May 25, 2022
KENEDY – In honor of the 10th anniversary of its establishment, the South Texas Energy and Economic Roundtable (STEER) today hosted a 10-Year Tribute Luncheon to look back on the past decade of environmental, economic, operational and community benefits in the South Texas region from a robust oil and natural gas sector.
In opening remarks at the event, Todd Staples, president of the Texas Oil & Gas Association, said, “Energy is the cornerstone of security and prosperity, and the Eagle Ford Shale in South Texas has and will continue to play a vital role in providing the oil and natural gas required to meet growing energy demand for Texans, Americans and our allies abroad.”
“Locally, oil and natural gas jobs, increased local tax revenue and associated economic development have been a tremendous boost for communities across this region,” Staples said.
Featured speakers and panelists included Omar Garcia, chief external affairs officer for the Port of Corpus Christi, Adrian Lopez, chief executive officer at Workforce Solutions Alamo, Al Arreola, president and chief executive officer at South Texas Business Partnership, and Silver Vasquez, principal at Quatro Strategic Solutions and interim executive director of STEER.
Speakers and panelists discussed the many economic and community benefits made possible by robust oil and natural gas industry activity in the South Texas and Eagle Ford Shale area. For example, independent school districts in the Eagle Ford received $453.3 million dollars in oil and natural gas property taxes in fiscal year 2021 alone, and Eagle Ford-area counties received $158.5 million in oil and natural gas property taxes in 2021.
“Oil and natural gas activity in the Eagle Ford Shale transformed the South Texas economy,” said Omar Garcia, chief external affairs officer for the Port of Corpus Christi and formerly STEER’s founding CEO. “Our region is fortunate to have such valuable natural resources under our feet and robust energy and transportation infrastructure, anchored by the dedicated men and women of this industry, to meet our state and nation’s energy needs today and into the future.”
Today’s luncheon was sponsored by Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Devon Energy, Energy Transfer, Ovintiv, Pioneer Natural Resources, Port of Corpus Christi, Valero, and Workforce Education Solutions – National University System.
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STEER is the leading Eagle Ford Shale resource in the region and is the primary coordinator for communication and public advocacy surrounding the oil and natural gas industry in South Texas. STEER serves as the bridge connecting the industry and communities throughout South Texas to ensure positive collaboration and communication surrounding the activities associated with energy production in the Eagle Ford Shale and Rio Grande Valley. In 2018, the boards of STEER and TXOGA approved the merger of STEER into TXOGA. The merger was finalized on January 1, 2020.
