Colorado’s oil and gas industry turned out in force to celebrate its employees, economic contributions to the state
The oil and gas industry threw a public rally on the steps of the Colorado Capitol Thursday at lunchtime that lived up to its advance billing as a celebration of the Colorado oil and gas industry and the people who make it work.
The crowd at Denver’s “Energy Proud” pro-oil and gas rally on the steps of the Colorado Capital was estimated to be approximately 2,500 – 3,000.
Populated in large part by Colorado energy company employees, about 70% of the crowd showed up at the capitol wearing gray tee shirts that featured the name of the rally, Energy Proud, on the front, and listed the top 10 reasons to love oil and gas on the back of the shirt.
Estimates from the rally put the size of the crowd somewhere between 2,500 and 3,000.
Sarah Sandberg, senior director of communications and public affairs for DCP Midstream, brought her puppy, Gumbo, to the Energy Proud rally at the Colorado State Capitol.
Local oil and gas companies turn out
Employees from many of Denver’s well known oil and gas companies came out for the rally. Oil & Gas 360® spoke to employees from DCP Midstream (ticker: DCP), Liberty Oilfield Services (ticker: LBRT), Anadarko Petroleum (ticker: APC), Whiting Petroleum (ticker: WLL), High Point Resources (ticker: HPR), EOG Resources (ticker: EOG), Bonanza Creek Energy (ticker: BCEI), PDC Energy (ticker: PDCE), Extraction Oil & Gas (ticker: XOG), Encana Corporation (ticker: ECA) and the American Petroleum Institute.
Sarah Sandberg, senior director of communications and public affairs for DCP Midstream, brought her puppy, “Gumbo,” to the rally.
PetroShare Corp. CEO Steve Foley spoke at Thursday’s Energy Proud rally (top of photo).
Liberty Oilfield Services CEO Chris Wright led off the Energy Proud speakers at the Colorado Capitol Aug. 2, 2018
A live band entertained the arriving throng with country music in advance of Liberty Oilfield Services CEO Chris Wright taking the podium. Wright gave a meaningful talk that itemized how the discovery, development and refining of oil has literally changed the world by causing the cessation of the practice of harvesting whales for lamp oil, putting an end to much of the world’s severe poverty, reducing respiration diseases and making today’s modern lifestyle possible via the advent of products like the smartphone.
Late in his talk, Wright referenced how some groups are actively trying to stop oil and gas development in Colorado, but that the industry—gesturing to all the people in the crowd—represented more than 230,000 jobs and $32 billion to the state’s economy.
Other speakers at the rally included former United States Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton, PetroShare Corp. (ticker: PRHR) CEO Steve Foley, Ned Breslin, CEO, Tennyson Center for Children, and Colorado Rep. James Coleman, VP Community Engagement, ACE Scholarships, CO HD – 7.
Standing behind Liberty Oilfield Services CEO Chris Wright, other Energy Proud rally speakers included (left to right) Ned Breslin, CEO, Tennyson Center for Children, former United States Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton and Colorado Rep. James Coleman, VP Community Engagement, ACE Scholarships, CO HD – 7.
