Webinar Briefing: Charting the Course – Reducing GHG Emissions from the U.S. Natural Gas Supply Chain, a report of the National Petroleum Council

Missed the webinar on May 2 or caught it but want to reference back? Watch a recording of the webinar here. 

Natural gas is the largest primary energy produced in the United States and its use is growing. Yet getting this gas to homes and businesses creates greenhouse gas emissions. That’s why reducing emissions from America’s natural gas is an urgent priority that requires collaborative solutions.  

The National Petroleum Council brought together a diverse group of stakeholders with the expertise to analyze this complex issue and identify ways to reduce natural gas GHG emissions for all future supply and demand scenarios. This included four workshops with small producers held in different basins across the U.S. The result: actionable consensus on recommendations to help the US gas supply chain deliver lower-emission natural gas, including specific recommendations to support smaller operators in their emissions reduction efforts.    

This webinar briefing tailored to independent oil and natural gas producers will discuss the recommendations from the NPC report. Jim Slutz, Director of Study Operations for the NPC will open the briefing with an overview of the report and the process that went into it. IPAA Chairman Steve Pruett (President & CEO of Elevation Resources) will provide a small producer perspective and highlight the NPC workshops that were held across the country to hear from producers. John Dabbar, Study Lead and Managing Director – Low Carbon Technologies, ConocoPhillips will then go over the recommendations in the report and answer your questions. 

The link to the report will be sent to registrants when it is made public on April 23rd.  On that date, the NPC will submit a final report to Department of Energy Secretary Granholm. You can view Sec. Granholm’s April 2022 request for the study here. ConocoPhillips President & CEO Ryan Lance and John Dabbar shared initial study findings at the NPC meeting in December – you can view their slide deck here.  

Speakers:  

Jim Slutz, Director of Study Operations, National Petroleum Council 

Steven H. Pruett, IPAA Chairman and President and CEO, Elevation Resources 

John D. Dabbar, Study Lead and Managing Director – Low Carbon Technologies, ConocoPhillips

Jim Slutz  

Jim Slutz is the Director of Study Operations for the National Petroleum Council (NPC), an independent federal advisory committee to the United States, reporting to the Secretary of Energy.  Prior to NPC, Jim led a global energy consulting practice with projects in North America, Asia, and Europe.  Previously, Mr. Slutz served as Acting Assistant Secretary of Fossil Energy at the United States Department of Energy (DOE) and before that as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Oil and Natural Gas. 

Prior to joining DOE, Jim served as the Indiana Oil and Gas Director, regulating the State’s upstream oil and gas industry and natural gas storage wells.  He is a former Vice-Chair of the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission.  Mr. Slutz holds an MBA degree from The Ohio State University, Fisher College of Business, and a B.S. degree from The Ohio State University, School of Natural Resources. 

Jim serves as an advisor to the National Bureau of Asia Research and is a Board Member of the local chapter of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE).  Jim previously served as chair of the Committee on Earth Resources and as a member of the Board of Earth Sciences and Resources of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine NASEM). He is currently a member of the NASEM Planning Committee on Practices and Standards for Plugging Orphaned and Abandoned Hydrocarbon Wells. Jim has published papers in collaboration with the American Enterprise Institute, The East West Center, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, and the National Bureau of Asia Research. 

Steve Pruett 

Steven H. Pruett is Chairman of the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) and the President and Chief Executive Officer of Elevation Resources LLC, a Permian Basin focused exploration and production company which he co-founded in 2013. Mr. Pruett was previously Senior Vice President of Corporate Development of Concho Resources over 2012-13. He co-founded and served as President and CFO of Legacy Reserves LP, a public upstream MLP from 2006-2012. Mr. Pruett has 38 years of oil and gas operating, financial and management experience. Prior to forming Legacy Reserves, Mr. Pruett was a Venture Partner with Quantum Energy Partners, was President of Petroleum Place and P2 Energy Solutions. He previously served as President and CEO of First Permian and First Reserve Oil & Gas Co, both oil and gas operators. He served as Vice President of First Reserve Corporation originating upstream equity investments. He was an energy investment banker with CS First Boston. Mr. Pruett worked in planning and economics for Amoco and began his career as a petroleum engineer for ARCO where he earned his registered professional engineer certificate. Mr. Pruett received his B.S in Petroleum Engineering, High Honors, from the University of Texas at Austin and graduated with an MBA from the Harvard Business School where he was a Baker Scholar. 

Pruett is a past chairman of the Permian Basin Petroleum Association where he serves on the Finance Committee, serves on the Board of Governors of Midland Memorial Hospital Foundation where he chairs the Investment Committee. He serves on the advisory board of the College of Business at The University of Texas Permian Basin, and is a Director of the Trinity School Endowment Corporation. Mr. Pruett serves on the boards of The Henry Foundation and the Springboard Center of Midland. 

John Dabbar 

John Dabbar is managing director, Low Carbon Technologies for ConocoPhillips. The Low Carbon Technologies group evaluates opportunities and technologies that can closely integrate with the company’s global operations, markets and competencies. The team is focused on a range of options from emissions reduction solutions for existing operations and developing an offset strategy, to assessing renewable and battery storage as well as considering emerging opportunities including carbon capture utilization and storage and the hydrogen economy. 

Previously, Dabbar was vice president of Federal and State Government Affairs. In this role, he managed the company’s interaction with U.S. federal, state and local government officials and regulatory agencies, both directly and via the company’s advocacy through major trade associations. He also led the public policy function, evaluating and implementing current and future executive and board-level approvals for the company’s policy in environmental, social and governance (ESG) matters. 

In previous positions, Dabbar led the Global Marine organization, with accountability for worldwide marine operations in support of offshore drilling, projects and production, as well as the company’s U.S. flag tanker company. He worked in the former Soviet Union for 15 years, developing upstream projects and managing joint venture activities in Russia, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. He also previously managed operations at Four Corners Pipeline Company, a subsidiary of ARCO. 

Dabbar sailed as an engineer on many types of commercial vessels and was a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy Reserve. Holding a Marine Engineering degree from the Maritime College in New York City, with graduate studies in Electrical Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a Master of Business Administration from St. Mary’s College, he has 39 years of experience in energy-related leadership, projects and operations.