American Oil and Gas Reporter - November 2024 - 79

IssuesUpdate: Indiana Oil & Gas Association
Attention To Members
Drives New Initiatives
By Del Torkelson
EVANSVILLE, IN.-The bottom line
is the bottom line, agree Charles Venditti
and Travis Thompson. Or to be more
specific, as Venditti prepares to conclude
his two-year tenure as president of the
Indiana Oil & Gas Association by handing
the gavel to Thompson in January 2025,
both the president and president-elect
emphasize that the significance of joining
INOGA boils down to how the group
benefits its members.
Although INOGA demonstrates its
worth when it helps prevent ill-informed
laws and regulations, they acknowledge,
such industrywide gains arguably may
seem nebulous, since they are based on
contingencies about how much worse
things could be. But as they survey the
industry landscape shortly after INOGA's
2024 convention, held Oct. 10 in New
Harmony, In., Venditti and Thompson
note that the group's members also can
point to a few more clear and present upsides
of membership.
That is because, they say, INOGA's
Board of Directors is focused on expanding
the list of easily identifiable ways in
which it pays to belong to INOGA.
" INOGA really wants to engage with
members, which will remain an ongoing
goal of my presidency, " says Thompson,
owner of Travis Thompson Oil Corp. in
Mt. Carmel, Il. " INOGA keeps adding additional
benefits, including safety workshops
and a workforce development program. "
" This year, we offered a free pumper
training workshop for field staff at no
cost to members, " describes Venditti, who
is based in Evansville as pipeline integrity
manager with TRC Companies. " Members
sent their field staffs for training on safety,
technical applications and a variety of
other things to help them do their jobs. "
The one-day event incorporated the
knowledge, know-how and equipment of
area service and supply companies who
provided the instruction, he says. " People
really liked it and want it to continue, "
he relates. " Workers are safer and hopefully
realize the benefits of faster troubleshooting
of equipment selection. "
Similarly, Venditti adds, INOGA also
has launched a program that allocates
$50,000 of seed money to support individuals'
efforts to pick up in-demand
skills. " We will cover 50% of the cost,
up to $2,500, for people who want to
pursue training such as for an electrician's
license, a commercial driver's license or
better use of various office software programs, "
he clarifies. " It is important to
help college-directed engineering and geology
students, such as INOGA does
with the scholarships it awards-this
year, we gave away $12,000 in scholarships-but
it also is important to help
people interested in different kinds of oil
and gas work. "
Technological Innovations
The 2024 INOGA Annual Meeting is
another key membership benefit. According
to Venditti, the event included reports
on pertinent industry issues and updates
on association initiatives. " I heard a lot
of positive feedback, " he recounts.
" It went well, " Thompson agrees. " We
tried a different layout that intertwined
the exhibitors and the speakers into the
same space, and I thought it was successful.
Also, instead of closing with a formal
dinner, this year featured a casual cookout
and tailgate party at the New Harmony
American Legion. It went over well. "
The annual meeting also provided an
occasion for Venditti and Thompson to
gauge the attitude pervading the Indiana
industry. They suggest that members rec " We
have kept the Board of Directors
focused on the question of how to deliver
member value. After two years, we certainly
can see areas in which our association is
delivering on that. "
-Charles Venditti
INOGA President
ognize the challenges before them but
remain unbowed.
" The mood in the room certainly is
better today than it was back when oil
prices were $40-$50 a barrel, " Venditti
laughs. " And even though the pandemic
was four years ago, I think everyone has
a better appreciation when we are able to
get out and be around people again. It is
good to see people together, shaking
hands and enjoying each other. "
The conference included a presentation
from artificial intelligence expert Meghan
Anzelc, founder and chief executive officer
of Three Arc Advisory, he says, who helped
explain the extent to which AI already is
embedded throughout the industry and
broader economy. " Later in the day, there
was a technical presentation about pumping
efficiency that discussed using AI to compare
pump operations against a standard in
order to identify and notify users about
problems, " Venditti recounts. " Those presentations
tied together nicely. "
That technology marks one new approach
more Indiana producers are incorporating,
he reports. " The automation
and AI make it possible to pump off only
the amount of fluid necessary and then
stop the equipment instead of running a
pump constantly or on a timer, " he says.
" The pump-off controller applies a smart
technology that runs it when it is necessary
and leaves it off for the rest of the time.
It reduces equipment failures and electric
bills while improving production. "
Other novel approaches in the area
NOVEMBER 2024 79
American Oil and Gas Reporter - November 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Oil and Gas Reporter - November 2024
