The partnership of 17 energy companies, including Oklahoma City’s Devon Energy that pledged $100 million to help towns and residents in the Permian Basin of West Texas and New Mexico will be held by former U.S. Commerce Secretary Don Evans.
The Permian Strategic Partnership was formed late last year to help the towns in the basin who’s experienced workforce shortages and other issues as a result of the massive shale oil and gas boom.
Devon and the others including Schlumberger, Exxon Mobil and ConocoPhillips pledged the money for health care, education and housing. Many of the firms have large operations in Oklahoma including XTO Energy, Concho, ConocoPhillips, Cimarex and Halliburton.
Evans, who started his career working on a rig for Tom Brown Inc and eventually became its chief executive, served as commerce secretary during the administration of former President George W. Bush. He is a longtime resident of Midland, Texas, where the partnership will be based.
Restaurants, local governments and other employers in the area have come under pressure with staff leaving for oilfield jobs. Midland’s unemployment rate was 2.1 percent in October, compared to the nation’s 3.7 percent rate.
The last decade’s shale boom has led to school overcrowding, soaring traffic fatalities, drug abuse and strains on the power grid.
The Permian Strategic Partnership is an alliance of 19 energy companies located in the West Texas and Southeast New Mexico area.
Anadarko
Apache
BPX Energy
Chevron
Cimarex
Concho
ConocoPhillips
Devon
Diamondback
Encana
Endeavor
EOG Resources
Halliburton
Occidental
Parsley Energy
Pioneer Natural Resources
Schlumberger
Shell
XTO