As executive vice president of the Texas Oil & Gas Association (TXOGA), the oldest and largest oil and gas trade association in Texas, Deb Mamula acts as a voice for the state’s oil and natural gas industry. Since 2006, she has represented all facets of the industry whether it is in the public arena, at the Texas legislature, before regulatory agencies or as a media spokeswoman.
“I’m closing in on almost a decade with TXOGA,” Mamula said. “In that time, I’ve taken every opportunity to learn all aspects of the industry and our members’ operations. I don’t mind rolling up my sleeves to dig into difficult territory. My work requires an open-mindedness to help find consensus among lawmakers, regulators, operators and other interested parties. Finding balance among all of them can be a tough challenge, but it’s a challenge I enjoy.”
Mamula received her bachelor’s degree in geography and her master’s degree in resource and environmental studies from Texas State University. Prior to joining TXOGA, Mamula worked for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for over 18 years where she held leadership roles in the Office of Compliance and Enforcement.
“I think one of the reasons I love what I do is because there is no ‘typical day,’” she said. “I’m constantly learning. I may be at the state capitol one day, at an agency the next day and then in meetings learning about new issues and how we can establish consensus around them. In all of those settings, I work to help our 5,000 members from across the oil and gas sector to craft solutions to help the industry at large, as oil and gas in Texas bolsters our state’s economy.”
A willingness to engage in tough conversations is central to Mamula’s role, a skill she learned from generous mentors like the late Mack Rankin, a founding member of Freeport-McMoRan, and Curtis Mewbourne, founder and president of Mewbourne Oil Co.
“Mr. Rankin was a very encouraging leader for me,” she said. “He took the time to share his experiences to help me shape my own.
“Mr. Mewbourne is as solid as they come, and he believes in my ability to lead and my expertise in this field. It’s good to have those kinds of people in your corner showing you how they became successful.”
TXOGA’s membership spans oil and natural gas producers, refiners, pipeline operators, terminals, and oil and natural gas service companies. One of TXOGA’s primary functions is to advocate for its members by engaging on issues that impact their operations from start to finish.
“If there is a regulatory agency that has changes to rules, implements laws or comes up with different policies, we follow those issues and ensure they’re fair,” Mamula said. “We’re the face of industry in various legislative, regulatory and public settings, and we make sure we have a seat at every table where conversations and decisions about the oil and natural gas industry are occurring.”
Proactively educating elected officials, public
According to Mamula, professional protesters funded to advance political agendas constantly spread misinformation about the oil and natural gas industry and its operations.
“In my job, you have to lean in and fiercely defend what is often fiercely attacked,” she said. “Our members count on me to do that. Pervasive misinformation by professional protest organizations confuses and scares the public. Proactively educating the public, elected officials and the media about oil and gas operations is essential so people and communities can form opinions and take action based on fact-based information.”
That is why the Statewide Joint Association Education Initiative, a collaborative public education program of nine Texas oil and natural gas organizations, is so important.
“TXOGA was a founding supporter of the Statewide Joint Association Education Initiative,” Mamula said. “Joint Association community educators inform local elected officials, school district superintendents, business leaders and individual citizens about the industry, its issues and its economic impact on the state. Our community educators engage in hundreds of one-on-one meetings, ongoing communication with community leaders, scores of speeches and panels, exclusive roundtable discussions and appearances in the press.
“This initiative is essential because public education can directly impact public policy. Because our community educators are on the ground every week in communities across the state, we hear about concerns and provide information and resources before those concerns become full-blown problems. It’s a proactive approach that’s been very successful. So successful, in fact, the Statewide Joint Association Education Initiative has been replicated in other states.”
Top priorities now, in the future
Current priorities for TXOGA include infrastructure issues like roads and water. Mamula said it is critical for the state to properly fund transportation and water infrastructure projects to allow the Texas economy to continue to grow.
“Texas voters recently approved a constitutional amendment to direct some of the severance taxes in the economic stabilization fund to the Texas Water Development Board to ensure we have a strong water infrastructure moving forward for the next 50 years,” she said.
Severance taxes paid by oil and natural gas operators constitute the vast majority of the funds in the so-called “Rainy Day Fund” in Texas.
“In November, there will be a similar proposal on the ballot that will allocate money for roads that would otherwise go into the Rainy Day Fund,” she said. “If it passes, and we hope it does, nearly half of the money that would go into the Rainy Day Fund could be considered for road infrastructure.
“Transportation infrastructure is central to the Texas economy and our state’s ability to compete, both domestically and internationally. As more and more people and businesses move to Texas, it’s imperative we fund transportation projects to support that growth and the commerce that comes with it.”
Industry growing by leaps and bounds
Mamula’s goal for TXOGA is to continue to provide the first-class advocacy the association has always offered for members while developing additional outreach mechanisms to expand its public education efforts.
“As the industry grows by leaps and bounds, our efforts to engage with and educate the public are expanding as well,” she said. “Oil and gas operators are extraordinary innovators that lead the industry in developing the technological advancements that are revolutionizing energy production around the world. Our members’ innovations have reduced our environmental footprint dramatically and constantly refine operations to enhance efficiency.”
In fact, Mamula observed, technology used in oil and natural gas production is evolving at a rapid pace most could not have imagined 10 years ago.
“It’s hard to say exactly what our industry will look like 10 years from now,” she said. “We do know oil and natural gas operators are enhancing production technologies every day that are decreasing the amount of water required and decreasing the surface area necessary for production. For example, when the geology allows for it, some oil and gas companies are using gels in hydraulic fracturing that can reduce water use by up to 40 percent.
“Ten years from now, we’ll marvel at what technology has made possible in all aspects of the oil and gas industry, from production fields to refineries and pipelines. Powered by innovation, ingenuity and abundant natural resources, oil and natural gas production is the reason the Texas economy is so strong. More specifically, advances in hydraulic fracturing are responsible for the incredible surge in production we’re seeing. Because of hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling, we can now economically reach vast oil and gas reserves that are pushing the U.S. to the top of the list of oil and natural gas producers in the world. The importance of Texas’ oil and gas industry to residents, businesses and communities can’t be overstated, and we repeat that message to lawmakers, the public and the media consistently.”
As of September 2013, if ranked as a nation, Texas would have been ninth in the world for oil production and third for natural gas production.
“Texas derives one-third of its economic might and 2.1 million jobs from the oil and gas industry,” Mamula said. “And during fiscal year 2013, the oil and natural gas industry paid $13.5 billion in state and local tax and royalties. The economic impact is extraordinary.
“The keys to continued success for the Texas oil and gas industry include sound state and local policy; smart, predictable regulations; and a rational tax structure. With these elements in place, oil and gas in Texas will stay on course to anchor the economy and cement our state’s place among global energy players.”
For more information, visit www.txoga.org or call (512) 478-6631.
