, putting her efforts into recruiting other alumni to get involved and donate. Megan has enjoyed serving and being involved with community projects including: Urban Peak, Denver Rescue Mission, Streets Hope, Food Bank of the Rockies, Mile High United Way, Project Homeless Connect, Habitat for Humanity, Metro Care Ring, Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado. Megan also served on QEP Resources United Way fundraising committee for 3 years. Megan has previously been awarded the SPE Rocky Mountain Region Young Member Outstanding Service & Contribution Award.

Oil & Gas Awards 2012

Editorial

Should Oil Companies Go Green? By Greg Lorson, CEO, TEEMCO

“So we have a choice to make. We can remain one of the world’s leading importers of foreign oil, or we can make the investments that would allow us to become the world’s leading exporter of renewable energy. We can let climate change continue to go unchecked, or we can help stop it. We can let the jobs of tomorrow be created abroad, or we can create those jobs right here in America and lay the foundation for lasting prosperity.” - President Obama, 2010

The administration’s (and ergo the EPA’s) attitude towards the oil industry seems to be thinly veiled contempt. The president’s pledge to make our country hydrocarbonfree is driven by environmental concerns. Hydrocarbons are a hazardous substance however the technology doesn’t exist to accomplish the president’s goal. In the meantime the oil industry must contend with increasingly difficult environmental regulations. We may never be hydrocarbon free, but with effort, we may become pollution free… which is really the point after all. American oil companies have led the world’s energy industry. With the right mindset, these same oil companies can lead the world to a pollution-free energy industry. Some of this nation’s greatest scientists, business minds, and innovators are found

at oil companies. Today’s political and regulatory threats viewed with a positive mindset, present a challenge for the industry to; instead of facing destruction-byregulation, find opportunity and future growth. The “green” movement is a wave that’s been building for thirty years in this country. With the election of the Obama administration, it’s become a tsunami. Is this good or bad? Either way it’s a challenge. U.S. Energy Consumption and Pollution We’ve all heard that the United States represents 4% of the world’s population and consumes 25% of the world’s energy. The popular press portrays the United States as a polluting giant with a small percentage of the world’s population hogging the biggest share of the world’s energy. They

The “green” movement is a wave that’s been building for thirty years in this country. With the election of the Obama administration, it’s become a tsunami. Is this good or bad? Either way it’s a challenge. 32

Oil & Gas Awards 2012

The United States was ranked 23rd greenest out of 141 countries studied. Again the U.S. far outranked all its industrial peers except Germany (ranked 21st).

would have us believe at the heart of this are oil companies and their “obscene” profits. Do you sometimes begin to feel guilty? Before you renew your Prozac prescription, consider the following: According to the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, the United States is the third largest population (behind China and India) occupying the fourth largest country (by land mass) in the World. World Bank records show the United States easily has the largest economy with a gross domestic product over $14 trillion, dwarfing our nearest rival Japan’s $5 trillion. We export much of what we produce to benefit the rest of the world. Some environmental pundits and some of our leaders believe 4% of the world’s population consuming 25% of the world’s energy is a point of shame. This writer believes it should be a point of pride. It takes a lot of energy to provide power to the world’s third largest population occupying a giant land mass; a population that’s working hard to produce goods for the entire world. Many countries actually consume far more energy than the U.S. on a per-capita basis. The United States isn’t even ranked in the top ten. The World Resources Institute says Canada, Iceland, and Norway use

more energy per-capita than the U.S. It’s not just cold countries with high heating bills either. Trinidad, The Virgin Islands, Kuwait, and Qatar all consume more energy per capita than the U.S. and this is just a partial listing. None of these countries produce even a fraction of the goods that the United States produces for the benefit of the other 96% of the world’s population. Do we pollute? Yes. Are we the worst? Nowhere near. Yale University developed what’s called the Environmental Performance Index (EPI). The EPI uses a proximity-to-target methodology, which quantitatively tracks national performance on a core set of environmental policy goals. It identifies specific targets and measures the distance between the target and current national achievement. The EPI provides both an empirical foundation for policy analysis and a context for evaluating performance. The EPI attempts to balance the “humans first” thinking versus the “nature first” thinking so as to rank countries by their respective environmental health and ecosystem vitality. During the Bush administration, of 149 ranked countries in 2008, the United States was ranked 39th best. Far ahead of its industrial peers with the exception of Germany which was only slightly ahead. Under Obama

in 2010, the U.S. fell to 61st but still outperformed its peers, again with the exception of Germany. The United Nations in conjunction with Yale University, the Center for International Earth Science Information Network at Columbia University, and the World Economic Forum developed a scoring system called the Human Development Indicators (HDI) which ranked the world’s greenest nations in 2008. The United States was ranked 23rd greenest out of 141 countries studied. Again the U.S. far outranked all its industrial peers except Germany (ranked 21st). The Energy Information Administration of the US Department of Energy has yet another scoring device. This score compares air pollution to the size of the economy. It measures a nation’s carbon footprint in terms relative to its gross domestic product. Known as World Carbon Intensity, the United State’s carbon intensity for its economy was higher (ranked worse) than Japan’s and Germany’s. However the U.S. was still in the best 30% worldwide. Pollution is a world problem. Given our economic productivity and favorable carbon footprint; the United States is more part of the solution than most of the other 96% of the world.

continued overleaf

Oil & Gas Awards 2012

Editorial: Should Oil Companies Go Green? Continued from page 33 About the Author

Environmental Regulations The solution is sound environmental policies and best management practices adopted by oil companies. U.S. Vice Admiral James Stockdale, Navy Pilot and POW during Vietnam went on to serve (among many achievements) as president of the Naval War College. He said: “You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end – which you can never afford to lose – with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.” The reality is, some oil companies have polluted triggering multiple actsof-congress and regulators to control the industry as a whole. The likelihood of these regulations ever abating is extremely low. The Future Growing up in the oil industry (my father was an engineer for Phillips for over thirty-years, my grandfather and great grandfather were independent producers), I appreciate the notion of legacy. I hope to leave a legacy for my children in the form of a greenenergy oil company. We all have that opportunity. Rather than fighting regulation, we can embrace change.

Oil & Gas Awards 2012

Some oil companies have started to do so. Many leading companies have won awards from the EPA for their achievements in protecting the environment. Marathon, Chesapeake, Occidental, and ConocoPhillips are just a few of the dozens of companies recognized by the EPA.

Currently CEO of TEEMCO, the largest (by market share) professional environmentalengineering firm for the oil & gas industry. Lorson is a fourthgeneration oilman with thirty years in oil & gas, real estate and investment banking. Previously the CEO of a national company; he’s also been a member of corporate & charitable boards. Appointed by governors from six states to advise on environment, taxes, energy, and economic development; Lorson has served on various state & federal commissions. Professional environmental certifications include: •

C.E.S. Certified Environmental Specialist

•

C.E.S.C.O. Certified Environmental & Safety Compliance Officer

•

R.E.M. Registered Environmental Manager

Our industry is being challenged to accept its role in protecting the environment. It’s a challenge we can meet.

•

C.E.A. Certified Environmental Auditor

•

Emergency Response Manager FEMA Certified

As American oil companies have led the worlds’ energy industry, we are perhaps the best suited to find a lasting solution to world’s energy and pollution dilemma. The American oil industry has the human, financial, and technological resources to lead our nation and the world in eliminating pollution.

•

National Registry of Environmental Professionals

•

Licensed Water Treatment Operator

The energy industry is the oil company’s rightful legacy. It’s in the oil industry’s enlightened self-interest to claim the green movement. As Admiral Stockdale said, we should “confront the most brutal facts” of our current reality. The future is ours to claim; using oil as our foundation to build legacy green-energy companies for ourselves and future generations.

Mr. Lorson was appointed as a delegate to the United Nation’s Conference on International Oil Development and is a published business author. His undergraduate study was in finance at the University of Oklahoma, graduate studies in business & anthropology at Harvard, and holds a postgraduate certificate in Business Administration from Edinburgh Graduate Business School. He is a member of numerous professional associations and serves on committees for the Pennsylvania Independent Oil & Gas Association, the API, and the ASTM.

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Congratulations

WINNER

to the 2012 Northeast Winners TRANSACTION OF THE YEAR Rocky Mountain

Industry Leader

ConsTRUCTION

consultancy

Industry Supplier

Corporate Social Resonsibility

Insurance Provider

Drilling & Well Services

Law Firm

E&P

Manufacturer

Engineering

Midstream

Environmental Initiative

Recruitment Agency

Future Industry Leader

Tom Lopus

Chad Gorman

Transaction

Trucking Health & Safety Initiative Water Management

The Northeast Oil & Gas Awards were held on March 14, 2013 at The Westin Convention Center, Pittsburgh. Should your organization have operations in this region you should consider telling our judges about your achievements. Please visit www.oilandgasawards.com for full details on all the winners, videos and photos from the Awards. 36

Oil & Gas Awards 2012

Congratulations

WINNER

to the 2012 Gulf Coast Winners TRANSACTION OF THE YEAR Rocky Mountain

consultancy

Insurance Provider

Corporate Social Resonsibility

Law Firm

Manufacturer Drilling & Well Services Midstream E&P Recruitment Agency Engineering TERMINAL Environmental Initiative Transaction Health & Safety Initiative

Industry Leader

Trucking

Gary C. Evans

Water Management

Industry Supplier

The Gulf Coast Oil & Gas Awards were held on March 20, 2013 at The Westin Galleria, Houston. Should your organization have operations in this region you should consider telling our judges about your achievements. Please visit www.oilandgasawards.com for full details on all the winners, videos and photos from the Awards. Oil & Gas Awards 2012

Oil & Gas Awards 2012

Law firm of the Year

Winners page

WINNER

LAW FIRM OF THE YEAR Rocky Mountain

Burleson LLP With more than 130 attorneys in offices in Houston, San Antonio, Midland, Pittsburgh, and Denver, Burleson LLP is one of the largest full-service law firms in the country devoted primarily to the oil and gas industry.

Burleson brings a distinct blend of legal understanding and technical skill to our practice. Our attorneys have worked as petroleum engineers, chemists, landmen, and geologists, and more than a third have served as inside legal counsel for oil and gas companies.

Burlesonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clients include upstream, midstream, and oilfield service companies and we have represented some of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most prominent energy companies. We have the geographic reach to deliver responsive, hands-on counsel to clients with interests in the Bakken, Barnett, Eagle Ford, Fayetteville, Haynesville, Marcellus, Mississippi Lime, Niobrara, Utica, and Woodford shale plays, as well as the Permian Basin and the DJ Basin. Burleson brings a distinct blend of legal understanding and

technical skill to our practice. Our attorneys have worked as petroleum engineers, chemists, landmen, and geologists, and more than a third have served as inside legal counsel for oil and gas companies. These qualifications - combined with Burlesonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s broad geographic reach and comprehensive scope of services - have earned the firm a reputation for providing clients with the most seasoned, energy-specific legal services team the industry has to offer.

Further information on these winning organizations, interviews and photos can be viewed at www.oilandgasawards.com

Oil & Gas Awards 2012

Industry supplier of the Year

Winners page

WINNER

INDUSTRY SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR Rocky Mountain

Frank Henry Equipment USA LLC Frank Henry Equipment has become a name for excellence over the last five years in the Global Oil and Gas Service industry. The company employs trained professionals serving clients throughout North America and the World. Frank Henry Equipment designs, manufactures and assembles Surface and Subsurface Products with a focus on customer satisfaction. We are an industry leader manufacturing a wide range of products and are committed to ensuring that our products meet the highest standards for quality and performance. We have the infrastructure to handle large volumes and understand the industry’s challenges very well with some proven best practices that have helped many of our customers. We will work hard to earn your trust, and we will never take your business for granted.

Further information on these winning organizations, interviews and photos can be viewed at www.oilandgasawards.com

Oil & Gas Awards 2012

We take pride in quickly manufacturing specialized tools or equipment. Our focus is to help our customers increase production & reduce costs by having put in place performance metrics to adhere to our customer’s expectations. This flexibility is supported by being a solution driven company and understanding our customers’ needs by having the transparency and visibility in place to monitor conformance. Frank Henry Equipment has a well-earned reputation for strict adherence to timeliness, data accuracy, and completeness. Frank Henry Equipment’s strategic road map seeks as customers those companies who need a flexible, integrated, networked partner willing to offer and execute solutions which meet their needs by exceeding

expectations through focus on four key measures: quality, service, speed and cost. Our continued financial success along with our extremely high client retention rate is a testament to our level of execution. We are large enough to handle a large array of equipment specifications, but nimble enough to service your particular specifications. Frank Henry Equipment is very excited to operate in this fast paced environment. We have the infrastructure to handle large volumes and understand the industry’s challenges very well with some proven best practices that have helped many of our customers. We will work hard to earn your trust, and we will never take your business for granted.

A HARD DAYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S WORK... GOES SO MUCH BETTER WITH THE RIGHT TOOLS.

Simply put, Frank Henry Equipment is a company born from an enormous amount of hard work and perseverance in an ever-changing market over many years. Since its founding in 1976 by visionary Frank Henry, Frank Henry Equipment, or FHE, has been a strong force in the distribution and manufacturing of wireline products. In 1987, a partnership was formed between Frank Henry and Keith Snyder. Keith, a visionary in his own right coupled with a long history in sales and distribution, saw that FHE could accomplish its current objectives as well as diversifying into new niches and the forging of new relationships. Today, FHE is living and expanding on the vision of its founders. Frank Henry Equipment is located in Edmonton, Canada and Frank Henry Equipment USA is located in Fruita, Colorado with an additional branch in San Antonio, Texas. Frank Henry Equipment, USA also has plans to expand product offerings and services and to open offices in several more locations throughout the US in the next few years. FHE continues to design, manufacture, pressure test and certify, assemble, and distribute surface and subsurface products; but today, many of the products they manufacture are customized to help customers increase production while reducing costs. FHE also distributes many hard to find items. FHE is committed to finding a solution to a need no matter how difficult the problem or find a product no matter how rare. FHE is also innovating new products and services and improving upon existing ones every day. In an uncertain environment with many times imperfect information, FHE puts to practice innovative thinking, relationship building, and good old fashioned hard work. It is these qualities that set us apart, make us great, and continue to make us an industry leader 35 years later.

FHE

Frank Henry Equipment

Oil & Gas Awards 2012

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Editorial

North American M&A could heat up with political certainty, technological know-how

Energy M&A should heat up this year as concerns over potential regulatory and tax changes for the exploration and production industry begin to calm, according to industry sources interviewed by mergermarket. Companies that had previously jockeyed for raw acreage are working through drilling inventories and ramping their production, which could create a new set of opportunities. Most buyers, no longer hunting the next big unexplored play, can focus on production and reserve metrics as well as export possibilities. As a result of the end of the “land grab” phase, asset sales, portfolio shuffling, and joint ventures will dominate M&A in upstream exploration and production. Companies from China, Japan, Malaysia, Korea and other Asian countries will continue to ink deals in North America to gain technology and lock up gas supplies, said John Harris, a partner with SNR Denton’s energy practice. In addition to foreign companies, majors and some larger independents are sitting on piles of cash and “have the ability to wait for the right deal,” said Harris. Still, one industry banker noted that stable commodity prices and seller willingness are required

to get deals done, cash hoards notwithstanding. The focus on oil shales will continue as long as gas prices stay low, industry sources agreed. New entrants will have to acquire their way into the Bakken, Utica and California’s Monterey shale, as much of the acreage has been leased. Other up-and-coming shale oil plays that could have a pivotal year in 2013 include the Tuscaloosa Marine Shale, Woodbine and Mississippi Lime, according to mergermarket reports. Horizontal drilling techniques are also being applied to tried and true conventional plays such as the Permian. The corporate M&A market has been tentative. According to previous reports by mergermarket, some oil and gas companies ran formal sale processes in 2012, others had private discussions, and numerous others were viewed by outsiders as tempting targets. Commodity prices have remained relatively stable for a while, and if companies foresee continued stability, there could be a spate of corporate M&A deals

Companies from China, Japan, Malaysia, Korea and other Asian countries will continue to ink deals in North America to gain technology and lock up gas supplies, said John Harris, a partner with SNR Denton’s energy practice.

Oil & Gas Awards 2012

In the Rockies, dealmaking remained strong with the same number of M&A deals in 2011 and 2012 – 41 deals each year – but more than twice the deal value in 2012.

in the latter half of 2013, said one industry banker. The targets will be smaller to mid-sized independents sitting on good resources, said the banker. Nevertheless, it is hard to predict when buyer and seller price expectations may meet, he cautioned. Energy Services Dormant A mismatch in price expectations has also plagued the energy services subsector. Rig counts have been declining as companies shift away from drilling uneconomic gas acreage, and buyers are wary of paying high multiples. At the same time, most service companies are not stressed, so they see no need to sell at low multiples. Public company buyers are “out there and looking for deals,” said an industry executive, but depressed stock multiples hold down potential

deal valuations. Well-funded private companies may have the edge in acquisition situations, as they have the advantage of being able to pursue growth opportunities that are not immediately accretive, said the executive. Midstream and Downstream The need for infrastructure will continue to drive midstream growth, said Mark Warner, managing director of Natural Resources Investments for the University of Texas Investment Management Company (UTIMCO), which he said aims to “put more money to work” in the midstream arena. M&A should continue to be strong as the sector’s perennial buyers, master limited partnerships (MLPs), are even more attractive to investors hungry for yield, and regulatory risk appears to be

reduced, said an industry banker. Public offerings by MLPs are expected to remain strong in 2013 with nearly a dozen S-1s on file with the SEC. Hot areas for midstream M&A will be gathering and processing systems in mature shale plays, such as the Eagle Ford, Marcellus and the Bakken, while greenfield investment will dominate in new plays such as Utica, Avalon/Bone Springs, Mississippi Lime, Niobrara, and Tuscaloosa Marine Shale. Crude-by-rail projects also have emerged as a strong niche that should lead to deal activity. US refining is “particularly interesting” to Apollo Management, said Sam Oh, partner, as the abundance of light, sweet crude from US shale plays has dramatically improved refining margins, he said.

Energy Sector M&A

160,000

180

160

140,000

Value (US$m)

120 100,000 100 80,000 80 60,000

Number of Deals

140

120,000

60 40,000

20,000

2004

Source: mergermarket Announced, excluding lapsed and withdrawn deals

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

Gulf Coast value

Rockies value

Northeast value

Northeast volume

Rockies volume

Gulf Coast volume

2012

continued overleaf Oil & Gas Awards 2012

Transaction of the Year

Winners page

WINNER

TRANSACTION OF THE YEAR Rocky Mountain

Encana Oil and Gas Encana is a leading North American energy producer focused on pursuing the highest returns from its significant portfolio of natural gas, oil and natural gas liquids.

Recognized for its expertise in resource play development, Encana is a disciplined, innovative company committed to responsible development. Its common shares trade on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges under the symbol ECA.

In the United States, Encana operates through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. With US headquarters in Denver, the company operates in Colorado, Wyoming, Texas and Louisiana, with additional exploration projects in other states. Encana employs over 1,700 people in the United States and over 4,000 across North America.

Sponsored by:

mergermarket is the leading provider of forward-looking M&A news and intelligence for M&A professionals and corporates. With an unrivalled network of 300+ journalists based in 65 locations worldwide, mergermarket is the only specialized media service that offers active analysis of corporate strategy before it becomes public knowledge, and a historical deals database to analyze past deals. mergermarket is part of The Mergermarket Group, a Financial Times Group company.

Oil & Gas Awards 2012

Recognized for its expertise in resource play development, Encana is a disciplined, innovative company committed to responsible development.

Further information on these winning organizations, interviews and photos can be viewed at www.oilandgasawards.com

Editorial: North American M&A could heat up with political certainty, technological know-how Continued from page 43

All Eyes on LNG Plans for liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facilities are sprouting across the country, spurred by higher Asian gas prices and the abundance of North American gas. While LNG can expect “massive growth globally,” according to Philip Weems, co-head of King & Spalding’s global energy practice, regulatory issues may delay US projects. Ownership among existing projects could consolidate as some weaker projects change hands, noted John Paisie, CEO of JEA Consulting Group, as minority owners include upstream oil and gas companies, midstream operators, utility companies and international players. It’s not clear yet for whom LNG will be a core business, said Paisie. Northeast Region The Northeast showed strong deal flow throughout 2012 with USD 11.6bn in M&A deals, according to mergermarket data. Though value was down from USD 26.5bn in 2010 and USD 17.4bn in 2011, there were

37 deals last year, showing strong promise for deal volume in the upcoming year.

was relatively evenly split between oil and gas, making this an even bet on each commodity.

The largest deal in the Northeast in 2012 was Energy Transfer Partners’ USD 5.4bn acquisition of Sunoco, which could be a signal of a coming wave of MLP consolidation. MLPs are flush with capital and have seen strong impetus to do deals.

Gulf Coast Region

Rockies Region In the Rockies, dealmaking remained strong with the same number of M&A deals in 2011 and 2012 – 41 deals each year – but more than twice the deal value in 2012. The industry saw USD 16.1bn in deals last year versus USD 7.6bn the previous year, likely driven by the Bakken. More Bakken M&A lies ahead, according to mergermarket reports. Apache’s USD 3.1bn buy of Cordillera Energy Partners, a company operating in the Granite Wash, Tonkawa, Cleveland and Marmaton areas of western Oklahoma and Texas. The Denverbased company’s production mix

With Texas and Louisiana, the Gulf Coast has always been a hotbed of M&A activity. There were 153 deals in the region in 2012, according to mergermarket data, up from 113 the previous year. Though volume was slightly down, with USD 108bn over USD 122bn the previous year, the industry made up in quantity what it lacked in deal value. The largest deal in the Gulf Coast region was the breakup of ConocoPhillips into an upstreamfocused company and a mid- and downstream-focused company, a USD 20.79bn deal announced last April. Splits are all the rage among smaller and mid-sized integrated companies, with quite a few more potentially coming up in the near or medium term, according to mergermarket reports.

Oil & Gas Awards 2012

Finding out about potential opportunities once the smoke has cleared will leave you in the dust. Connect with Oil & Gas Financial Journal to improve shareholder value, gain access to analyst and industry coverage, and to develop partnerships with E&P, service and supply ﬁrms. OGFJ in print and online provides news coverage and archives written by industry experts to help you make sound ﬁnancial investments. Check out the Unconventional Resources Center and the Deal Monitor for a heads up on the latest oil and gas activity. OGFJ—the difference between a close call and a closed deal.

www.ogfj.com 46

Oil & Gas Awards 2012

Recruitment Agency of the Year

Winners page

WINNER

RECRUITMENT AGENCY OF THE YEAR Rocky Mountain

Precision Placement Services Precision Placement Services is a Denver, Colorado-based executive search firm committed to providing oil and gas exploration and production companies nationwide with the highest quality placement services in the areas of engineering, land, geology, government and regulatory affairs, environmental health and safety, accounting/finance, information technology, marketing/ transportation and human resources. PPS locates, screens and places candidates who offer, not only impressive skills and experience in their respective areas of expertise, but also an exceptional fit with the client organization’s culture and community environment.

Further information on these winning organizations, interviews and photos can be viewed at www.oilandgasawards.com

Our database ranks amongst the largest in the industry. Our candidates come to us locally and nationally through referral and targeted recruiting campaigns - not through advertising or resume sites. In a day and age when many recruiters use resume boards to service their clients, PPS recruits relentlessly in pursuit of the perfect candidate. Our candidates are the cream of the crop. Greater than 90 percent of the candidates we place are not on the job market at the time that we place them. We believe that most candidates will move given the right opportunity. The key is to listen carefully to their wants and needs. The fact that a potential candidate isn’t looking for a new position is irrelevant once the right opportunity presents itself.

PPS locates, screens and places candidates who offer, not only impressive skills and experience in their respective areas of expertise, but also an exceptional fit with the client organization’s culture and community environment. Our staff is comprised of executive search placement professionals with strong oil and gas recruiting experience, who work closely with client companies to develop in-depth understandings of their culture, values and objectives. As a result, PPS becomes an extension of the client organization during the recruitment effort to ensure the desired outcome of a well-matched placement.

Oil & Gas Awards 2012

consultancy of the Year

Winners page

WINNER

CONSULTANCY OF THE YEAR Northeast

Antea Group

By leveraging innovation and technology, we have developed a proprietary environmental, health, safety and sustainability information management tool that supports corporations in achieving their business objectives while realizing increased operational efficiencies with fewer resources.

Sponsored by:

TEEMCO is a registered professional engineering firm providing a onestop-shop for every environmental compliance need. The companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s six regional offices serve the industry coast-to-coast. Selected as the exclusive environmental-services provider to the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers, TEEMCOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s expertise, products and services are recognized as the industry standard.

Oil & Gas Awards 2012

Antea Group is an international engineering and environmental consulting firm specializing in full-service solutions in the fields of environment, infrastructure, urban planning and water. By combining strategic thinking and multidisciplinary perspectives with technical expertise and pragmatic action, we do more than effectively solve client challenges; we deliver sustainable results for a better future. With more than 3,000 employees in over 100 offices around the world, we serve clients ranging from global energy companies and manufacturers to national governments and local municipalities. We are organized to reflect our client value offering through distinct practices that consider current marketplace challenges and promote fit-for-purpose solutions. Environmental Liability Management Whether the environmental risk is transactional, operational or legacy, our solutions deliver clear, concise business advice that enhances environmental liability management strategies, drives complete stakeholder acceptance, accelerates site closure and defines balance sheet liabilities. Operational Performance and Assurance By combining proven processes and a wealth of multi-sector expertise, we develop and implement clientspecific environment, health and safety management programs that meet or exceed regulatory and performance requirements while assuring conformance and desired performance across global platforms.

Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility Believing the best sustainability programs integrate sustainability into core business practices, our Global Corporate Consultancy, a group of strategic-thinking partners and sustainability subject matter experts, helps clients identify and act on business-relevant social and environmental opportunities. Transaction Support Grounded in technical expertise, delivered in transparent language, and equipped with unrivalled incountry expertise, we provide timesensitive and confidential advice on EHS risks that affect strategic asset transaction business decisions. Through Antea Group services, clients benefit from environmental management strategies that protect the earth, allow for business growth and safeguard social wellbeing. By understanding today, we are able to provide solutions that improve tomorrow.

Midstream company of the Year

Winners page

WINNER

MIDSTREAM COMPANY OF THE YEAR Rocky Mountain

High Sierra Energy High Sierra Energy, a subsidiary of NGL Energy Partners (NYSE:NGL), is a leading Denver based midstream company. NGLEP, a growth-oriented midstream MLP, has operations throughout the U.S. including crude and NGL logistics, water services, and propane retail. HSE operates a portfolio of water processing, and crude and NGLs transportation assets. Together with NGLEP, High Sierra serves over 800 wholesale customers in 42 states, and is projected to sell approximately one billion gallons of propane in 2013.

Sponsored by:

Spartan Engineering is a professional engineering firm serving the energy sector with QUALITY ENGINEERING, CUSTOMER SERVICE, VALUE and unbeatable RESULTS. Our professional, full-service engineering, construction management and GIS mapping services are provided throughout North America, Russia and the Middle East. Spartan’s corporate office is located in Tulsa, OK, with team members in Oklahoma City, OK, Denver, CO, and Minot, ND.

High Sierra was founded in 2004 by a group including renowned serial entrepreneur Jim Burke. Through an aggressive growth strategy, the group grew High Sierra into a highly successful national midstream business which in 2012 merged with NGLEP. The merger provided capital which High Sierra is deploying primarily into its midstream and water businesses. In its water business, High Sierra’s growing base of infrastructure enables its customers to reduce their environmental impact throughout the oil field water cycle. High Sierra’s Anticline facility in Wyoming has recycled in excess of 37 million barrels of oil and gas waste water. Of this volume, nearly 5 million barrels were returned to the Colorado River system in a cleanerthan-drinking-water quality. High Sierra’s Colorado DJ Basin business continues to responsibly dispose of

waste water and work to increase the volume of waste water recycled through its two recycling plants. In its crude oil logistics business High Sierra purchases and transports crude oil to pipelines, terminals and refineries utilizing a fleet of trucks, rail cars, pipeline capacity and strategically located terminals. The crude oil logistics business operates throughout the Mid-continent, Rockies and Gulf Coast regions, purchasing from more or less 4,000 actively lease locations representing approximately 500 producers. In its NGL logistics business High Sierra purchases, transports and stores NGLs utilizing a national network of rail and terminal assets. Together with NGLEP, High Sierra serves over 800 wholesale customers in 42 states, and is projected to sell approximately one billion gallons of propane in 2013.

Further information on these winning organizations, interviews and photos can be viewed at www.oilandgasawards.com Oil & Gas Awards 2012

Benefits:

Oil & Gas Awards 2012

Engineering company of the Year

Winners page

WINNER

ENGINEERING COMPANY OF THE YEAR Rocky Mountain

Spartan Engineering Spartan has been involved in many large energy projects across the nation, including work on several gas plants, a major pipeline for one of the nation’s largest pipeline operators, as well as other projects. Spartan is also pursuing opportunities for professional services in the Middle East, Canada and Russia.

Sponsored by:

Cosential is a powerful and easyto-use customer relationship management (CRM) and proposal automation system built specifically for project-based businesses. It’s never been easier to publish dynamic proposals, generate complex reports, execute marketing campaigns and measure and forecast firm-wide performance.

Spartan Engineering was established in 2009, under the leadership of President Wayne Lagorin. The company set out to be a one-stop resource for engineering services. Using quality, customer service, value and results as cornerstones, Spartan began assembling a team of industry leaders. Today, the team represents a tremendously broad spectrum of technical expertise, with decades of experience in engineering, construction management, and GIS mapping services, enabling Spartan to meet the fast-paced nature of the energy industry. Our wide-reaching connections within the industry offer Spartan access to additional high-level resources on an international level. Spartan offers services in engineering and design in civil, electrical, instrumentation, mechanical, process and structural engineering, but also has strong expertise in GIS mapping, project management, construction management and inspection, and much more. The diversity and experience of the team make Spartan uniquely qualified to respond to any project need. Our team works closely with clients to understand the entirety of a project -- from cradle to grave -- conceptualizing and shaping the projects’ needs, including identifying and complying with regulations, such as DOT and FERC; addressing each specific project or community need that arises; and guiding the project to a successful and safe completion. Despite economic recession, Spartan has continued to grow, more than doubling its revenue and team members in 2012, with expectations of continuing to expand its capacity and services in the next year, reaching 120 employees in 2013.

Spartan’s success may be attributed not only to its exceptionally talented team members, but also to a firm commitment to being on the leading edge of technology on all fronts. From utilizing innovative technology in telecommunication and remote office locations, which allows tremendous flexibility to bring employees and clients together across the country and internationally, to implementing state-of-the-art computer equipment, tools and software, Spartan technology access is second to none. Spartan combines all of these outstanding assets and abilities to assure clients their projects are completed by exceptional professionals with the experience and state-of-the-art technology needed in this competitive field. It’s what we do. Every day. Spartan IS your one-stop resource for engineering services.

Oil & Gas Awards 2012

Editorial

Workforce Housing and Feeding Solutions for Health, Safety,Productivity and Morale By Christopher Wanjek

Remote and temporary worksites prevalent in the oil, gas and mining industries present a challenge for housing and feeding workers. The nearest town and accommodations might be hours away by car; often such worksites are fly-in operations. Hostile environments — extreme cold or heat — and inadequate roads and other infrastructure limitations compound the problem of providing adequate food and shelter. Inadequate accommodations can leave workers vulnerable to poor nutrition, sickness, inadequate rest, longterm health problems, low morale and general apathy about the work at hand. This, in turn, can lead to lower productivity and increased risk of accidents. This article examines factors that affect worker health, safety and productivity in remote worksites and provides the rationale of how better feeding and relaxation programs can increase productivity and lower accident rates.

1 Feyer, A.M. & Williamson, A.M. (1998): Human factors in accident modelling. In: Stellman, J.M. (Ed.), Encyclopaedia of Occupational Health and Safety, Fourth Edition. Geneva: International Labour Organization.

Chan, M. (2009) “Accident Risk Management in Oil and Gas Construction Projects in Mainland China,” University of Sydney.

In heavy industries such as the oil and gas industry, accidents are your worst nightmare. One wrong switch, one loose bolt, one missed safety check, and the entire system can blow. Workers’ lives are at stake. And, depending on the severity of the accident, the life of the entire community is threatened, too, as well as the very life of the company and the broader business climate for years to come. Years of a carefully cultivated corporate social responsibility practice can evaporate overnight.

But you can’t blame the weather… or bad luck. Approximately 90 percent of workplace accidents are caused by human error1, whether originating in poor managerial decisions months and miles away from the site of the accident, or worker errors right then and there that have immediate and devastating effects. And the number-one cause of workerinitiated accidents is fatigue in its various forms, such as exhaustion, weakness or sleepiness2.

Wanjek, C. (2005) “Food At Work: Workplace Solutions for Malnutrition, Obesity and Chronic Diseases,” Geneva: International Labour Organization.

Oil & Gas Awards 2012

Companies that complement worker safety and training programs with adequate feeding and relaxation programs report lower accident rates and higher productivity and morale.

…remote industrial sites…with poor …accommodations and vast environmental degradation…can belittle an international company’s global reputation

This means that approximately 90 percent of workplace accidents are preventable. Training is key, of course. Workers need to understand not only how to operate equipment but to make quick yet prudent decisions, when necessary. Yet no amount of training can prepare a sleepy, fatigued or otherwise unfocused or unmotivated worker from making a poor decision or a wrong move. Companies that complement worker safety and training programs with adequate feeding and relaxation programs report lower accident rates and higher productivity and morale3. Food and rest are, in essence, protective equipment, and they serve to lower the risk of serious workplace accidents. As such, food and rest should be viewed as essential to worker safety and health as goggles, ear protection or the sundry protective elements found at any industrial site. Food, in this respect, needs to fit the workers and their environment. Carrying the earlier analogy further, just a simple pair of garden gloves cannot adequately protect a well operator in sub-40-degree weather; and, similarly, fast food or even typical diner food cannot sustain this same well operator for very long. Workers of heavy labor in extreme conditions — for example, in the bitter cold common to many North American drilling operations for at least several months a year — typically need upwards of 4,000 kcal per day in well-

designed portions of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. This helps to ensure the proper energy, vitamins and minerals required not only to work 8- to 12-hour shifts but also to recover from the long workday and to stay healthy4. How ironic, then, that the oil and gas industry, so focused on producing high-quality fuel to power the nation, runs the danger of overlooking the highquality fuel needed to power the workers’ bodies. Rest and breaks during working hours are well articulated by state, provincial or federal statute, and most companies abide by such laws as a matter of reflex. In the context of remote worksites, however, there is an added necessity for relaxation. Workers need to decompress, and being away from home, in poor and inadequate shelter, can make this difficult for the worker. Relaxation includes the comforts of home: a warm and clean bed, hot showers, computers with Internet access, TVs and DVDs, games, laundry facilities, private rooms and cooking equipment or access to food any time. Although less scientifically defined as nutrition and less regulated than work breaks, relaxation — that is, the aforementioned comforts during non-working hours — is seen increasingly as being as important as nutrition and work breaks in preventing accidents and in ensuring a healthy, motivated and rested workforce5. continued overleaf

FAO (1976) “The feeding of workers in developing countries,” FAO Food and Nutrition Paper No. 6. Rome

Folkard, S. et al. (2006) “Modeling the impact of the components of long work hours on injuries and accidents,” Am J Ind Med. 49(11):953-63.

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Editorial: Workforce Housing and Feeding Solutions for Health, Safety,Productivity and Morale Continued from page 53

What Workers Typically Get In many parts of the world, remote industrial sites are synonymous with poor worker accommodations and vast environmental degradation Think mining operations and shantytowns. Such sites can belittle an international company’s global reputation. Worker accommodations are far better in North America and other economically developed regions, but they still are far from ideal6. In many remote-site operations, when the call for work goes out, workers must scramble for housing7. Many workers pile up in local motels, if available, with the word “local” meaning anywhere within a twohour drive from the worksite. Other workers tow trailer homes close to the worksite, and these are usually ill-suited for long-term use or for extreme heat or cold. Securing food daily quickly becomes a problem. Even if these workers have access to a stove and know how to cook, they will have difficulty obtaining fresh foods, and their meals will likely be basic and nutritionally inadequate for optimal health. Those living in motels often are forced to eat at the same diner or fast-food restaurant for the duration of their contract, which could be months. Imagine such an existence, all the while working 12+ hour days. For extremely remote sites, companies are obliged to provide basic food and shelter. This, too, however, tends to be suboptimal8. Companies in the business of natural resource extraction often have a tendency to provide the most basic accommodations with the

assumption that the largely male workforce is there to work and that these men expect to “rough it.” This is what these workers are used to, after all. Food and shelter take on the feel of an army camp with just bearable accommodations and with the notion that, because this is temporary, it is acceptable. Food may seem hardy and pleasing — meat and potatoes — but ultimately this lacks essential vitamins and minerals needed by the worker to work at 100-percent efficiency during long, hard shifts9. This is no “home away from home” but rather a no-frills accommodation that does nothing to attract the most talented labor.

extension, for company safety and productivity.

What Workers Need

nn Thoughtful catering that takes into consideration the nutritional needs (and not just tastes) of the workforce

Workers at remote and temporary worksites are a diverse crew. They might be college-educated engineers. They might be highschooleducated blue-collar workers. They are likely men, but they are often (and increasingly!) women. But they often have one thing in common: They likely are leaving their families and the comforts of home for hard work and long hours. As with the reader of this article, their home — that is, family, friends and community — is not out there in the wilderness. Maybe they have children in school; maybe they have sick parents. Whatever the case might be, they have a life…and they are far away from that when they are at the remote worksite. For most workers at remote sites, anything the company can do to relieve the stress of long hours and great distances will be a plus for worker health and morale and, by

What workers at remote worksites need, then, is as simple as this: a relaxing place to come home to. The Economics of Comfort™ Successful food and housing programs at remote worksites — where “successful” means high morale, high productivity, low absenteeism, low turnover and few, if any, serious accidents — have just a few key ingredients: nn CEOs or upper management that truly care about worker safety and health on and off the job

nn Easy access to recreational activities nn Opportunities to relax with coworkers nn The feeling of a home away from home, as opposed to a bunker away from home10 continued overleaf

For most workers at remote sites, anything the company can do to relieve the stress of long hours and great distances will be a plus for worker health and morale and, by extension, for company safety and productivity.

Wanjek, C. (2005) “Food At Work: Workplace Solutions for Malnutrition, Obesity and Chronic Diseases,” Geneva: International Labour Organization.

Dragseth, D. (2011) “Help Wanted: The North Dakota Boom,” New Geography, October 26, 2011.

Wanjek, C. (2005) “Food At Work: Workplace Solutions for Malnutrition, Obesity and Chronic Diseases,” Geneva: International Labour Organization.

Sherman W.M. & Lamb D.R. (1988) “Nutrition and Prolonged Exercise,” In: Lamb DR, Murray R editor, Perspectives in Exercise Science and Sports

Medicine: Prolonged Exercise, Indianapolis, Ind: Benchmark Press; p. 213–280. 10

Wanjek, C. (2005) “Food At Work: Workplace Solutions for Malnutrition, Obesity and Chronic Diseases,” Geneva: International Labour Organization.

Oil & Gas Awards 2012

Editorial: Workforce Housing and Feeding Solutions for Health, Safety,Productivity and Morale Continued from page 55

Catering will vary, but the daily menu must find a balance between tasty and healthy. Often meal programs strive for the former and not the latter. Consider, however, the unique nutritional needs of a heavy laborer at a drilling site. Most workers will burn more than 300 kcal/hour. Fast-food or a carbohydrate diet can leave the worker hungry or weak after just a few hours on the job. In general, the body in manual labor requires 1.2-1.7 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight11. The B-complex vitamins, found in meats and whole grains, are needed for tissue repair and energy conversion. Vitamins A and C, found in vegetables, are needed for immunity. Vitamin D, found in fatty fish (and sunshine, if available), is needed for calcium absorption. Some enterprises also take into consideration the long-term health of the worker. Certain Canadian mining operations, for example, prepare special meals of whole foods (whole grains, vegetables, wild game)

Oil & Gas Awards 2012

for a workforce largely comprising indigenous workers of the First Nations, who suffer disproportionally from diabetes compared to the rest of the nation.12 But the bottom line is that on-thejob weakness and fatigue translate to lower productivity and more accidents. Comforts also can vary but, at the heart of the matter, is the feeling of hominess. Every comfortable bed, soft pillow, warm shower, lively pool room, exercise facility, clean laundry facility and so on will engender loyalty and good morale and reduce the risk of fatigue through the 5- to 10-day rotation of 10- to 12-hour shifts often expected from workers. The choice between living out of a motel, living in a trailer (or car), or living in high-quality all-inclusive temporary housing is an easy choice to make. And among all the remote operations that do offer food and shelter, the choice between a “one-star” and “four-star” accommodation also is easy to make.

Workers talk, and word will spread about which companies offer the best working conditions. It is this writer’s opinion that facilities built and maintained by Target Logistics, and its “Economics of Comfort™” strategy, meet the very best qualities that I first identified in the book Food At Work, about worker feeding programs, published by the United Nation’s International Labour Organization in 2005. These temporary facilities not only offer companies a competitive edge, but they reduce the number and severity of accidents by virtue of promoting a better-rested, better-nourished and better-dedicated workforce.

Lemon, P.W.R. (1998) “Effects of exercise on dietary protein requirements,” Int J Sport Nutr. 8, pp. 426–447.

12 Wanjek, C. (2005) “Food At Work: Workplace Solutions for Malnutrition, Obesity and Chronic Diseases,” Geneva: International Labour Organization.

Return on Investment Investments in feeding and wellness programs routinely yield profits in terms of higher productivity, fewer accidents, reduced absenteeism and less turnover13. Husky Injection Molding Systems, Ltd., in Bolton, Ontario, has reported a US$6.8 million in yearly savings from a US$2.5 million investment in wellness. Coors Brewing Company has reported a $6.15 productivity gain for every $1 invested in food and fitness. Similarly, Travelers reports a $3.40 gain for $1 invested in nutrition and recreation; DuPont reports a $2.05 gain for $1 invested in nutrition and recreation; and the Canadian government estimates that wellness, in the form of better feeding, health promotion and relaxation programs, amounts to a CAN$2 to $6 return on investment14.

and worry the local community — a community already anxious about my being here in the first place? Or will I invest in superior food and housing solutions that will leave my workers well rested, nourished and motivated and leave the community or environment as pristine as we found it? Conclusion Remote-site food and housing accommodations, if planned well, can have numerous positive effects on profit and productivity. Tangible and immediate benefits can include wellrested and well-nourished workers with high morale and productivity levels and lower risk for serious accidents. Longterm benefits from such an investment can include community support and a positive corporate image.

And food and housing is just that: an investment. No company is required to provide healthy food and comfortable accommodations. Yet it is little coincidence that the best companies to work for, as ranked by Fortune magazine, routinely have superior cafeterias and various recreational comforts. Every manager desires a skilled and motivated workforce that not only can do the job but can do the job well. Thus, the manager of a remote worksite must ask: Am I giving my workers what they need in terms of rest, motivation and nutritional energy? What is my food and housing solution? Will I offer no such accommodations and take what I can get in terms of workers? Will I allow my drivers to sleep in a truck in sub-zero temperature? Will I create temporary housing with poor preparation that might foul the land

About the Author Christopher Wanjek is an author and freelance health and science writer based in Washington, D.C. His expertise is in health, medicine, environmental sciences, physics and astronomy. He holds a Master’s of Public Health from Harvard School of Public Health and a degree in journalism from Temple University. Wanjek is the author of three books: Hey, Einstein! (2012), Food At Work (2005) and Bad Medicine (2003). He has also written more than 300 newspaper, magazine and web articles for periodicals such as The Washington Post and Smithsonian magazine. Wanjek is a columnist for LiveScience news website and for Mercury magazine and can be reached at wanjek@nasw.org. About Target Logistics Target Logistics, an Algeco Scotsman company, is the largest turnkey workforce housing provider in the United States. Based in The Woodlands, TX; and with offices in Boston; Williston, ND; Denver; Calgary; and Sydney, AU, the company provides cost-effective and customized site design, construction, operations, security, housekeeping and catering for temporary workforce lodging, mobile crew camps and extended-stay hotels. Named by Inc. magazine as one of “America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies,” Target Logistics offers innovative housing solutions in the world’s most remote locations. Visit www.TargetLogistics.net or call (800) 832-4242.

Wanjek, C. (2005) “Food At Work: Workplace Solutions for Malnutrition, Obesity and Chronic Diseases,” Geneva: International Labour Organization.

14 Wanjek, C. (2005) “Food At Work: Workplace Solutions for Malnutrition, Obesity and Chronic Diseases,” Geneva: International Labour Organization.

Oil & Gas Awards 2012

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Industry Leader

Winners page

WINNER

INDUSTRY LEADER Rocky Mountain

Mark Peterson, Westcon Mark Peterson is the President/CEO of Westcon, Inc. He has led the company since its inception 31 years ago. He remains active in the estimating, planning, scheduling and execution of all projects. Mark’s leadership has instilled hard working values in his employees. The company motto, “Pride Thru Performance” reflects those values.

Westcon, Inc. is an Industrial General Contractor with diverse experience. Industries served by the company are Petroleum, Chemical, Oil/Gas, Power, Food/Ag/Bio and Mining/ Metals/Minerals.

Further information on these winning organizations, interviews and photos can be viewed at www.oilandgasawards.com

Westcon, Inc. was incorporated in Bismarck, North Dakota in 1981. Regional offices have been established in Utah, Iowa and Ohio. Establishing administrative and project staff across the United States has allowed us to better serve our customers. Westcon, Inc. is an Industrial General Contractor with diverse experience. Industries served by the company are Petroleum, Chemical, Oil/Gas, Power, Food/Ag/Bio and Mining/ Metals/Minerals. Westcon, Inc. can deliver successful projects under adverse conditions with record setting performance. Cold weather concrete is one of our specialties. The company self performs civil, structural, mechanical and equipment setting. Our ability to self perform this work allows direct control of the project schedule. By managing its own forces as well as subcontractors the company ensures that projects are completed on time and within the budget.

Safety is critical to the success of our projects therefore safety is part of Westcon’s work behavior. Training is an ongoing process for our employees, they are trained to recognize potential hazard. Westcon, Inc. maintains an extensive equipment fleet. Ownership eliminates the dependence of rental equipment that may cause work stoppages or delays. When overseeing projects, Westcon, Inc. becomes an extension of the Owner’s staff. Providing customer satisfaction is the goal of our management team. We believe everyone benefits when a company brings new and unexpected ideas to construction projects. Our background and knowledge have saved our customers valued time and money. Our ability to deliver consistent quality is our hallmark.

Oil & Gas Awards 2012

Manufacturer of the Year

Winners page

WINNER

MANUFACTURER OF THE YEAR Rocky Mountain

Cobra Manufacturing MANUFACTURING & SALES

14345 HWY. 385 CHEYENNE WELLS, CO

719-767-5020 719-343-5800

Cobra Manufacturing & Sales is striving to build quality equipment that meets the every challenging demand in our constantly changing oil and gas world.

Cobra Manufacturing & Sales specializes in the custom manufacturing and design of high pressure pumping and fluid heating equipment. Our state of the art facility is located in 14345 HWY. 385 CHEYENNE WELLS, CO Cheyenne Wells Colorado which is 3 hours east of Denver and 719-767-5020 719-343-5800 directly between several major plays, including the Eagle Ford Shale and the Bakken Shale. We take pride in knowing our customers on a face to face basis. 14345 HWY. 385 CHEYENNE WELLS, CO Our first-hand knowledge of 719-767-5020 719-343-5800 running this type of equipment in the field sets us apart from the competition. We like to build our equipment to be user friendly and safe, that is why we install safety kills and switches to help insure the safety of the operator and the equipment. Our trucks are built off of the design of operators with operators in mind. In fact, the design team at Cobra Manufacturing & Sales is made up of current and former operators and owners. We know the challenges faced by our customers

everyday and we listen to them and address them. By listening to what our customers are looking for we can build the best equipment for our customer and the best in the industry. We strive to build the best equipment but we also strive to have service after the sale. Even after working hours, the phones ring to cell phones so we can help our customers with any problems that they may be experiencing. Cobra Manufacturing & Sales is striving to build quality equipment that meets the every challenging demand in our constantly changing oil and gas world.

Further information on these winning organizations, interviews and photos can be viewed at www.oilandgasawards.com

Oil & Gas Awards 2012

Rds as awa G & l I o UnTaIn

Year e h t f o ncy Consultainner 2012 W

Rocky M

Knowing where you stand is the key to moving forward. Accelerate with EHS Benchmarking. For over a decade, antea®group has facilitated eHS Benchmarking programs for the oil & gas industry to deliver insightful management metrics and peer-to-peer knowledge exchange that realize operational improvements and translate to bottom line results. take the first step toward improved performance; find out where you stand with eHS Benchmarking. “ Antea Group’s EHS Benchmarking Program enables us to pinpoint areas to focus our company’s environmental stewardship efforts in order to assure we perform competitively within our industry.” – environmental reporting advisor Integrated oil company

Understanding Today. Improving Tomorrow. For more inFormation: mark mathiowetz +1 970 292 1884 mark.mathiowetz@anteagroup.com

Oil & Gas Awards 2012

www.anteagroup.com

A-Z of finalists A COMPLETE ENERGY SERVICES COMPANY FLUID MANAGEMENT DIVISION

Coldsweep Inc. A&W Water Service, Inc.

Black Hills Exploration and Production, Inc.

A&W Water Service provides efficient and environmentally conscious solutions to service the full cycle of the well, from water sourcing and transfer to reuse and disposal at our own facility. We offer the complete solution; Water Hauling, Frac Tanks, Water Transfer & Manifold, Flatbed Hauling, Pipe Yard Storage.

Black Hills Exploration & Production is the oil and natural gas exploration and production subsidiary of Black Hills Corporation. It has operating and nonoperating interests in 1,219 developed oil and gas wells. It explores, develops and operates properties in Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico and Wyoming and has nonoperated interests in producing properties in six other western states.

AbTech Industries, Inc. AbTech Industries Inc., an environmental technologies and engineering firm, provides innovative water treatment solutions. AbTech’s Solutions for Oil & Gas enable your water treatment and recycling goals with treatment approaches for oil recovery, de-oiling, VOC air stripping, and includes the SmartSponge®-based Contactor deoiling system, proven to remove 99.99% of hydrocarbons.

Coldsweep’s induction stripping process is 5 to 10 (sometimes 20) times faster than sandblasting. Induction removes Chartek, coal tar, Belzona, epoxies, rubber and fiberglass. The process creates no noise or secondary waste. Induction has no moving parts making the process very safe and is quiet so others can work nearby.

Davis & Davis Company Bonanza Creek Energy, Inc. Bonanza Creek Energy is an independent oil and natural gas company engaged in the acquisition, exploration, development and production of onshore oil and associated liquids-rich natural gas in the United States.

Davis & Davis Company is a manufacturer’s representative specializing in Oil & Gas measurement equipment. In business since 1941, we provide flow, analytical, level and control equipment and services to the natural gas exploration, transmission and processing industry.

Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP

Since our inception in 2004, we’ve quickly become one of the top recruiting agencies in Denver through hard work and a solid commitment to recruiting excellence. Our Oil & Gas division was our top division this past year and is looking forward to making 2013 just as stellar.

For nearly a century, Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP has ranked among the region’s most prominent law firms, enjoying a strong national reputation for its corporate finance, natural resources, and energy law practices, with a particular focus on securities and M&A transactions, complex commercial litigation, and regulatory guidance.

Carrizo Oil & Gas, Inc.

ECO/AFS

Carrizo Oil & Gas, Inc. is a Houston-based energy company actively engaged in the exploration, development, exploitation, and production of oil and natural gas primarily in the Eagle Ford Shale in South Texas, the Niobrara Formation in Colorado, the Marcellus Shale in Appalachia, the Barnett Shale in North Texas, and the Utica Shale in Ohio.

I would like to introduce you to ECO Alternative Fuel Systems, we reside in Williston, ND and are the Natural Gas as fuel source experts, and our employees have 30 years experience in Diesel and Gas Engines as well as emission certified techs.

Bradsby Group Aqua-Pure Ventures Aqua-Pure Ventures, Inc. (AQE – TSXV), is an oilfield engineering and services firm that has developed and commercialized cutting-edge technology that transforms wastewater from a liability to an asset. Aqua-Pure (www.aqua-pure.com) has developed and refined its patented, industry-leading technology for recycling flowback and produced water over the past eight years in North Texas’ Barnett Shale. The Company has recycled more than 785 million gallons of shale gas wastewater that would otherwise have been injected into disposal wells and permanently removed from the hydrological cycle.

ECO/AFS is dedicated to teaching Oil Companies in this area to utilize the Natural Gas being flared as a fuel source in their Drilling Rigs and Generator applications as well as heating Frac water and operating Frac trucks. Oil & Gas Awards 2012

A-Z of finalists Herbrick Agency Ecocion, Inc. Ecocion is a global provider of environmental solutions and services. Our extensive industry knowledge coupled with over a decade of application development enables us to deliver superior solutions for organizations to address governance, risk, and compliance requirements.

Herbrick Agency was started in 1955 in Sterling, Colo. By Milt Herbrick, Bruce Herbrick took over the family business in 1977. Herbrick Agency made the move to Oil & Gas Insurance in 1983. We have built the agency steadily ever since. Chris Culp after 27 years in Corporate Aviation came on board 8 years ago. Since Chris is Bruce Herbrick’s Stepson and was raised around the Agency and Chris’s father and grandfathers were all three in the Oil Business it was a good fit.

Nexus Staffing Solutions, LLC Nexus Staffing is the oil and gas industry’s leading recruitment firm, helping clients of varying sizes across the globe. Nexus Staffing works to foster relationships between the best companies and the best candidates in the oil and gas industry to create a successful working environment for everyone.

We are a family business with family values.

ONEOK, Inc.

Enviro Voraxial® Technology, Inc. EVTN developed and manufactures the Voraxial® Separator, a patented, in-line, turbo-separator that provides a cost effective method to efficiently separate large volumes of solids and liquids with different specific gravities--without the need of a pressure drop--requiring less space, energy and weight than conventional separators processing the same volume.

Honeywell Analytics Honeywell Analytics manufactures the industry’s most complete range of gas and flame detectors and controllers for use in the upstream/midstream/downstream oil and gas world. Our passion is to protect people, property and environment from toxic and flammable gas threats, helping businesses increase safety and productive yield, maintain fixed operating costs and improve equipment reliability.

ONEOK Partners is a publicly traded master limited partnership engaged in the natural gas gathering and processing, natural gas pipelines and natural gas liquids businesses. It owns one of the nation’s premier natural gas liquids systems, connecting NGL supply in the Mid-Continent and Rocky Mountain regions with key market centers.

Produced Water Solutions, Inc. Gold Spur Trucking In 2008, brothers and entrepreneurs Andrew & Brady McClellan established Gold Spur Trucking based on a desire to change the status quo of fluid logistics and dedicated fleet services in the oil and gas industry. They provide these services with integrity and the absolute best customer service in the industry.

KLJ KLJ provides knowledgeable, experienced support for engineering, planning and surveying projects of all sizes in a variety of market sectors. Our professional project managers and team members are creative problem solvers who offer unparalleled service, reinforced by a deep understanding of the industry and strong regional relationships.

Produced Water Solutions, Inc., is a Cleantech company, providing environmentally sound solutions for the treatment and recycling of waste waters through its clearly innovative technologies. The company utilizes its proprietary and proven technologies and service programs to increase operating efficiencies, through comprehensive produced and flowback water treatment solutions.

PTI Group USA PTI Group is one of North America’s largest fully integrated suppliers of remote site services providing temporary and permanent workforce accommodations, food services, facility management, and other value-add services to resource industries worldwide.

Oil & Gas Awards 2012

SERVICE | PERFORMANCE | INTEGRITY | DEPENDABILITY

Exceeding Your Expectations. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what we do. Every day. Your one-stop resource for engineering services.

Rocky Mountain 2012 Engineering Company of the Year

PHONE: 918.895.7666 www.spartan-eng.com Oil & Gas Awards 2012

A-Z of finalists

Questar Pipeline Company Questar Pipeline Company is an interstate natural gas pipeline company that provides transportation and underground storage services in Utah, Wyoming and Colorado. Our core transmission systems transport gas from the Rocky Mountain region to other major pipeline systems for delivery to markets in the West and Midwest.

TaxOps LLC

Zavanna, LLC

TaxOps delivers customized tax solutions that drive business value. The firm is founded by former Big Four tax executives who are committed to delivering value-driven solutions, flat-fee pricing and year-round consulting, which together offer the best results and the best working environment for clients, employees and partners.

Zavanna, LLC (the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Companyâ&#x20AC;?) is a privately held company formed August 8, 1994. The corporate headquarters is located in Denver, Colorado, with a field office in Williston, North Dakota.

Ryckman Creek Resources, LLC Peregrine Midstream Partners LLC are recognized leaders in natural gas storage and storage-related midstream asset acquisition and development. We create value for our customers and investors through rigorous analysis of opportunities, timely decision-making and deliberate execution. We have grown Ryckman Creek Resources, our anchor project, from small start-up with an initial $10 million equity investment into a $250 million enterprise in less than four years.

TETRA Technologies, Inc. TETRA Technologies, Inc. is a geographically diversified oil and gas services company focused on completion fluids and associated products and services, after-frac flow back, production well testing and associated services, wellhead compression, and selected offshore services including well plugging and abandonment, decommissioning, and diving.

Stellar Recruitment Stellar Recruitment is committed to achieving the highest level of recruitment solutions for employers that in turn offer job seekers life-changing career opportunities. The top priority is the people we deal with and as such are dedicated to maintaining the highest levels of service at all times.

Target Logistics Target Logistics, the largest turnkey workforce housing provider in the United States, is a global resource for costeffective, customized accommodations and services. Based in The Woodlands, TX, the company provides site design, construction, operations, security, housekeeping and catering for temporary workforce lodging, mobile crew camps and extended-stay hotels.

Oil & Gas Awards 2012

Venoco, Inc. Venoco, Inc. is primarily engaged in acquisition, development and exploration of oil and natural gas properties in California. The hardworking and experienced employees enjoy the challenges of the energy industry and are dedicated to good corporate citizenship. Venoco is headquartered in Denver, Colorado with a regional office in Carpinteria, California.

The Company has marked its growth through the generation of oil and gas prospects for itself and industry partners. In North Dakota, the company has grown from 100th producer in 2007 to 23rd producer in 2010 and 25th in 2011. The Williston Basin of North Dakota is the Companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s core area of interest with the Bakken its target. The company operates eighty (80) wells in North Dakota and is currently managing a two (2) rig drilling program. In addition to its Williston Basin production, the company has production in New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.

ANADARKO PETROLEUM CORPORATION

Recognized as a Top Workplace in Houston for three consecutive years, Anadarko Petroleum Corporation is among the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest independent oil and natural gas exploration and production companies. Anadarko employs more than 5,100 men and women around the world who share a set of core values that includes integrity and trust, servant leadership, commercial focus and open communication.

Anadarko is proud to support the first annual Oil & Gas Awards.

www.anadarko.com | www.youtube.com/anadarkotv | NYSE : APC

Oil & Gas Awards 2012

Announcing

Oil & Gas Awards West Coast

Rocky Mountain

Thursday, October 24, 2013 Bakersfield

Thursday, March 13, 2014 Denver

Midcontinent

Gulf Coast

Tuesday, October 29, 2013 Oklahoma City

Tuesday, March 18, 2014 Houston

Southwest

Northeast

Tuesday, November 5, 2013 Dallas - Fort Worth

Thursday, March 20, 2014 Pittsburgh

Canada Thursday, November 7, 2013 Calgary 60

Oil & Gas Awards 2012

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