All-Convention Luncheon Welcomes Barton

Energy Plan Advocate to Speak

DPA and SIPES: Heritage of the Petroleum Geologist

Division Luncheons

Barton Has Friends In High Places

Unlike Garth Brooks, who brags in his country music song that he has friends in low places, Michel T. Halbouty doesn't brag but has a lot of friends in high places.

Halbouty's friends include Texas U.S. Rep. Joe Barton, who will speak at the All-Convention Luncheon at the AAPG Annual Meeting in Houston.

Legendary geologist Halbouty told the EXPLORER the story of their friendship.

"In 1981, I was a commissioner for the White House Fellows and had the opportunity to meet Joe Barton, who was one of the finalists in the WHF program," Halbouty said. "He was subsequently selected as a Fellow, and as required by the program he served as an aide in the U.S. Department of Energy. Later, Joe became associated with Atlantic Richfield Co. in Dallas.

"During this time, we became close friends and have maintained that relationship through the years," Halbouty said.

"Phil Gramm was the congressman from the 6th District of Texas, and he resigned to run for the U.S. Senate. At that time, Joe decided to run for Congress from that district and he asked me to serve as his campaign manager. I agreed.

"The election was a very close one," Halbouty continued. The initial vote count reflected that Joe had lost by nine votes. We requested a recount and the final count showed that Barton had won by 10 votes!"

Since then, Barton has been re-elected eight times and is serving his 17th year in the Congress.

-- Larry Nation

A leader in the U.S. congressional effort to pass a comprehensive national energy policy will speak to geologists at the AAPG Annual Meeting to be held March 10-13 in Houston.

Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, who has committed himself to passing legislation promoting an environment of high supply, low demand and consumer-friendly prices, will speak at the All-Convention Luncheon at 11:30 a.m. Monday, March 11, in the George Bush Grand Ballroom at the George R. Brown Convention Center.

"It is of the utmost importance that we continue to expand and improve upon our energy policy, and this process would not be comprehensive without thoroughly exploring the availability and quality of our domestic natural resources," Barton told the EXPLORER.

"As demand continues to increase, we must increase our supply utilizing the most efficient methods and available resources."

General Chairman Jeff Lund called Barton "a strong advocate of increasing U.S. energy supply to promote energy independence.

"He is thoroughly familiar with our industry," Lund said, "is an excellent public speaker and is one of the prime drivers behind the Bush Administration energy policy."

Barton currently serves as chairman of the House Subcommittee on Energy & Air Quality of the House Committee on Energy & Commerce, the House Science Committee and is a member of the House Republican Steering Committee, a council that sets strategy for House Republicans.

He is the author of the first comprehensive energy policy legislation to pass a House Committee in almost a decade -- the Energy Advancement and Conservation Act.

Barton has represented Texas' 6th District since 1984, which includes Fort Worth, Arlington and the Northeast Tarrant County area, as well as outlying Metroplex cities and constituents in Ellis, Dallas, Parker and Johnson counties.

Barton, 52, is a native of Waco, Texas, and earned a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering from Texas A&M University and a master's from Purdue University. After graduation, he joined Ennis Business Forms in Ennis, Texas, where he rose to the position of assistant to the vice president.

In 1981, he was selected for the prestigious White House Fellows Program and served as an aide to then-Department of Energy Secretary James B. Edwards. In 1982 he returned to Texas as a natural gas decontrol consultant for Atlantic Richfield, before being elected to Congress.

Tickets remaining for the luncheon will be available for sale at the registration desk at the Houston meeting.