There are millions of reasons I love oil and gas. I had a fascinating Skype video call with a young man in Algeria yesterday who helped me add to the list.
He is 23 years old and graduated university a month ago with a Masters Degree in Reservoir Engineering. We talked at length about what it’s like trying to get work in an National Oil Company (NOC) environment vs. the free market environment of America.
He told me everyone in Algeria dreams of getting out of Algeria.
We also talked about social media adoption in the country — 99% Facebook. Ha!
Why I LOVE Oil and Gas in America
Entrepreneurship in Algeria is still in its infancy. It was fascinating to realize how easy we have it in America. I’ve known that we are the only country in the world whose citizens own its minerals for years, but I’ve never seen firsthand how much that affects a country’s entire economy.
It’s not illegal to start an oil business in Algeria; it’s just a suicide mission, metaphorically speaking. Because you can only start a services company. That service company would have to displace relationships with Halliburton and Schlumberger, which have possibly been in place since the country started producing oil.
In America, anyone-including a kid who grew up in Lansing, Michigan knowing nothing about the oil industry can start a business in the most lucrative industry on earth and succeed. In Algeria, the best you can hope for is a job with a National Oil Company, or an international work Visa.
There are no small independent operators. There are no royalty owners. And there is no way for the great wealth produced in that country to make its way into the hands of the people, except through government spending.
The stark and biting reality of living in a country whose government is the sole beneficiary of its greatest wealth had never felt so visceral.
Where Do You Go From Here?
Of course, I spent a fair amount of time breaking down personal branding to him. I encouraged him to start blogging about his journey in the industry so he could build an audience and attract potential employers. Possibly even monetize his own passion eventually.
I concluded the call telling him about a handful of links I am sending him. Naturally, Mr. Jim Rohn’s “Challenge to Succeed” holds pride of place at the top of that list.
I hope he follows through. I hope he continues his education far beyond the classroom. And I hope he one day achieves the dreams he shared with me.
As we were wrapping up the call, he said, “Thank you, Mr. James, for your time. This has been a great call. It could change my life.”
Thank you, friend. You already changed mine! I love oil and gas!!
