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The Crude Life

The Crude Life

By: The Crude Life
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Episodes
  • Time To Toast & Celebrate World Shale Energy Day

    Time To Toast & Celebrate World Shale Energy Day
    Mar 11 2026
    Jason Spiess sat down with Joe Sinnott, former oil & gas engineering leader, current executive coach at Witting Partners, and host of the Energy Detox podcast. The discussion, recorded shortly before March 17, 2026, centered on World Shale Energy Day — an annual grassroots celebration held every March 17 to recognize the benefits of shale energy development and the people who make it possible. World Shale Energy Day commemorates the date of the first two commercial hydraulic fracturing (”fracking”) treatments performed by Halliburton on March 17, 1949 — one in Oklahoma and one in Texas. The initiative, organized through worldshaleenergyday.org and led by figures like Jim Scherrer, promotes education, awareness, and positive messaging about shale’s role in energy abundance, economic growth, cleaner air (via natural gas displacing coal), and modern life — all through a decentralized, volunteer-driven effort rather than a single large conference. Joe Sinnott helping energy professionals think and act more consciously. Sinnott moved from offshore work in the Gulf of Mexico (with Schlumberger in southern Louisiana) to the Appalachian Basin in 2008, just as the Marcellus Shale boom was beginning. He spent 11 years at EQT, witnessing the region’s transformation into one of the world’s most prolific natural gas producers. He emphasized the Appalachian Basin’s scale: if independent, it would rank among the top global natural gas producers, with vast reserves lying beneath areas like Pittsburgh — a unique situation for a major U.S. city. Both Sinnott and Spiess reflected on shale’s transformative effects. Spiess shared his experiences embedded in North Dakota’s Bakken during its boom, highlighting how fossil fuels support essential services, agriculture, and daily life — even in extreme cold. Sinnott pointed to Pennsylvania’s shift from coal to natural gas for electricity generation (now ~60% gas-fired), resulting in cleaner air and lower emissions. He noted that public favorability for fracking in Pennsylvania has trended net positive, especially when people see direct benefits in jobs, lower energy bills, and environmental improvements. The conversation touched on several challenges within the industry revolving around communication and industry headwinds: pipeline constraints limiting Appalachian growth, political polarization, and historical negative portrayals in media and entertainment. Social Media images like this can be found at World Shale Energy Day’s website. Spiess described how terms like “energy” replaced “oil and gas” amid rising criticism, only for some companies to later pivot to “carbon management.” Sinnott advocated for authentic, non-defensive communication: acknowledge trade-offs upfront, avoid scripted talking points, and use humility and humor to engage skeptics — especially in casual settings like St. Patrick’s Day gatherings. He stressed that acknowledging elephants in the room builds credibility and opens real dialogue. Both praised the TV series Landman (starring Billy Bob Thornton) for sparking mainstream conversations about the industry. Spiess argued it has done more for public awareness than many corporate PR efforts, even if imperfect. Sinnott agreed it’s a net positive: the show prompts questions, and honest answers can reveal facts about responsible operations and safety. Sinnott has promoted the day for years through his podcast (including past giveaways blending St. Patrick’s and shale themes) and encouraged simple actions: one social media post, a toast, or sharing facts. Spiess urged supply-chain businesses — even cafes serving oilfield workers — to participate with a single acknowledgment. The day offers a cohesive, nonpartisan opportunity to highlight shale’s role in energy security, prosperity, and environmental gains (e.g., natural gas enabling lower emissions). Spiess shared how his work in oil and gas reinforced personal ethics and authenticity, refusing to “hide” support for the industry even when it carried social costs. Sinnott reinforced conscious leadership: be aware, intentional, and willing to challenge unconscious “rules” that limit honest engagement. He closed by tying green (St. Patrick’s color) to shale’s environmental benefits — cleaner air and reduced coal reliance — making March 17 a natural dual celebration. The interview blended personal stories, industry history, and practical advice for advocacy. With World Shale Energy Day approaching, March 17, 2026, Spiess and Sinnott encouraged straightforward actions: post online, share facts, raise a glass, and educate one conversation at a time. Resources are available at worldshaleenergyday.org, including books, logos, and event ideas. A grassroots reminder amid a noisy world: sometimes one day — and one honest conversation — can highlight the energy that powers everything else. For more information on World ...
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    1 hr and 14 mins
  • Celebrating Women In Energy: Texas Railroad Commissioner Christi Craddick

    Celebrating Women In Energy: Texas Railroad Commissioner Christi Craddick
    Mar 10 2026
    Every March since 1987, Congress and U.S. Presidents have designated March as Women’s History Month. This year, The Crude Life celebrates and honors their accomplishments and contributions in history with interviews and stories that center around women’s experiences in industry. The Crude Life believes woman are vital in energy. Today more than ever. From a female’s point of view to intuition to specific skill sets, woman are vital in energy. Today’s women in industry are not only modern-day leaders, but truly are defining history as well. Everyone at The Crude Life is grateful for all your contributions to industry, to your communities and to our planet. Commissioner Christi Craddick is one of three commissioners at the Texas Railroad Commission, and she is also the longest serving of the three to this elected position. We were lucky enough to get some time with Commissioner Craddick to recap the last year and catch a glimpse of what she anticipates to come. –We begin with Chairman Craddick breaking down a little bit of history and information about the Texas Railroad Commission. They are the oldest oil and gas regulators in the world, and they’re based in Texas. They focus on pipelines and pipeline safety, and there are roughly 470,000 miles of interstate and intrastate lines in Texas and roughly another 500,000 miles of gas utilities lines in Texas to maintain. They also do coal, coal mines, lignite mines, and uranium mines; so, needless to say, it’s a big job to maintain safety. They also regulate carbon capturing in Texas oil fields. Production wise, about a 3rd of the country’s oil and a 4th of the country’s gas is coming out of Texas. “I think we’ve got one of the best agencies in the entire state, and frankly probably [one of] the best agencies is the entire country when you talk about oil and gas regulations.” – Commissioner Christi Craddick – To prevent waste and to protect the environment are the top two priorities of the agency. Commissioner Craddick talks about the idea that having rules and regulations is one of the best ways to make sure that the practices in the field maintain the safety practices. There are about 150 inspectors for the oil and gas division, approximately 30 people inspecting the coal and coal mines, and around 70 inspectors in the pipeline division and they’re out in the field everyday to help make sure everyone is in compliance with the rules and regulations. The idea isn’t to over-regulate, though; once something is found not in compliance, there is an opportunity to fix the issue before fines and penalties are given. There’s also a great many resources found on the website so that everyone has an opportunity to be in compliance. Everyone does get opportunities to operate within the rules and regulations; but if there’s a refusal to play by the rules, the Texas Railroad Commission will shut the operation down. – Next we discuss the impacts of climate activism on the Texas oil and gas industry and how it has put a spotlight on flaring in Texas. This has been an on-going challenge that will hopefully continue to see progression. A goal is to build the infrastructure so that flaring won’t be necessary.There is also a desire to update the systems and upgrade the data that is gathered in the field. “There is no magic answer” as Commissioner Craddick says, but the industry is changing and progressing and there will most likely continue to be an on-going conversation on how to work with companies to implement the best practices. “Flaring is a priority to find out how we do it better and how we do a lot less of it in this state. We’ve talked about it a lot in the last 18 months in Texas.” – Commissioner Craddick – After going from all-time highs in 2019, then there was the trade dispute in the Middle East and Covid. So, mid-March 2020, there was talk about the possibility of prorationing for the first time since the 1970s. What this would do is nix the free market and make it mandatory for businesses to only produce what was “rationed” to them by the Commission. But the demand had dropped by nearly 100 million barrels per day on top of the closures due to Covid. The conversation went on for roughly two months, and there was an 11 hour hearing last April while people around the world waited to find out what the decision was. Ultimately, the decision was not to proration and to trust in the free market to even itself out. “We are glad we’re past that conversation today and instead have tried to use other rules and waivers that we’ve been allowed to look at as an agency to try to keep this industry alive during this short period…” – Commission Craddick – Although we most likely will not see the conversation about prorationing come back, there are other obstacles Commissioner Craddick is looking at having to overcome in the next few months. The Paris Climate Accord, the possibility of shutting ...
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    33 mins
  • Celebrating Women In Energy: Alma Cook, Cook Compliance Solutions

    Celebrating Women In Energy: Alma Cook, Cook Compliance Solutions
    Mar 7 2026
    Every March since 1987, Congress and U.S. Presidents have designated March as Women’s History Month. This year, The Crude Life celebrates and honors their accomplishments and contributions in history with interviews and stories that center around women’s experiences in industry. The Crude Life believes woman are vital in energy. Today more than ever. From a female’s point of view to intuition to specific skill sets, woman are vital in energy.Today’s women in industry are not only modern-day leaders, but truly are defining history as well.Everyone at The Crude Life is grateful for all your contributions to industry, to your communities and to our planet.Here is a fantastic interview with Alma Cook, Cook Compliance Solutions In the interview, she dives into the interview right away about how the industry still has silos and what they look like from an outside perspective. The Play Hard Work Hard Morning Show also talks about how Alma, a female environmentally minded professional gravitated to industry. She explains how her brother in Thailand was the catalyst for her journey in oil and gas. Midland Mayor Patrick Payton’s work on the industry’s image is discussed in detail. Alma, who is also a member of the Permian Basin Pipeliners Association, shares some stories about her interaction with the Mayor and work in the Permian. Ashley Smith from Trucker’s Against Trafficking is also mentioned for her work with the creating awareness in regards to Sex Trafficking. Alma Cook is an entrepreneur, singer-songwriter and compliance officer in the oil and gas industry. Alma also opines about how the industry needs to do more than sponsor events. They need to engage with people outside the industry. Climate Tax, oil’s image, ESG, safety and compliance are also topics discussed in the interview. Alma Lynn Cook is an American singer-songwriter and spoken word artist professionally known as Alma Cook. Her debut album Pass It On was released in 2012, and her single “For a Poet” and full-length project Tactics followed in 2014. Cook grew up in Madison, Wisconsin, and attended Columbia College in Chicago. After college, she began playing at various clubs and festivals across the United States, opening for acts including contemporary gospel musician Jonathan McReynolds and Christian rapper George Moss. Cook released an EP titled Pass It On in September 2012, followed by the single “For a Poet,” which charted at No. 2 on Rádio Nova Portugal in December 2014. She later released the full-length album Tactics, produced by bassist Chris Thigpen, whose father Cornell Thigpen (Mary J. Blige, Chaka Kahn, Stevie Nicks, and Patti LaBelle) played organ on the song “Hotshot.” An album review by The Phantom Tollbooth magazine said of Cook’s performance on Tactics, “Alma has the vocal innocence of Amber Rubarth combined with vocal qualities rivaling Denise Donatelli.” As of 2021, Cook was a podcast host and co-director of cultural engagement for Braver Angels, an American nonprofit focused on political depolarization. She was noted by Forbes as a conservative. In addition to her work as a musician, Cook owns an oil and gas compliance company, Cook Compliance Solutions, based in Williston, North Dakota with a satellite office in Houston, TX. The business works with oilfield service providers looking to obtain the right safety certifications, insurance and other measures needed to contract under larger oil companies. If anyone would like to schedule an interview, meeting or news tip email studio@thecrudelife.com Industrial Integrity and Energy Ethics are the new entry level expectations in oil and gas, and The Crude Life continues to create original Local, Boots-On-The-Ground Journalism while showcasing other environmentally conscious companies. Communication is vital in today’s energy extraction and empowerment. About The Crude Life The Crude Life produces original content that focuses on industry, the people, energy innovations, community building and it’s proactive culture. Our custom content is non-polarizing, trusted and often news making. The Crude Life promotes a culture of inclusion and respect through interviews, content creation, live events and partnerships that educate, enrich, and empower people to create a positive social environment for all, regardless of age, race, religion, sexual orientation, or physical or intellectual ability. Part of our mission is to enable people, companies and communities to affect change, demonstrate their transformative actions and drive energy awareness through storytelling and access to resources. Sponsors, Music and Other Show Notes Studio Sponsor: The Industrial Forest The Industrial Forest is a network of environmentally minded and socially conscious businesses that are using industrial innovations to build a network of sustainable forests across the United States. Click here for the website Weekly Sponsor: KBL Complete Services...
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    Less than 1 minute
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