Many years ago, I was asked to present on the basics of hydraulic fracturing at a large public university that has little involvement in the oil and natural gas industry. In fact, the general tilt of the university is quite strongly opposed to any fossil fuel development. I worried that I might be entering the mouth of a dragon with very large teeth, but also realized that by being asked, they were opening a dialogue. The hosts were from the materials science department, and they were interested mainly in the materials that are used in such stimulation treatments. However, the presentation was open to anyone including the general public, and I found out afterwards that it was widely publicized both on campus and in the local community.
After I finished the talk, which had a pointed (but perhaps not as bad as feared) question-and-answer period, I was approached by an older couple who were obviously not students. They introduced themselves as local ranchers who had oil and gas development taking place on their property. They proceeded to thank me for the presentation and went on to explain that although fracturing operations had been underway there for some time, this was the first time they had been given insight as to what was happening during those operations. I spoke with them for quite a while, and it was evident that they weren’t opposed to the development on their property, but they also didn’t understand at all what was going on—what a drilling rig was, what all those trucks were doing during a fracturing treatment, what a wellhead did, etc.
It was a very eye-opening conversation, and one that has stuck with me for quite some time. This couple was extremely hungry for information simply to understand what was going on—not to judge, not to protest, not to argue, but simply to learn and understand. Prior to the presentation this couple attended—and countless times since—I have been asked to give talks to both public and private groups, as well as interviews, on hydraulic fracturing and oil and natural gas development, and I’ve developed what I call the “20/60/20” rule.
The 20/60/20 Rule
What is the 20/60/20 rule, you ask? Most of us are familiar with the 80/20 rule (the Pareto Principle, which states that roughly 80% of effects come from 20% of causes) but probably not the 20/60/20 rule. Most likely because it’s something that I made up, so searching for it on the internet probably won’t help.
Here is my explanation: When trying to explain to people what the oil and gas industry does and why it’s important, 20% will already understand and probably don’t need any additional insight or justification for its importance. 20% will be on the opposite end of the spectrum. They will be those that protest (loudly) at SPE and likely other energy events and who would prefer that the industry immediately stop everything it is doing. Then there are the 60% of those in the middle. These 60 percenters don’t necessarily disparage the energy industry but also don’t fully understand it. They might understand the importance of energy and petrochemical products but not how they are produced and generated. They might think of fossil fuels in a negative light, but they are not sure why this is a prevailing view in some quarters. The ranching couple in my opening story fall into this middle 60%.
One thing that I am asked about time and again (as are most SPE presidents) is what can SPE do about our industry’s reputation? This question also frequently comes up in the member surveys that SPE conducts. First, I’d like to point out, as I noted in my September column, SPE is a non-profit 501(c)(3) entity, which very much limits any ability it has to directly lobby governments. Additionally, I’d like to emphasize that SPE is an international organization operating in 146 countries, which means that asking a government to lean one way to favor one SPE region and its members could actually disfavor another SPE region and its members. SPE is here to advance technology and professional competence, and it is best for us to stay out of politics. There are other entities that are better equipped and have the mission to do so.
However, that being said, education and technological understanding do fall squarely into SPE’s mission. SPE cannot lobby, yet it can and does provide the means to help its members educate the general public. SPE and other advocacy groups provide materials to help with these conversations (and I’ll discuss this later), but I would argue that it is up to all of us as individuals to contribute to the issue of our reputation. Nobody else is going to do it for us—WE must be our own advocates.
Additionally, referencing my 20/60/20 rule, I would like to suggest that we don’t spend time on the first 20%—they already understand and perhaps support us. I would also recommend that we don’t spend time on the second 20%. It is highly unlikely that we will ever change their minds, and it is a waste of our personal energy and extremely frustrating to do so. I suggest focusing on the middle 60%. Those are the people that are open to becoming advocates and allies and possibly joining the first 20% (or at least not slipping into the last 20%).
Passion vs. Facts
Have you ever heard the saying, “My mind is made up, don’t confuse me with the facts?” This is a very human approach to things. For instance, think of your favorite sports team (if you don’t have one, I think the analogy will work—just think of a friend or family member who has one). Does your team always win every championship? In fact, have they ever won a championship? If not, why do you or your family member or friend cheer for them? The goal of sports teams is to win championships, so if they haven’t, they are in essence failures. It is a fact that you or they are cheering for a loser. Obviously, most people don’t want to be losers or cheer for them, but we do it all the time. Why? We do so because we have a passion for that team! The facts say that we shouldn’t, but our hearts have a passion that we can’t override, nor do we necessarily want to.
Passionate discussions can evoke very strong emotional responses. I’m pretty sure you were not happy just now when I called your team a loser or a failure, and it generated an emotional response that you’d like to share with me. But emotions can and do frequently overshadow rational evaluation of facts. I am now heading off into an area that as an engineer I am not entirely comfortable with—psychology. But by doing so, it helps me understand why there are such passionate viewpoints and sometimes irrational responses to an industry, that at its very core, is critical for maintaining the standard of living of so many around the world, as well as improving it for millions of others. I’m not going to dive deeply here into the actual research. It has been ongoing for decades, and there is plenty out there to read if you’re interested. For now, just keep in mind that, simply put, emotions will generally win out over facts.
I will also point out a concept called the “backfire effect,” which describes the human behavior of strongly resisting factual information that contradicts their pre-existing beliefs, especially when presented alongside emotional arguments (Nyhan and Reifler, 2010). This concept is discussed in political science extensively and demonstrates that emotions and emotional behavior can actually strengthen resistance to facts.
I’m not bringing all of this up to promote, argue, or initiate in-depth discussions of psychology or political science—absolutely not—but I will contend that understanding the basis for people’s reactions can help form the framework for how we approach them when discussing our industry and its importance in the world.
For Your Consideration
Keeping in the above information in mind, I propose the following considerations for each of us to contemplate if we want to make a difference in our industry’s reputation.
First and foremost, SPE as an entity does not have the financial resources to develop a worldwide campaign to counteract the industry’s negative reputation. Additionally, this reputation varies greatly across the regions in which SPE exists—one size does not fit all. However, SPE is made up of individual members. SPE can’t speak with your neighbor about why they should support a local development, but you can. Our power is in our membership and the reach that we as individuals have in our communities, our families, and our social groups.
Most of us working in the industry are surrounded by facts on a daily basis, e.g., my well is making 1,000 BOPD or this project has a 25% rate of return. I would bet that many of us, when describing the importance of our industry to somebody outside of it, lean on such facts and might bring up something along these lines: “The 2026 natural gas demand in (fill in the blank with your country) is expected to increase from x Bcf/D to y Bcf/D, and therefore we must absolutely develop this new field to supply that.” I believe I’m safe in saying that most of the general public have no idea what a Bcf is, let alone why more wells might need to be drilled—or even how those two things are related. Step back and ask yourself: How do I explain, step by step, why this should be important to that person? Don’t just spew facts—find that personal connection.
Work on the coaching-type approach commonly used in mentoring. Don’t preach to them about why the energy industry is so important; rather, help them develop their own (hopefully more informed) conclusions. “Why do you think hydraulic fracturing is bad?” is much less antagonistic than “We’ve been hydraulic fracturing for over 75 years, and trust me, it’s not an issue.” It is hard for us to let go of being the expert, but sometimes that is what is needed to reach somebody.
Start simple—real simple. It doesn’t help to patronize, but keep in mind that much of the general public still thinks oil exists in big open pools underground and that wells are just big straws stuck into these pools to suck the oil out. Think about how much or how little you knew when starting your career and maybe take a few steps back when discussing technical topics.
We live in a “sound bite” world of TikTok, 30-second news stories, and shrinking attention spans. You’ll either want to get your elevator pitch down to fit within these societal boundaries, or, better yet, start off with an honest statement that this is an in-depth subject you’re happy to discuss with them, but it might take a little while to fully answer the question they’ve asked. This might open a door to a really informed and insightful discussion on both sides. The hows and whys of induced seismicity do not fit well into a 30-second TikTok video.
I’ve had many people mention that they tried to speak at their children’s schools or in similar situations to engage with younger generations, but they aren’t always welcome. I get that this can be frustrating, but if they say no, there isn’t much we can do about it. What I would recommend if this has happened to you is to try other avenues, such as after-school programs or clubs like Scouts, or similar groups. Did you know that the Boy Scouts have a “Mining in Society” merit badge? Unfortunately, there isn’t one specifically for petroleum, but there is an “Energy” merit badge that includes fossil fuels and geothermal. Targeting groups that are older than school-age members is also an option. I once gave a talk on hydraulic fracturing to retirees for the Owens Corning Company, which led to a great (and very positive) discussion about the oil and gas industry in general. Don’t just take “no” for an answer and stop, find other venues if it’s important to you.
Finally, don’t get frustrated. We are dealing with a long and complicated history that has many supporters and detractors. We work in an industry that is over 150 years old, as well as one that has had plenty of negative publicity over the years. We are not going to “turn the tanker” in a split second. Have patience and remember that anybody you speak with who starts to understand more about what we do will have a positive effect and possibly become an ally—or at least not a detractor. And one ally can turn into two, two into three, and so on.
Resources
Many of you will be able to have these types of conversations without any preparation, but there are a variety of resources available to help you plan if you wish. SPE’s own Energy4me.org is a tremendous resource for students, teachers, and the general public, offering information on all types of energy sources, the technologies behind them, and the importance of sustainability in their use. Additionally, some of you may be familiar with the Switch Energy Alliance (switchon.org), which also takes an “energy agnostic” approach and has developed materials for students as well as the general public. I have also spoken with many of you who are familiar with more localized groups that provide advocacy materials. Since these are community-based, I encourage you to talk with fellow SPE members in your area to find out what resources they’re aware of.
This is also a place where we can learn from each other by discussing best practices in the SPE community. There are SPE sections around the world that have had tremendous success with community outreach and engagement. For example, through persistent efforts SPE Aberdeen has been successful in getting Energy4me.org materials, along with other industry resources, into required local school curricula. Other SPE sections commonly host Energy4me events, not just at schools but also for the public at general community events. We can learn from each other, and I encourage you all to engage with your local sections and student chapters to learn more about their efforts, as well as the officers of those respective groups to reach out to each other and their regional directors to see what others are doing. To find out more about Energy4me, email staff at energyed@spe.org.
To bring this column to a close, I want to emphasize that we are our own best advocates. Who better to explain to people the importance of what we do and the need for the associated energy supply? We can’t—and shouldn’t—shy away from having hard conversations, because those difficult discussions can make more of an impact than any advertising campaign ever could. In staying with the theme of my presidency of Solutions. People. Energy., we are all the solution for this challenge!
You can contact the SPE President at President@spe.org.
