Saluting our Permian Workforce

"We're proud members of the Carlsbad community, and our on-the-ground workforce is extremely important to running our business here," said Kelly Saltzgiver, Permian production superintendent. He spoke at the Carlsbad Mayor's Energy Summit in September about promoting opportunities in the energy industry. He also talked about MRO's commitment to working safely and responsibly, and the company's investments in local community partnerships.

"The industry is evolving quickly, so we're looking for people who can respond to those changes, especially as it's becoming more technologically advanced," Kelly said. "At Marathon Oil, we take great pride in our culture and safety values, how we run our business and taking care of people on an individual level, so that's also important to us in our hiring decisions."

The Energy Summit, held yearly since 2013, was established to bring together community and energy industry representatives for an open discussion on issues important to the people of Carlsbad and south Eddy County. In addition to MRO, most of the major operators in the Permian's Delaware basin were also on the agenda, in addition to New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham.

Addressing the Summit's 2019 theme of "Salute to the Workforce," Kelly kicked off the summit's presentations in a one-on-one discussion with Danny Fletcher, the summit's chairman and local business representative.

When asked about Marathon Oil's investments in giving back to the community, Kelly spotlighted the partnerships with local schools, chapters of the United Way and Boys and Girls Club; the Pecos Watershed Conservation Initiative, and investments and employee man-hours dedicated to refurbishing the La Cueva trail system with the New Mexico Bureau of Land Management.

"Our employees also care about each other at a personal level; at a company picnic in July, they donated more than $10,000 of their own money to support a coworker's niece battling cancer. Our employees are passionate about supporting the community we live in," Kelly continued.

New Mexico Governor Lujan Grisham, who also spoke at the conference, announced a new research partnership between the state government's New Mexico Environment Department and New Mexico State University to create a produced water research consortium to explore uses for the wastewater in and out of the oil and natural gas industry.

"New Mexico's innovation in this area is and will continue to be the envy of other states," Governor Grisham said.

The Governor's announcement of the research partnership comes on the heels of the New Mexico Legislature's passage of House Bill 546, the Produced Water Act, earlier this year. As discussed in Marathon Oil's most recent Sustainability Report, the law enables Marathon Oil and other operators to recycle produced water and transport it across lands for hydraulic fracturing operations, enabling the Company to better conserve freshwater resources in the water-stressed New Mexico Permian Basin.

Before the law was enacted, in several instances Marathon Oil was required to buy freshwater when we wanted to use available produced water. In addition, by reusing produced water, operators can reduce disposal in underground formations.

A team of employees from Law, Government Relations and Water Management identified the opportunity to improve produced water regulations and worked quickly to help craft the law, identify stakeholders and collaborate on the law's passage.

"I'm extremely proud of these efforts to live our values every day in the Permian," said our RVP of the Permian. "We embodied the spirit of One Team, working across assets and support teams, making bold moves to support the Produced Water Act in New Mexico, an effort that will have a significant impact on our efficiency, safety, financial stewardship and sustainability. Our people in Carlsbad have repeatedly been recognized by state, city and community leaders as leading the way here, in terms of community volunteers and projects. I'm excited about how this progress can enhance the long-term potential of our developing Permian asset."