1401 Commerce Dr.
Carlsbad, NM 88220
ConocoPhillips Supports Safer Communities in the Permian Basin
Emergency response workers in Texas’ remote Permian Basin — many of whom are volunteers — may have to travel up to an hour to reach an incident.
These first responders at times are working with limited infrastructure and resources. Increased activity from energy production and economic development in the region has increased traffic on area roads, adding to the challenge. One staggering statistic — only 2% of Texas’ population is in the Permian Basin, but 11% of traffic fatalities in the state occur on roads in the area.
With the 2021 acquisitions of Concho Resources and Shell’s Permian acreage, ConocoPhillips expanded its position in the Permian Basin. The company now holds approximately 1 million net acres across the Delaware and Midland Basins, making it one of the largest operators in the area.
“When we talked to a variety of stakeholders in the Permian Basin, one of the things we repeatedly heard was community safety is a primary concern. So, addressing that concern is one of our top priorities,” said Scott Kidwell, ConocoPhillips vice president, State Government Affairs, Stakeholder Relations, and Permian Surface.
One element of this commitment to improving community safety was partnering with the Permian Basin Regional Planning Commission (PBRPC) to fund a 10-year cell tower lease agreement project in Orla, Texas.
When dealing with life-and-death situations, the ability to communicate is critical. This tower connects multiple response agencies and allows them to better serve community members in their most vulnerable moments. The company provided $123,000 for constructing the tower, which supports the PBRPC’s 9-1-1 Emergency Department and brings radio operability to first responders in the rural Delaware Basin. People in the area can experience unreliable cellular connectivity, a challenge that may be amplified during emergencies.
“We take our role in the community very seriously,” said ConocoPhillips’ Delaware Basin Vice President Aaron Hunter. “We are grateful for the work local organizations do every day to address the specific needs of west Texas, southeast New Mexico, and the surrounding areas.”
Life-Saving Equipment
Accidents in rural areas can pose challenges and it’s vital that first responders have the best equipment to quickly address emergency situations. Beginning in 2019, ConocoPhillips actively partnered with the Permian Road Safety Coalition (PRSC) to provide funding for 15 fire departments in seven Permian Basin counties with life saving equipment. Due to the success of this program, the First Responder Life-Saving Initiative grew over the next several years. In 2020, ConocoPhillips again partnered with the Permian Strategic Partnership (PSP), PRSC, and industry peers to provide a $1.1 million donation to expand the program to provide life-saving equipment for first responders in 22 counties across west Texas and southeast New Mexico. Funds were used for emergency equipment such as battery-powered “jaws of life” to free people trapped in vehicles, fire extinguishers, mobile lighting tools, and rescue helicopter landing zone kits. First responders also received gloves, face shields, gas detection meters, and calibration tools. Each set of emergency response equipment is valued at approximately $20,000. In 2022, PSP invested an additional $3.2 million in another round of funding to provide even more equipment in the places that need it most.
To date, the program has assisted 82 departments in 27 counties, including 13 fire departments across Eddy and Lea County, totaling more than 7,000 pieces of lifesaving equipment.
The PSP is a coalition of energy companies working together to improve the quality of life in the region through education, road safety, healthcare, housing, and workforce development. ConocoPhillips has been involved with the PSP since its creation in 2018.
“Giving to rural first responders is important to us — they typically don’t receive a lot of funding but they’re responding to a lot of road accidents, helping people in critical situations. And in those moments, being able to communicate or having advanced equipment can literally mean the difference between life and death,” said ConocoPhillips’ Hal Mead, asset manager, Delaware Basin East.
Mental Health Services
Community safety can also be imperiled as a result of citizens experiencing mental health-related episodes. Since access to mental health care can often be challenging in rural areas, the PSP supported a $3 million healthcare initiative in 2021 with West Texas Counseling & Guidance to expand mental health services, with a focus on Lea and Eddy counties in southeast New Mexico and Howard County. In 2022, PSP continued to support expansion of mental health services with a $12.5 million donation to the Permian Basin Behavioral Health Center. When complete, the center will serve the entire Permian Basin with critical inpatient care, outpatient services, and professional offices.
“These partnerships not only expand access to mental health care, especially in our rural counties, but they also build a pipeline of home-grown providers, who will be more likely to stay in Permian Basin and serve our communities,” said Tracee Bentley, CEO of the PSP.
