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Jordan Soto, Hart Energy Staff: It’s all about the celebration of Hart Energy's 50th year and the hall of famers and ACEs in the energy industry. One of those halls of famers with us right now, Dick Stoneburner, co-founder of Petrohawk Energy. What's a major energy sector moment or event that had a huge impact on you?

Dick Stoneburner, co-founder, Petrohawk Energy: Well, you might expect that, I would say it was the shale revolution or some event that really drove my success in the near term, which was in the last 10 or 15 years. But as I think about it, I would say 1985, 1986. A lot of us that are “hall of famers” are kind of gray haired and long in the tooth, and we've seen a lot in the industry.

And 1985 and 1986 were the worst times ever in the industry. If you didn't experience them, I wouldn't recommend it. But the point I'm trying to make is that it was a point in my career where I lost my job. I had to fend for myself. I gained skill sets that I didn't know that I had. I was able to stay in the industry, stay involved, stay relevant and all of that experience I gained going through those really hard times when I was on my back and the whole industry was on its back, I think set me up for success when the industry turned and I had the opportunity to provide leadership in an organization like Petrohawk and have that breadth of experience that I gained through the really hard times.

JS: Resilience has been a through line, I think with not only the industry, but those involved in the industry.

DS: No doubt. If you're not resilient, if you're not persistent, if you don't persevere, you're not going to stay. And a lot of people unfortunately, either couldn't or wouldn't make that path to try and make it through. Fortunately, by the grace of God or my good luck, whatever it was I was able to do so.

JS: When we're talking about resilience and some of those factors that play a key role in the industry and of the people in the industry, what's the enduring legacy of the honorees and the hall of famers of Hart Energy?

DS: Well, I think I already stole my thunder by saying perseverance and persistence. And you could throw resilience in there. When I look at my peers in this honoree class, I look at Joe Foster, I look at Harold Hamm, I look at Floyd Wilson. I look at all the other people that either I had associations with or I was familiar with and I think persistence, perseverance, just refusal to give up, insistence on making it better. This industry is remarkable and probably not unlike any other, but I think pretty close to it in the sense that we constantly improve. We take technology, we take our knowledge of science and engineering and we make it better. And I'm so proud of all the people in this room that have taken that knowledge and that science and that technology and made the industry what it is today.

JS: And they will just continue doing so and moving the world ahead with it.

DS: And we don't know what's going to happen next year or 10 years from now. It'll be a different industry. And that's what I love about it. And I would speak to those that are in the industry and just getting started. It's going to change and change with it and persevere with it and do all the things that you can make it better, even though the industry is always changing.

JS: Absolutely. I couldn't have said it better. Thank you so much for your time. This is Hart Energy LIVE's 50th anniversary and Hall of Fame celebration.

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