American Oil and Gas Reporter - March 2023 - 27

Oil And Gas Podcasts
Expanding The Universe
Of Industry's Content
The ways in which the oil and gas industry-and the world-
consumes information is rapidly changing. Lately, many industry
trends are grabbing my attention.
When I started in the oil field more than 15 years ago, my
primary job was to help introduce new technology and best
practices to oil and gas operators. At the time, we would get together
in Kansas cities and towns such as Wichita or Russell, sit
in a meeting room at a local hotel or conference center, and
spend the day hearing presentations, networking and debating
about what was real and what was snake oil.
I am happy to say that method remains alive and well. I even
wrote a paper on the subject with Lanny Shoeling and Tom
Williams for the Society of Petroleum Engineers' Annual
Technical Conference and Exhibition a few years ago. In fact,
my directive included attempting to broadcast live sessions to an
online audience in real time. It sounds funny now, but only those
who have ever tried something similar can imagine the equipment,
labor and complications of hosting those first few webinars.
Fast-forward a decade and here we are in the post-Covid era
witnessing industry speedily embracing digital content, video
and conversations. This is no more apparent than in the massive
number of industry podcasts available daily at our fingertips.
Several years ago, I attended an in-person training session at
a prominent independent operator's Houston office. Typically, I
participated in such events to learn and network, but also to
evaluate good ideas and see where I could improve on my own
events. This particular session sticks out in my memory because
the emcee, Mark LaCour, sounded extremely professional and
managed the panel discussion quite well.
LaCour kept promoting his new podcast enterprise, the Oil
and Gas Global Network (OGGN). I liked how he managed the
course-but really? A podcast? " So, like CNN, but just for oil
and gas? " I asked, thinking it sounded like a gimmick. I finished
the course and forgot the podcast nonsense.
Now, several years later, OGGN typically pops up first when
I seek oil field updates. It truly has become a network, with at
least 16 podcasts of countless episodes and sponsorship prices
that start at around $6,000 a month, with players including
AWS, Ericsson and Hewlett Packard to name a few.
Maybe there is something to this podcast nonsense after all.
For the uninitiated, think of a podcast as a radio program that
listeners find on their phones, computers or tablets. They feature
a variety of engaging hosts and usually allow listeners to access
an archive of every episode in the show's history. It sure beats
tuning in to your favorite radio talk show during each day's
commute. In fact, I suspect part of these shows' popularity
derives from listeners' ability to download multiple episodes to
their devices for listening during long trips to the field in areas
with spotty terrestrial-and even satellite-radio reception.
One particularly interesting feature about the emergence of
oil patch podcasting is that the topics are by no means limited
to news and financial subjects. A growing volume of technical
content is being created at a frequency with which I never could
" Maybe there is something to this podcast
nonsense after all. For the uninitiated, think of
a podcast as a radio program that listeners find
on their phones, computers or tablets.
"
have kept pace a decade ago. Furthermore, thanks to all the
equipment and knowledge many of us acquired during the pandemic,
guests often are comfortable connecting remotely without
having to incur travel costs and huge time commitments.
That said, I should offer a word of caution about selecting
the technical podcast that is right for you: There are literally
hundreds of oil field podcasters out there, and not all technical
content is created equally. Much like live events, you should
maintain a healthy skepticism when examining technical podcast
content. My rule of thumb is to measure content against industry
experience and what I have read in credible print media and
learned through association conferences and events.
Podcasting definitely is playing a growing role in the oil
and gas industry. Even yours truly has overcome that initial
skepticism to turn the corner and launch my own oil field
lifestyle entertainment podcast aimed at-you guessed it-
independent operators and service providers. At the end of
the day, as a part of a well-rounded mix of print and live
events, podcasting can fill a gap by informing, entertaining
and showcasing an industry that often is misunderstood by
traditional television and radio.
❒
JEREMY VISCOMI is a strategic
marketing expert for the oil and
gas industry. Among his many
roles, he serves as the MidContinent
regional lead for the
Petroleum Technology Transfer
Council, providing independent
operators with access to emerging
technology aimed at reducing
risk and growing profits.
MARCH 2023 27
American Oil and Gas Reporter - March 2023

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