Newsroom
Stay tuned for the most up-to-date information concerning breaking news on all new legislation, regulations, and events affecting the industry and the Permian Basin.
For additional industry news, check out PBPA's official publication, the Permian Basin Oil & Gas magazine.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service extends public comment period on proposal to list dunes sagebrush lizard under the Endangered Species Act
August 29, 2023
On August 14, 2023, the PBPA submitted a request for an extension of the public comment period before the final submission of our more extensive comments. In response, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released this press release on August 29, 2023.
"The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is extending the public comment period seeking public input on a proposal to list the dunes sagebrush lizard as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. The public comment period will now be open for 90 days, closing October 2, 2023.
The Service is committed to having a robust public engagement process as it considers a proposal to list the dunes sagebrush lizard as endangered. The extension gives all interested parties additional time to provide comments. In addition to this extension, on July 31, 2023, the Service held a virtual Public Information Session and Public Hearing where it accepted verbal comments for the record.
The dunes sagebrush lizard is a rare species found only in the shinnery oak sand dune ecosystems in West Texas and southeastern New Mexico....
moreMOTRAN: Production, Tax Revenue Show Permian's Impact
July 5, 2023
MRT.com/Midland Reporter-Telegram
by Mella McEwen
The following on oil and natural gas production inside the Permian Basin and severance taxes from the Permian Basin were taken from a recent Midland-Odessa Transportation Alliance (MOTRAN) newsletter.
- According to the Energy Information Administration, the Permian Basin produces 72% of Texas’ crude oil. That’s 40% of US oil.
- The Permian Basin reached a record high natural gas production of 21 billion cubic feet daily in 2022, 14% more than the 2021 average. That increase continues in 2023 with an increase of 60 million cubic feet per day in the first four months of the year compared to the same period of 2022. The Permian Basin is now the nation’s second-largest natural gas-producing basin, accounting for 24% of US gas production.
- In just the Texas Department of Transportation’s 12-county Odessa District, oil production rose more than 72.8 million...
Biden’s War On Oil And Gas Shifts To A Permian Basin Lizard
July 5, 2023
Forbes.com
As part of a massive, pre-holiday weekend document dump by the Biden administration on June 30, the domestic oil and gas industry received an unwelcome gift from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), one that shifts Mr. Biden’s continuing war on oil and gas to the Permian Basin. In a notice published in the Federal Register, USFWS said it has determined a need to list the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard, long a topic of concern and controversy, as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act.
Though a day past deadline, the notice of proposed listing will presumably satisfy a court order requiring the agency to issue a decision no later than June 29. It also upends the conduct of a longstanding conservation...
morePBPA's Response to the USFWS Proposing Listing Dunes Sagebrush Lizard
June 30, 2023
The day before Americans begin the weekend celebration of our independence, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that it would be proposing the listing of the dunes sagebrush lizard as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Not only does this continue what has become a tradition of this administration announcing major regulatory action on the eve of national holidays, but it is once again an attack by this administration against American independence and the most prolific energy producing region in the United States, the Permian Basin.
Energy production in the Permian Basin, which is a national leader not just in oil and natural gas production, but also in wind and solar energy production, provides energy independence to our nation. The listing of the dunes sagebrush lizard under the Endangered Species Act, when there has been such a tremendous state and private conservation initiative to protect the species and its habitat, is a slap in the face to not just state and private conservationists, but to all those around the world who rely on the energy...
morePfluger details global importance of Permian energy
June 27, 2023
Midland Reporter-Telegram
by Mella McEwen
“This industry is the most important tool we have in our national security arsenal,” said Rep. August Pfluger.
The San Angelo Republican, who represents District 11, which includes Midland and Odessa, addressed energy issues Tuesday with the Permian Basin Petroleum Association at the Petroleum Club.
He told the gathering he was elected to the House of Representatives to highlight the national security implications of the oil and natural gas industry. The Permian Basin, he said, is the epicenter of a shale revolution that has lifted a billion people out of poverty and changed the geopolitical equation, giving the...
moreEnergy Industry Hopes for even more Permitting Reform
June 3, 2023
Midland Reporter-Telegram
by Mella McEwen
With very little time remaining to address the nation’s debt ceiling, the final form of an agreement headed to the president late Thursday night for his signature.
Permian Basin oil and gas operators are closely watching to see how the agreement between the White House and Republican negotiators affects much-desired permitting reform. The initial agreement already includes minor changes to the National Environmental Policy Act, including a one-year limit on environmental assessments and a two-year limit on environmental impact statements.
“We are extremely pleased that Speaker McCarthy and his team included permitting reform as part of their negotiations,” Ben Shepperd, president of the Permian Basin Petroleum Association, told the Reporter-Telegram by email. “The PBPA and our membership have been advocating for federal....
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morePermian operators alarmed by rise in oilfield theft
June 3, 2023
Midland Reporter-Telegram
by Mella McEwen
Permian Basin oil and gas operators are alarmed at something beyond volatile oil and natural gas prices and pending regulations.
Several members of the Permian Basin Petroleum Association are expressing concern over what they see as a dramatic increase in oilfield crime in the Permian Basin.
“There’s always been thefts, but what seems to be happening is on another level,” Ben Shepperd, president of the PBPA, told the Reporter-Telegram in a telephone interview. One member even told him a pumping unit had been stolen, he said....
moreDetermination, Delays, and a Dose of Drama
June 1, 2023
by Julie Anderson
If the Regular Session of the 88th Texas Legislature were to be summarized in bullet points, here’s how it might read:
- Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar projects a $32.7 billion surplus, giving lawmakers a spending cushion prior to the 140-day session.
- On Jan. 10, Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson convenes the 88th Texas Legislative Session on the floor of the Texas House of Representatives.
- On Feb. 13, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announces his top 30.......
PBPA joined a coalition of seven energy associations in a letter to Congressional leaders urging them to support the bipartisan agreement to raise the debt ceiling that includes some permitting reforms
May 30, 2023
Dear Speaker McCarthy, Senator Schumer, Representative Jeffries, and Senator McConnell:
We, the undersigned oil and natural gas trade associations, represent the hardworking men and women who produce 70% of our nation’s energy supply. We recognize America’s economic strength comes from a combination of our abundant natural resources and the innovators who convert them into the substantial energy that powers our modern lives. Thanks to the entrepreneurial spirit and the willingness of our members to take enormous risks, our nation and others around the world benefit from life-sustaining energy that keeps people warm in the winter, gets them to work and school to better their lives, and puts food on the table. We are living longer thanks to the domestic oil and natural gas that provide the feedstock for thousands of products used every day, from anything with a computer chip to medicines that save millions of lives on a global scale.
Recognizing the human, economic, and strategic value of harnessing our nation’s energy, Congress has played a key role in creating the...
morePBPA Joins 42 Energy Trade Groups and Associations in Opposing NHTSA Administrator Nominee
May 3, 2023
The Honorable Maria Cantwell Chair
U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
254 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Ted Cruz Ranking Member
U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
512 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510
Re: Opposition to the Nomination of Ann Carlson as Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Dear Chairwoman Cantwell and Ranking Member Cruz:
We are 43 associations representing millions of workers all across the country. We provide 70% of the nation’s energy that supports life-sustaining functions such as keeping Americans warm in the winter, getting them to work and school to better their lives, powering ICUs and medical devices, and delivering food to the dinner table. Oil and natural gas provide the feedstock for thousands of products used every day, from anything with a computer chip to fertilizer to feed the world. American oil and natural gas are developed under strict environmental controls...
moreIndustry, Texas sue over lesser prairie-chicken species rule
March 23, 2023
As seen in the Oil & Gas Journal
The Permian Basin Petroleum Association, five ranchers’ associations, and Texas have sued the Biden administration over the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) listing of the northern population of the lesser prairie-chicken as threatened and the southern population of the same species as endangered under the Endangered Species Act.
The species, a kind of grouse scattered across five states, is found in oil and gas drilling areas and cattle grazing areas in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Colorado. The FWS, a part of the Interior Department, published its determinations Nov. 25.
The final rule violated Interior’s own policies for application of the Endangered Species Act, and violated the Administrative Procedure Act with arbitrary and unsubstantiated conclusions arbitrary population segments, according to the lawsuit by the petroleum...
moreThe Permian to Putin: The Oil Industry Reacts
April 4, 2022
The Permian to Putin: The Oil Industry Reacts | A One Question/Basin PBS Live Town Hall. Hosted by Becky Ferguson. Hear from local experts in the field on the effects of the was on the Permian Basin oil. Underwritten by Diamondback Energy. Sponsored by The Permian Basin Area Foundation.
moreA Conversation with Ambassador Kay Bailey Hutchison, Sponsored by PBPA
April 6, 2022
Kay Bailey Hutchison is a household name for multiple generations of Texans. Between her 20-year tenure as a U.S. senator from Texas and her time as U.S. ambassador to NATO, just about everyone knows of her.
And while Hutchison has seen a lot in her career, she’s keeping a close eye on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. What’s her take on the war there, the future of NATO, and the United States’ place in it all?
Hear her speak on all this and more when you join The Texas Tribune at 4 p.m. Central on Wednesday, April 6, for a timely conversation with former NATO ambassador Kay Bailey Hutchison.
moreShepperd: Permian Basin produces Global Security
September 22, 2019
As featured in the September 22, 2019 edition of the Midland Reporter-Telegram
As the entire world continues to seek answers for the coordinated terrorist attacks on Saudi oil facilities over the weekend, one thing is clearer than ever, and it is just how important the Permian Basin is during these times.
While not new, these terrorist attacks continue to threaten America and her allies around the globe. But this time, record production of domestic oil and natural gas, especially in our region, serve as a counterbalance to what would normally be a cause of great concern for our nation.
Today, because of the success of petroleum producers in the Permian Basin, there is not worldwide panic, there is not an immediate need to tap strategic reserves, and there is no threat of gasoline shortages for Americans preparing for their workdays.
At this time, it’s anticipated that this 5 million-barrel a day strike from production will have serious and lasting...
moreEnergy Security and Environmental Stewardship are not Mutually Exclusive
August 1, 2019
As featured in The Permian Basin Petroleum Association's official magazine, The Permian Basin Oil and Gas Magazine. (August 2019)
For too long, too many people have accepted the assumption that we have to choose between domestic energy production and environmental stewardship. While the Permian Basin Petroleum Association has never accepted this false dilemma, politicians and policy makers have chosen to act as though these were the only paths moving forward.
Thankfully today, more and more Americans are realizing this is not the case.
With record breaking oil and gas production in the Permian Basin, we are still anticipating a decrease in carbon emissions in the United States in 2019 and 2020 as we have seen in a historical trend since at least the year 2000. The abundance of oil and natural gas being produced in the Permian Basin and across the nation has encouraged the transition of energy generation to cleaner burning natural gas and we are now a net exporter of crude oil.
These impacts cannot be understated. With the...
morePBPA Effort Yields Results
August 28, 2018
Sunset Commission Unanimously Rejects DPS Proposal to Close License Offices
Austin, Texas-Today, the Texas Sunset Commission met in Austin and responsibly pushed back against a DPS proposal that would eliminate up to 87 Driver’s License offices across rural Texas, including the booming Permian Basin.
“Today, the Members of the Sunset Commission from across the state unanimously rejected the DPS proposal to close the offices in our region and across the state and I am very proud of the Legislature for listening to our concerns and the concerns of all Texans.” said PBPA President, Ben Shepperd.
This rejection will offer the Legislature guidance on how to proceed on this issue when the Texas Legislature convenes in January 2019.
He also added, “We are hopeful that our efforts, and the efforts of the public at large, to increase efficiency in other areas at DPS will continue and are thankful for the leadership of Chairman Birdwell, Vice-Chairman Paddie and Senators Buckingham, Hall, Nichols, and Watson as well as Representatives Flynn,...
morePBPA Opposes DPS Office Closures
August 24, 2018
Midland, Texas - Today, The Permian Basin Petroleum Association (PBPA) stated their opposition to a recommendation by the Texas Sunset Commission to close drivers license offices in the Permian Basin and across much of rural West Texas.
“We oppose the potential closing of drivers license offices in the Permian Basin because of the rapid growth of the oil and gas industry and the need for our member companies to be licensed as required by state law. The Permian Basin is the most prolific source of energy production in the United States and we cannot remove resources that are vital to the economic growth of the region and the state.”
PBPA works to effectively advocate for the growth, prosperity, and best interests of the Permian Basin petroleum industry,
“The hundreds of member companies and thousands of individuals that make up our association are also joined in these efforts by Permian leaders like Senator Charles Perry, Senator Kel Seliger, Representative Tom Craddick, Representative Drew Darby, and Representative Brooks Landgraf and we...
morePBPA v. DOI Decision
September 2, 2015
U.S. District Court Finds for PBPA, Vacates Lesser Prairie Chicken Listing
(MIDLAND, TEXAS) Yesterday, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas granted summary judgment in favor of the Permian Basin Petroleum Association and vacated the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) rule listing the Lesser Prairie Chicken (LPC) as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. In PBPA et al. v. Department of Interior et al, Senior U.S. District Judge Robert Junell concluded that the decision to list the LPC was arbitrary and capricious under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) and that the agency failed to properly apply its Policy for Evaluation of Conservation Efforts When Making Listing Decisions (PECE Policy) to conservation efforts already undertaken on millions of acres across five states to improve habitat for and diminish threats to the LPC.
In response to the ruling, PBPA President, Ben Shepperd, issued the following statement: “The PBPA applauds Judge Junell’s decision in our suit against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the...
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