PEOPLE
JASON WATERS
In West Texas, where Jason Waters of W&W Energy (a Petrofac company) is based, Covid-19 is a sideshow compared to the devastating effect of the oil price crash that had already begun before the virus took hold. Lockdown has been effectively over since the start of May. The repercussions of already low oil prices, exacerbated by the lockdown-induced global recession, will be much longer lasting.
What’s the most positive thing that has come out of your lockdown experience: for you personally, for your local community, for your working life?
As a family man, a large part of my life has been my wife and I running our kids to and from their sports, dance and music activities out of school. It’s been nice to slow down and spend quality time with just us and our children. I have 10-year-old Walker, 9-year-old Willow and 5-year-old Winter – I like Ws!
Living in a boomtown in West Texas is probably a unique experience for many people unfamiliar with the region. For many communities here it has been a welcome sight to see less of everything. The infrastructure of our community has been stressed to critical levels with the influx of people. Although it is bad for our industry, it will give our community time to catch up on much needed projects to accommodate for future oil and gas expansion.
In Texas and New Mexico, oil and gas has been deemed essential so the working environment that I have been in has changed very little, other than the number of job losses caused by the downturn.
Is there anything you unexpectedly miss from pre-lockdown life? And anything you thought you’d miss but actually don’t at all?
Surprisingly enough there is nothing I can think of that I miss pre-lockdown. I thought I would miss going out to eat or being out with friends for drinks, but I haven’t missed that whatsoever. Restaurants have been open for the last three weeks here, but I’ve been out for a meal just once in that time – I used to go maybe three times a week.
What one lesson/change will you take from this experience that will change you as a person – and change the way you think about and do your work?
I believe a good lesson learned is that slowing down a bit in life can be very valuable for you and your family. I don’t believe I have changed at all. Throughout life you go through many difficult things and you should remain yourself.
Have you felt supported by your colleagues and by your local community? How have you supported others?
I have been supported and I have supported. The virus has affected us most by drastically reducing the price of WTI (West Texas Intermediate, a grade of crude oil used as a benchmark in oil pricing), which is our bloodline as a community. Having a bust in oil is what brings us together as a community more than anything because everyone in this community is in the oil business. Whether you serve drinks on the golf course or you build pipelines, we are all in the oilfield, so we all feel that pain together.
What personal qualities have you found most helpful in getting through these times – and helping others do the same? How will you use those qualities more in your job from now on?
The willingness to reach out to your employees and support them has been something very satisfying to me. I have also seen others do the same. I hope we will continue to move forward in this way. You have to get creative to survive this – I’m looking at new markets right now we can look at.
What’s inspired you most over the last few weeks – one piece of music, one book or film, or one person perhaps?
My kids: they inspire me to go out there and do the best I can do in this environment. They are always positive and make my day. I’ve got to put food on the table, and for the other guys who work for me, that’s what we do it for.
“The willingness to reach out to your employees and support them has been something very satisfying to me. I have also seen others do the same.”
WORDS RICHARD LOMAX
PUBLISHED MAY 2020
