public perception

The SPE technical director of Production and Facilities discusses the role process and occupational safety play in oil and gas operations.

The oil and gas industry must learn to engage with local citizens better if it is to build upon its social license to operate. A joint PFC/HSE luncheon during ATCE addressed this topic.

Public perception is one of the most important variables in determining the success of oil and gas operations, and companies must do more to help shape this perception.

In February, President Obama vetoed legislation that would approve the construction of TransCanada’s Keystone XL Pipeline. The 7-year regulatory saga is emblematic of the regulatory and public relations burdens on US energy projects. With the rejection of the bill, the burden will grow.

SPE Distinguished Lecturer Joseph Frantz, Jr. says stakeholder opinions will shape the future of hydraulic fracturing.

Gerald Verbeek contests the theory that fracturing opposition is meme driven.

You have probably heard that the Eskimo language has several dozen words for “snow,” a frequently repeated and well-known idea. It is untrue. A meme is a snippet of culture that is learned by imitation and passed on by imitation or repetition.

In the August Oil and Gas Facilities, I wrote about the inherency of poetry in our work and how it helps define who we are. In this issue, I share a remarkable example of poetry at work in the mind and heart of an engineer and how it resonated with people and helped to change an industry.

Energy development projects that affect local communities frequently face opposition. This article describes an approach to dealing with local communities that has proved effective.

The public views the oil industry negatively without being aware of or understanding how many things in their daily lives come from oil.