SIPES-HOUSTON CHAPTER NEWSLETTER

DECEMBER 2014

Richard Fritz: The Hunt for Unusual

Resources

A Giant Passes

Oil Price Discussion

Season Pass

American Ground Water Trust

1 SIPES-Houston Newsletter | Dec 2014

SIPES HOUSTON CHAPTER 5535 Memorial Drive Suite F 654 Houston, Texas 77007 Tel: 713-651-1639 Fax: 713-951-9659 www.sipeshouston.org email: bkspee@aol.com

Chapter Officers

Chairman

Jory Pacht

832-338-5928

Chairman-Elect

Jay Moffitt

713-750-9485

Past Chairman

Dick Bishop

713-467-8706

Treasurer

Denise Stone

281-732-9578

Secretary

Bonnie Milne-Andrews

832-661-6666

National Director 2014

Mike Jones & Jeff Lund

832-230-2190

National Director 2013

Jim Allen

713-871-2350

Committee Chairmen

Continuing Education

Scott Daniel

281-395-3691

Deal Buyers List

Phil Martin

281-664-7000

Hospitality

Ross Davis

713-659-3131

Membership

Russell Hamman

713-854-6497

Newsletter

Jeff Allen

713-871-2350

Political Affairs

Hans Sheline

281-241-7271

Public Relations

Sandy Rushworth

832 452-3747

Sponsorship

Coordinator

Christine Milliner

713-266-1522

Technical Program

Gary Weir

713-294-3602

Web Site

Jim Allen

713-871-2350

Office Manager

B.K. Buongiorno

713-651-1639

In This Issue December Luncheon Meeting 2 Richard Fritz

A Giant Passes 4

Dr. Robert Sheriff

September Luncheon Review 7 Bonnie Milne

News From The Board 8

Bonnie Milne

Pop Quiz 9

Oil Price Discussion 10

Proposed Award SIPES Houston 11

Season Pass & New Website 12

American Ground Water Trust 13

New Member Applicants 14

On the cover: Japan’s Mt. Aso Volcano erupted spewing ash and lava on November 26th, 2014. It has been 22 years since the

last eruption. Want to be on the cover? Email Jeff Allen, the editor, at JeffAllen@Allen-Hoffman.com

INTRODUCTION

The culture of energy and related eco-

nomics is constantly evolving. One thing we know for sure is culture always trumps strategy. Just about the time we become proficient at finding unconven-

tional gas resources the culture of supply and demand takes over and the strategy of exploring for gas is temporarily obso-

lete. Now “liquid-rich” is the strategy as it matches our economic models; howev-er, with current oil prices have we been too successful or is it just another eco-nomic cycle?

But the liquid-rich strategy is not easy. The two premiere plays—the Bakken and Eagle Ford—are very successful but

what’s next? Other plays like the A-1 Carbonate, TMS, and Monterrey are tough to produce with current technolo-gy so the jury is still out.

To date the most successful plays have been “in-situ” or at least “hybrid” where the reservoir is encased in or in very close proximity to source rock. This is true of the Bakken, Eagle Ford,

Wolfcamp.

Migrated resource plays like the Missis-sippi carbonates in Oklahoma and Kan-

sas are more complicated. They are es-sentially leaky traps.

Of course, along with the unconventional rock is the culture of technology. We are all aware of how the marriage of horizontal drilling and staged frac’ing has

changed our culture. In geology the “niche” technologies often hold the keys

for discovery—organic geochemistry, basin “thermal” history, petrophysics and geomechanics. In geophysics we now have micro-seismic. In reservoir engineering it is primarily a different twist on PVT—which in the end may be the most important key for production.

Finally, there is a new culture of profes-sionals as we explore for liquid-rich re-

source plays. For conventional plays the mindset was to start with a broad view and focus down to a limited prospect. The mindset for unconventional plays is

just the opposite—we start with the mi-nutia and expand the boundaries to in-clude parts and even all of whole basins. The key is the geologist becoming an expert on its origin, chemistry, physics,

etc.

BIOGRAPHY

Richard (Rick) Fritz is a native Oklaho-

man. His dad, granddad, great grand-daddy and many of his uncles worked as pumpers or roughnecks. Rick met his first geologist when he was 11 years old. He was so impressed with the geologist’s intelligence, cool clothes and fancy car that he decided to become a geologist

on the spot. Currently, Rick is a senior exploration geologist for SM Energy in Tulsa. From 1999-2011 Rick was the Executive

Director of AAPG. While In November,

1999, Fritz also became the Executive Director of the AAPG Foundation Rick started his career by working for Exxon (before Mobil) in development geology in South Texas and later, as an exploration geologist in the Mid-

continent. After leaving Exxon, Rick worked as a consultant and manager in the develop-ment of geological and geophysical stud-ies in the Mid-continent, East Texas, Gulf Coast and Black Warrior basin. In 1989,

Rick became vice-president of Masera Corporation and supervised major explo-

ration research projects in the U.S., and in the Middle East and Africa. Before moving to AAPG, Rick was the President of MXC Corporation. He worked with a Houston-based group to

develop a 100,000 acre Austin Chalk play. Rick bleeds orange having graduated from Oklahoma State University in Stillwater in 1978. He is an active mem-

ber of the OSU Geoscience Alumni Advi-sory Board and works with Boone Pick-ens. In 2013 Rick was selected as the OSU A&S Alumnus of the Year.

Date: Thursday, Dec. 18

Place: Petroleum Club

800 Bell St.

Time: Social 11:15

Lunch 11:45

Culture of Greatness—The Hunt for Unusual Resources

Richard Fritz

D E C E M B E R S I P E S L U N C H E O N

Luncheon registration deadline

is Noon, Tuesday Dec. 16

$30 for Members and Affiliates,

$35 for guests and non-members. An additional $5 for late/walk-ups.

No-shows will be billed.

Call, fax, or e-mail your reserva-

tion to the SIPES-Houston Office.

You can sign up online at

www.sipeshouston.org, but

payment is still required at the

luncheon or by mail.

2 SIPES-Houston Newsletter | Dec 2014

Luncheon Sponsor

4 SIPES-Houston Newsletter | Dec 2014

A G i a n t P a s s e s S I P E S P o l i t i c a l U p d a t e

Dr. Robert Sheriff, Professor Emeritus at the Uni-

versity of Houston and a giant in the field of geo-

physics, passed away November 19.

His full obituary can be found online at

www.chron.com (from which this short article was

written).

After working on the Manhattan Project, Bob got a

Ph.D. in physics from Ohio State University, then

began his career in geophysics at Chevron’s geo-

physical research lab in California. After twenty-five

years at Chevron, Bob spent five years with Seiscom

-Delta before becoming Professor of Geophysics at

the University of Houston.

Through his prolific writing and teaching, Dr. Sheriff

had a tremendous impact on exploration geophysics.

The SEG recognized his contributions by awarding

Bob the Virgil Kaufman Medal for his outstanding

Encyclopedic Dictionary of Exploration Geophysics,

voted by the SEG members as the top geophysical

book ever published for the industry. The SEG also

gave Dr. Sheriff its highest honor, the Maurice Ewing

Award for lifetime achievements in geophysics. Bob

and his wife Margaret established the endowed Fac-

ulty Chair in Applied Seismology, an endowment in

Applied Geophysics, an endowed Professorship in

Sequence Stratigraphy and an endowed Professor-

ship in Geophysics at the University of Houston. Dr.

Sheriff’s legacy will last for many generations.

Hans Shelin is the head of the SIPES Houston Political

Affairs committee. Below are five main updates.

1) The Keystone pipeline is likely to pass in early

2015!

2) The drop in Oil Prices will have a significant effect

on the higher cost resource play drilling, at least

in the short term.

3) Immigration will be a big topic in the near future.

4) Here is A LINK for the IPAA congressional “call-up”

5) EPA plans and comments in THIS LINK

Gateway Exploration is Looking for

Prospects and Acquisitions in the Gulf Coast

5 SIPES-Houston Newsletter | Dec 2014

Our Mission: At EPG we help our members make wise investment choices that have the potential for

market-beating results.

Our members consist of energy sector professionals, pri-marily oil and gas engineers, geologists, financial profes-sionals, and high net worth individual investors. Many of our members have retired after decades of experience. Many more are actively working in the energy industry to-day.

EPG is focused on the fundamental and technical analysis of oil & gas stocks. Our members have access to individual

company profiles and forecast models, plus several Watch Lists that are housed on our website. We also have numerous networking events throughout the year where our members and guests get to meet the

management of our favorite companies. Our online forum gives members an opportunity to share their ideas on individual companies, the markets, and trends in the industry.

Premium members get FREE admission to our monthly luncheons in Houston and Dallas. Publicly traded energy companies, many of which are on our Watch Lists, host the luncheons. These events are great networking opportuni-ties, as we now draw over 100 attendees to each luncheon.

It gives our members direct contact with the management teams of the companies they invest in. For members living

in the Houston area, this is approximately a $600/year val-ue but the membership price is $350/year Our premium members have complete access to valuable research and forecast models on our website. Below are some of the tools available on our website:

Company Profiles

Sweet 16 Growth Portfolio

Watch Lists for MLPs, E&P and Oilfield Service Firms

Presentations

Newsletter filled with energy sector investment ideas

Latest News

Forum – our chat room

Members receive our newsletter, “The View From Houston”. It is packed with valuable insights on what is going on to-

day in the energy sector. Plus, it contains our Sweet 16 Growth Portfolio and an Income Portfolio for those seeking high yield with moderate growth potential. We also recently added our “Up & Comers Portfolio”, a list of small-cap ener-gy firms that we believe have significant upside potential. Each issue contains updates on several of the companies we track.

Daniel M. Steffens, President

Energy Prospectus Group Houston, Texas 281-435-8874

E n e r g y P r o s p e c t u s G r o u p b y D a n S t e f f e n s

6 SIPES-Houston Newsletter | Dec 2014

CALL FOR ARTICLES FOR THE NEWSLETTER

DO YOU HAVE A BIG NEW FIELD DISCOVERY?

AN OPINION/EDITORIAL ON CURRENT EVENTS IN

OUR INDUSTRY?

WE ARE CURRENTLY SEEKING CONTENT FROM OUR MEMBERS FOR THE NEWSLETTER

PLEASE CONTACT SIPES NEWSLETTER EDITOR

JEFF ALLEN JeffAllen@Allen-Hoffman.com

713-871-2350

7 SIPES-Houston Newsletter | Dec 2014

Gregg Robertson, First Rock Inc. stands as one of the crea-tive forces behind the development of the Eagle Ford Shale Play. The Houston SIPES membership was treated to Rob-ertson’s brief but thought-invoking call to action as related to the moral obligations that we, as energy finders, produc-

ers and providers owe to the South Texas landscape and those communities living within the reach of the Eagle Ford Play. Robertson underscored the importance of leaving a legacy of our presence to South Texas, by leaving it better than we found it and when we do leave it, we must leave a lasting

reminder of our presence and good fortune, rather than a

Boomtown-to-Bust-tumbleweeds-rolling-down-the-streets aftermath. Robertson walked listeners through his perspective of the paradigm-breaking history of the development of the Eagle Ford exploration play which he laid out as a series of unique steps:

Active leasing concurrent with active exploration play

development

A sometimes taxing, but ultimately successful technical

approach based on integration of geologists, geophysi-cists, land and reservoir engineers (with a bit of ‘glue’ provided by an Exploration Manager).

The shedding of hackneyed “conventional wisdom” by

taking on the vision of shales as liquid producing reser-

voirs .. and dispelling ‘old paradigms’ dictating vintage rules of thickness, porosity and mineralogy.

We must share the prosperity of the Eagle Ford Shale with those communities around us. Many companies are doing

so, but a more inclusive and thoughtful approach to an initi-ative of community and social improvements is key. In summary and on a twist of the quote by Don Fisher, co-

founder of The Gap, “Lets do more than just find oil”!

N o v e m b e r L u n c h e o n R e v i e w b y B o n n i e M i l n e

Justin Mathews and Gregg Robertson

Matt Miller and Mark Connor of SCA

N E W S F R O M T H E B O A R D b y B o n n i e M i l n e P i c t u r e s c o n t i n u e d

8 SIPES-Houston Newsletter | Dec 2014

With Jay Moffitt sitting in for a traveling Chairman Jory Pacht, the meeting was called to order at 10 a.m. on Thurs-day November 20. The October Board minutes were accepted and the Board

moved on to the business of the day. The slate of Houston Chapter officers for 2015 were reviewed. Dick Bishop moved to accept Officers for 2015; Gary Weir seconded and the motion was carried. Hans Sheline has offered to handle updates to the SIPES Deal Buyers List and create a Deal Sellers List in 2015.

Denise Stone, Treasurer, reviewed the SIPES Chapter ac-counts and reported that the checking account currently stands at $81,066.51 and the Savings account holds $50,158.83 at meeting time. The October 2014 Luncheon had 89 registered and 9 walk-ins. There were 7 comps and 4 no shows.

Our Office Manager B.K. Buongiorno reminded us that the Petroleum Club will move to their new facility on January 26, 2015; of note, the January 22 Joint SPEE/SIPES meeting will be held at Houston Center Club. The SIPES Houston Chapter will be working on an initiative

to time local dues payment to National dues payment tim-ing. Plans are being worked on for next year’s CES. The Membership Committee reported 3 new applications have

been completed. The SIPES Houston Chapter currently counts 306 members.

Jeff Lund (Public Relations) reported a successful repeat presentation to the Energy Institute High School where over 200 sophomores were treated to a talk on the Energy Busi-ness. The November Board meeting adjourned at 11:30 am

Joe Frazier and Bob Frazier

Duncan Dubroff, Dave Felty, Chip Betz, Tim Brendle

9 SIPES-Houston Newsletter | Dec 2014

P O P Q U I Z ! T R A C E S O F M A R T I A N S I N A M E T E O R I T E !

In what year was the first two-cone drill bit invented? And who was responsible?

The winner of last month is James Mertz, of Mertz Energy. If you see him, make sure to give him a high-five for his geologic prowess! This is his second time

winning! What is the origin of the word “Derrick”? The Derrick is named after Thomas Derrick, a famous seventeenth century hangman and executioner. It

resembled the frame from which a hangman's noose hung. He was from the city of Tyburn in the county of Middlesex close to present-day London. For many

centuries the name Tyburn was synonymous with capital punishment because it was the main place for execution of London criminals.

Did Mars ever have life? Does it still? A meteorite from Mars has reig-

nited the old debate. New research shows that Martian life is more probable than previously thought. The image above is a meteorite names Tissint that was ejected from Mars and landed on the Moroccan desert on July 18, 2011. "So far, there is no other theory that we find more compelling," says

Philippe Gillet, director of EPFL's Earth and Planetary Sciences Labora-tory. He and his colleagues from China, Japan and Germany per-formed a detailed analysis of organic carbon traces from a Martian meteorite, and have concluded that they have a very probable biologi-cal origin. The scientists argue that carbon could have been deposited

into the fissures of the rock when it was still on Mars by the infiltration of fluid that was rich in organic matter. But they are still debating

where the carbon came from.

Chemical, microscopic and isotope analysis of the carbon material led

the researchers to several possible explanations of its origin. They es-tablished characteristics that unequivocally excluded a terrestrial origin, and showed that the carbon content were deposited in the Tissint's fissures before it left Mars.

The researchers challenged previously described views (Steele et al., Science, 2012) proposing that the carbon traces originated through the high-temperature crystallization of magma. According to the new study, a more likely explanation is that liquids containing organic com-pounds of biological origin infiltrated Tissint's "mother" rock at low

temperatures, near the Martian surface.

The researchers note that this organic matter could also have been

brought to Mars when very primitive meteorites -- carbonated chon-drites -- fell on it. However, they consider this scenario unlikely be-cause such meteorites contain very low concentrations of organic mat-ter.

"I'm completely open to the possibility that other studies might con-tradict our findings. However, our conclusions are such that they will rekindle the debate as to the possible existence of biological activity on Mars -- at least in the past."

A Video can be seen HERE

10 SIPES-Houston Newsletter | Dec 2014

AMERICA’S BOOM @ $65/BO? HELP AMERICA COMPETE WITH OPEC Read the entire article from Rob Port by clicking on

this link. Or read the highlights below:

The drop in oil prices is scary. “Every dollar [in lower oil

prices] is about $100 million of just oil taxes off the table based on production, holding that constant,” Tax Commissioner Ryan Rauschenberger told me earlier this month. “So if you take $10 off the price of oil that’s

a billion dollars.”

Lower Oil Taxes: Especially in North Dakota where oil

and gas taxes are at an effective rate of 11%, one of the highest in the country.

Build Pipelines: Both the Keystone Pipeline and pipeline

infrastructure in North Dakota which currently relies on trains.

Allow the Export of Oil and Gas: One problem with

America’s domestic oil and gas markets is that the re-finers basically have a captive audience. With few ex-ceptions, American oil and gas producers cannot ship their unrefined product abroad for sale. It must be sold to refiners here in the U.S. before export. That’s a tre-mendous boon for the refineries, but it severely re-stricts that market American oil and gas producers can

access. So open it up. Allow the export of unrefined oil and gas to meet international demand. An expanded market would, again, help put American oil and gas producers on an even footing with OPEC. Read more about Oil and Gas Exports on Page 13.

Read the entire article from Matthew Phillips of Bloomberg

by clicking on this link. Or read the highlights below:

Iran, Iraq, Libya, and Venezuela were all hoping for a cut of

at least 1 million barrels to keep prices from going lower.

Citibank (C) analysts estimate that the world is producing

about 700,000 barrels a day more than total demand re-quires. With international oil prices below $70 for the first time since 2010, most OPEC member countries will have

trouble keeping their budget deficits in check. According to an estimate by Goldman Sachs (GS) last month, only Ku-

wait, the UAE, and Qatar are safe below $70.

OPEC’s idea is to try to knock out U.S. shale producers by

driving prices lower than they can afford. That way Saudi Arabia, the cartel’s biggest exporter, can keep its market share in the U.S. But the damage to its fellow oil exporters

could be severe.

In Russia, for example, the ruble is plummeting. Iraq is al-

ready having trouble fighting ISIS, and lower oil prices won’t help. Libya is in chaos. Venezuela’s economy, already on life support, depends on oil for 95 percent of its export revenue.

“Don’t hold your breath for a production response, since

there will be a six-month lag between a drop in rigs and a

slowdown in production,” writes Manuj Nikhanj, head of en-ergy research at Investment Technology Group.

On average, the Bakken formation in North Dakota and

Montana has a higher cost than some of the other big shale

plays in Texas, such as the Eagle Ford and Permian.

11 SIPES-Houston Newsletter | Dec 2014

Proposed Houston SIPES Chapter Outstanding Independent Award (OIA)

(06/19/2014)

Objective: To recognize career contributions and accomplishments of independent geoscientists. Characteristics of Awardee Any successful independent (not restricted to Chapter members)

Has had a significant impact on the profession as an Independent

The impact may be technical, exploration/ business success, as a leader and inspiration to others

This recognition will be considered on an annual basis by the OIA Committee by the following process: The Chapter Chair-Elect will chair and recruit members for the OIA Committee;

Nominations may be received from any Houston SIPES Chapter Member (full or associate);

Names are to be submitted to the OIA Committee for review and recommendations;

The OIA Committee will submit a single nominee to the SIPES Houston Chapter Board for its consideration and

approval. One awardee per year OR occasional, no more often than annual The Committee chair or the SIPES Houston Chapter Board will appoint an appropriate Houston Chapter Member

to contact the person to be recognized. Independent geoscientist may or may not want to be recognized; 2014 Outstanding Independent Award (or recognition) is targeted for November or December meeting.

Award Physical award is to be decided but will be a plaque, plate or something appropriate.

Awardee would be offered (and will choose) a format appropriate for them:

Awardee may present an overview of their career in a normal SIPES talk format;

Awardee’s colleagues may be invited to give short presentations on the career contributions of the

awardee; Or a combination of these depending on Awardee

The physical award will be presented at the end of the presentation

Background This designation was suggested by several SIPES members during 2013 to recognize colleagues with long experience

and distinction as independent geoscientists, operators and/or prospectors. The occasion of the Houston SIPES meeting recognizing Dan Hughes in July of 2013 organized by John Hankey prompted this discussion. It was envi-sioned that future awardees will be recognized and make a presentation at a Houston SIPES Chapter meeting. Committee The current working group is John Hankey, Dick Bishop, Bill Smith, Jim Tucker, and Gary Weir as Program Chair

(ex officio). This is an ad hoc committee of the Houston SIPES Chapter, with members appointed by the Chapter President,

and including the current Program Chair.

At the current time, no modification of this ad hoc committee has been made by the Houston SIPES Chapter

President and Board.

12 SIPES-Houston Newsletter | Dec 2014

The Houston Board has approved the sale of “Season Passes” for lunches in 2015, whereby you can pay $270 for the entire year. Since lunches are $30, that means you get to eat at all eleven lunches but pay for just nine! Some rules: You must sign up and

pay for this Season Pass by January 10th. Check out the new website, and you will be able to sign up there. You must still RSVP each month in response to BK’s email so we will know whether you are attending, just as you do now to regis-ter for a monthly meeting. This takes away the worry of trying to remember whether you have signed up a particular month, as

well as providing SIPES with a guaranteed income.

S E A S O N PA S S ! D r i l l I n t o t h e N e w S i t e !

The new SIPES Houston website is up and running. It can be found at SIPESHOUSTON.ORG Please visit and become aquatinted with the new format. You

can pay your dues online, log in, sign up for luncheons, and much more. It is also smart phone compatible.

13 SIPES-Houston Newsletter | Dec 2014

The Crude Oil Export Ban The American Ground Water Trust On Friday November 7th Jeff Allen, a geologist at Allen-Hoffman Exploration and the SIPES Houston Newsletter Editor, went to Vic-toria, TX to meet with teachers and educate them on how to talk about the Energy Industry to their students. Jeff has given this talk

many times over the years at different schools to both teachers and students. Overall the message is simple, who is employed by the Oil and Gas Industry and how does everyone work together to make it work?

Andrew Stone, the executive director of the AGWT, lead the event which centered around the bleak realities of potable ground water in our country. In order to remedy this issue, we must have an ed-ucated public and teaching force. The AGWT does a great job of

spreading the word directly to teachers. If you want to know more

about the AGWT please read below:

The American Ground Water Trust has organized over 70 training

programs for teachers in 17 states attended by close to 1,800 teachers and educators. The Victoria program will give a unique opportunity for teachers to explore aspects of water that are relevant to Southeast Texas. Wa-ter science and water management experts from the water indus-try and government agencies will be presenting the program. We recognize that teachers in all grades must adhere to state stand-

ards for content and required learning objectives, and so our ap-proach, through class sessions, demonstrations, discussions and handouts, is to demonstrate how to integrate water topic subject matter into existing curricula. The program will show that exciting and practical "water science" can be applied to many traditional

subject areas.

We believe that teachers who are excited about environmental ed-ucation and who are provided with some training in water-related cause-and-effect will be more likely to effectively teach environ-mental concepts to their students with a positive and motivating style. Our Institutes get teachers excited and focused. There are thousands of school storerooms groaning with unused curriculum

materials. The institutes get teachers fired up to make use of the many excellent materials that are already available. Students made aware of the economic and environmental importance of water re-sources and aquatic habitat are likely to become motivated to pro-tect and conserve resources. As the future voting citizens in Texas we hope students impacted by water-savvy teachers will recognize the connected and integrated nature of the environment and there-

fore be empowered to play an active role in protecting resources for sustainable use. Many decision-makers, whose actions impact water resources, did not grow up understanding the science basics of water manage-ment and protection. An appreciation of the role of water in our

state environment and economy should now be part of the learning heritage of every adult and child. To be effective stewards of our water resources, there must be greater awareness and under-standing of the science behind the resource.

In 1975, in reaction to fears of a possible global oil shortage, Congress placed severe restrictions on U.S. crude oil exports. In 1975, Gerald Ford was the president, Patti Hearst was on

the FBI’s Most Wanted list, and 8-track audio-tapes were considered high technology. All of that has changed, except for the crude oil export ban. It is time for that policy to be relegated to the history books as well.

The need for restrictions on exports of U.S. crude (if it ever really existed in the first place) has long since passed. Thanks to fracking and other innovative production

techniques, America has gone from energy scarcity to energy abundance.

We will soon be the world’s largest oil producer and must have the ability to sell that American-made energy where demand is highest. Exporting U.S. crude will open new mar-kets and spur investment, and a recent study by ICF Inter-national and EnSys Energy concluded that it could result in an estimated increase of 500,000 barrels per day in domestic crude production by 2020.

Consumers have nothing to fear from crude oil exports. The ICF/EnSys study also concluded that adding U.S. crude to the global energy supply would put downward pressure on fuel prices, saving U.S. consumers up to $5.8 billion in fuel

costs from 2015-2035.

Allowing crude oil exports will also provide a tremendous boost to the U.S. economy. The ICF/EnSys study estimates that, in 2020, lifting the outdated crude export ban could add an estimated $38 billion to GDP, increase government reve-nues by $13.5 billion, reduce our trade deficit by $22 billion, and support as many as 300,000 new jobs for American

workers. The crude oil export ban is a relic from a long-gone era that today stands in the way of economic growth, job creation, and more affordable fuel for U.S. consumers. Congress needs to move into the 21st Century and let it go.

14 SIPES-Houston Newsletter | Dec 2014

Ross Davis is going to take the Political Committee

Chair that Hans Sheline is vacating.

Hans Sheline will move to become the new Deal Buyer

and Seller Committee Chair.

When you see these men please thank them for helping

with SIPES and being a supportive member of our organiza-

tion and industry.

N e w M e m b e r A p p l i c a n t s S I P E S M E M B E R S P O T L I G H T

Robert (Bob) Ardell for a full membership

Denisse Rollan for an affiliate membership

Sheri Wood for an affiliate membership

SIPES Houston Chapter, 5535 Memorial Drive, Suite F654, Houston, Texas 77007 Tel: 713-651-1639 Fax: 713-951-9659 www.sipeshouston.org e-mail: bkspee@aol.com

Upcoming SIPES Events

Dec 18: Luncheon, Culture of Greatness—The Hunt for Unusual

Resources, Rick Fritz

Upcoming HGS Events

Visit HGS.org

Science-Based Events in Houston Museum of Natural Science Lectures Dec 9 @ 6pm, Lecture & Film Screening—Dinosaur 13. Based on the book Rex Appeal: The Amazing Story of Sue, the Dinosaur That Changed Science, the Law, and My Life by Peter Larson

University of Houston Free Lectures

Energy Prospectus Group Dec 1: Luncheon, Hemisphere Energy Corp, Hess Club, 5430 Westheimer Rd

* * *

Geologists make for uncooperative prisoners