From the President - December 2012

Holiday Greetings Networking and Party Time

Merry Christmas and Season’s Greetings! The sentiments are a little early, but Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanza all approach. It is a happy, festive time for most; difficult for others who may have lost family members or friends this year. It is a time to reconnect, to remember, and to include those who are alone. It also party time!
 

Speaking of parties, we of the HGS have one arranged. It is the HOLIDAY HO-HO-HOEDOWN! Food, refreshments, music and dancing are provided. It is so early in the month — Monday, December 3, 2012 — that many of us will still be in town. Tickets are $40.00 for members, $45.00 non-members. The location is Blanco’s Bar & Grill, 3406 West Alabama at Buffalo Speedway, Houston, TX 77027.

At Blanco’s there is plenty of room and parking. Bring spouses, significant others, and just good friends. Invite co-workers, geophysicists, landmen and all who work together to find hydrocarbons, even methane gas, which will be economic yet. Note the non-member price is only a small step. I also encourage you to bring any former members who may not have been able to renew their memberships. The new website gets better every day. Comeback to HGS y’all, y’hear!

This is a season of remembering and greeting. Send out those cards. E-mail is handy, but the feel of a card and some news is a more personal contact and a unique event. Both young professionals and seasoned veterans are especially busy; not just due to the demands of the season, but also due to the high success in their resource plays, and the detailed, continuous work the plays require. Remember to make the time to greet your former coworkers and friends because so many of us rotate from job to job. Do not lose touch. The cold business word is “networking”. That is, of course, a goal of our Houston Geological Society. Make it more personal and long lasting, the opportunity to increase your circle of friends and acquaintances.

Part of our good news this year is a great gift that all of us in the oil and gas business have given the country. In this season of gift giving, we can all take pride in the gift to the country of the new geologic model of hydrocarbon plays, the resource play, and in the amazing success in producing natural gas. Because it has become a cheap fuel, without government requirement or demand, new gas production has replaced some coal burning. The marketplace works. The replacement of some coal burning has reduced CO2 production by millions of tons, back to 1992 levels according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. We oil and gas people should be the toast of the greens! I fear some still have another kind of toasting in mind.

Another gift that members give is the service by many to HGS committees as both leaders and members. To those members we owe special thanks. I hope that more members might join our committees, there are nearly 50 to choose from, so that they can grow larger in the New Year.

With that final plea, I wish Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.