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Introduction This past summer, Eve Sprunt, SPE President Elect, faced the on going issue of the industry's image while on a business trip to Southeast Asia.People view the petroleum industry as a sunset industry.They have heard predicitions that oil production will peak in the next decade or so and fear that someone entering the industry today will have their career cut short by the lack of resources.
Our image, among many other things, makes this industry an easy target for arbitrary and volatile taxation and regulation, etc.This is old news as the problem has been around for the petroleum segment of the industry since Titusville, and for the energy industry in general since mankind first discovered fire.
Dealing with depleting resources has always been a part of our business.It is dealing with the problem of depleting human resources that is a more recent phenomenon.
Broad based, long-term public energy education is one way to improve the level of public energy literacy and, possibly, the industry's image.In such a brave new world of enlightenment, there is a chance that a more stable business environment may evolve and that our industry may become more attractive to the youth of the world.
It is for this reason that Eve recruited me to be a Distinguished Lecturer for the SPE for the 2005โ2006 season to present the case for such an educational effort.
Federal Reserve Chairman Greenspan's remarks to both the House and Senate committees in 2003 on the natural gas crisis noted that energy is a pocketbook issue.(Isn't it interesting that he has become the most credible spokesman for the industry?)This paper and my presentation to the 2005 HEES gives me an opportunity to receive some very valuable feed back form the economics segment of the industry.
An Energy Crisis Image seems to be a function of crisis.Questions facing society today are whether or not we are in an energy crisis and regardless of that status do we have an energy policy to address any potential, real or imagined crisis.
The fact that the current energy situation has not generated the paranoia seen in the past leads us to the conclusion that we have not reached the crisis stage yet.It is also best to remember that an energy crisis really depends on one's point of view.
It is either:The current shortage or glut.
The sharp rise or fall in price.
The exhaustion of the World's oil supply or oil suppliers.
Obscenely high or low profits.
The strengthening or weakening of our friends or our enemies.
Does the stated goal of the administration's National Energy Policy (NEP) of long term solutions have sufficient urgency to see real, effective actions taken?
The energy industry rightly prides itself on its technical excellence.However, it has long ignored the public's opinion of the industry.Advertising is just that: promotion of a brand.Only recently have we seen more general PR type of bits in the media.Yet, when the public sees the name of the firm behind these messages, it immediately discounts the words and wonders what ulterior motive is behind it.