Mayor Lori Blong recollected her experience attending the Permian Basin Petroleum Association’s (PBPA) annual meeting on September 12.
Blong shared a Facebook post after the event in which she said it served as a powerful reminder of how much Midland and the broader Permian Basin contribute to Texas and the world at large.
According to the post, Blong mentioned that if the Permian Basin were its own nation, it would be considered the fourth largest oil-producing country, placing the region behind Russia.
The mayor said that production in the Permian Basin fuels economies elsewhere, thus making Texas the eighth largest economy in the world.
"The scale of our impact is impressive. I’m so proud of the way we continue to meet workforce needs and encourage growth in our industry," she said at the conclusion of the post.
According to PBPA’s website, the organization was founded in 1961 by a group of oilmen concerned about the federal government’s growing regulatory role. It began with fewer than twenty members and grew to more than 1,000 member companies at its peak. Based in Midland, PBPA has satellite offices in Austin and Santa Fe, New Mexico, touting itself as the leading advocate for the Permian Basin petroleum industry and is well known for being the oldest and most active trade association in the region.