When Roe Patterson began thinking about documenting a slice of his father’s (Glenn Patterson) legacy, he knew it would be something more than a traditional father-son homage.
“My dad was kind of a pioneer in the oil and gas industry. He built a drilling company back in the late 70’s starting with one rig,” Patterson said. “Today that company has almost 300 rigs and is worth over $4 billion in market cap.”
Glenn Patterson is considered by many, if not most, one of the titans in energy. He is one of the founders of Patterson-UTI Energy and his one rig-to-riches story is often talked about by many aspiring entrepreneurs and energy enthusiasts. He passed away in 2015 at the age of 68.
“I found the book therapeutic, a lot of tears,” Patterson said. “I lost dad in 2015 to Alzheimer’s after a nine year battle, I miss him greatly running a company today.”
Roe continued lamenting about his father and how he mentored him in life and business.
“I wish I had his ear and his advice. He always had such good advice and kept you grounded and back to your roots of doing what is right and making sure that is first and foremost the thought in your process,” Patterson recalls. “When dad faced an obstacle he just pursued it with an unbelievable amount of passion and hard work. Never giving up on his principals or his values of doing the right thing, he would just grind it out until he succeeded.”
The book Crude Blessings is summarized as a “compelling narrative about a family patriarch who embodied the best qualities of the Greatest Generation, which inspired and powered the success of America.”
Roe believes his father’s story is being shared at the right time in our nation’s history. An increased polarization in society is creating new friction in so many areas of life.
“This mantra of always doing the right thing is a little bit lost in today’s society,” Patterson said. “I don’t hear as much of that integrity and morality talk that I used to hear when I was growing up.”
Stories about treating people with respect and using the Golden Rule as a basic guideline appear to be missing from today’s conversation. Crude Blessings is one way Patterson can tell his father’s ethical anecdotes.
“If you can treat people ethically at work and you can do that in your business, than you know it will follow you into your personal life too,” Patterson said. “You hear about the cutthroat, edgy business practices out there and not a lot of comradery or what good for everyone.”
Another inspiration and motivation behind Crude Blessings was Roe’s children. The book became another way for Glenn’s legacy to be told and add layers of context.
“Dad’s life was full of trials and tribulations. For all the success, there was lots of hurdles and failures too,” Patterson said. “You probably learn more from the failures than anything else.”
Channeling his father’s actions through words, Roe shares a short story about his father’s competitive behavior in oil and gas.
“It didn’t matter if dad was dealing with customers, vendors or competitors or his employees who were so important to him, he treated them all the same way,” Roe said. “I remember one of my dad’s competitors showing up in his yard needing a vital piece of equipment and was in a huge bind. The vendors were out and he knew my dad had an extra piece and my dad loaned it to him without thinking twice. Here’s a competitor and my dad just gave it to him to use.”
Those are the types of stories Roe wanted his children, and others, to know.
Roe then transitioned into one of the tough topics of the book is Roe’s remembrance of his father’s faith.
“For my dad, faith was a tough thing. He didn’t come to faith until the end of his life,” Patterson said.
Patterson explained further how his fight with Alzheimer’s became his path towards finding a relationship with God.
“It shouldn’t take a disease to break you down, you should want to find your faith and relationship with God earlier than that. It did for dad,” Patterson said.
Patterson added many industries look away from discussions of faith, however, he believes it is so prevalent and accepted in the oil and gas industry, his father’s path will resonate throughout.
“But there were a lot of laughs too while putting the book together,” Patterson said.
In the end, Roe hopes people understand this is a book about business. It is a book about life. It’s about being a father. And it’s a book about ethics and faith.
“It doesn’t matter if you are in the oilfield or any field, all of these core principles are important,” Patterson said. “I hope when people read it, it is just a good story. I hope it is inspirational that there is nothing in your life that is going to keep you from facing a new day. No matter how hard the trials are, there’s tribulation around the corner if you just keep your nose down and get back to work.”
Crude Blessings: The Amazing Life Story of Glenn Patterson, American Oilman, can be purchased at www.crudeblessings.com or on Amazon.com
Support American Entrepreneurs! Click on the image and use the promo code OTIS!
Support the industry! Only $5/month ensures daily interviews, news and information is available for the world. The Crude Life produces original content that focuses on industry, the people, energy innovations, community building and it’s proactive culture. Our custom content is non-polarizing, trusted and often news making.
Below is the raw, unedited transcript from our artificial intelligence translator.
Roe Patterson
This is roe patterson. I'm the author of the crude blessings,
Jason Spiess
crude blessings boy. I tell you what, here on the crude life and crude oil. My guess is this book has something to do with oil and gas. What do you think?
Roe Patterson
Yeah. Well, my my dad was kind of a pioneer in the only gas industry and uh, built a drilling company in the late 70s with starting with one rig. Uh, today the, that same company has almost 300 rigs and it's worth over $4 billion dollars market cap. So, uh, definitely a kind of a neat success story.
Jason Spiess
Yeah. It certainly sounds like it. Let's talk a little bit about your background if you wouldn't mind a little bit. Um, you know, oil and gas is uh, kind of a niche cherry, even though it, you know, it powers so much of what we do. And you know, I think it was the only sector that added jobs over the last decade.
But to, you know, go into depth like this in the detail. There's not a lot really like this from the kind of humanistic side of things. So talk to me about your background with oil and gas.
Roe Patterson
Well, obviously, uh, you know, I grew up in the industry once dad founded the company. Um, you know, early, early in, in my life, my dad was a school teacher and a basketball referee. He had worked his way through college, rough necking uh, and knew a lot about the oil and gas industry, but never really had any designs on coming back to it. And his brother in law and he got to talking over thanksgiving Turkey in 1977 and decided to get into uh back into the business and then to start a
drilling company with one rig. So as I was growing up, that's really all I ever knew, um I had designs to, you know, in high school to, to leave the industry, just like dad did, I wanted out, you know, working in high school for my dad and, and even as a young kid for my dad in the oil field, I thought, man, this is tough work, it's hard work, I'd rather do anything but this um so I was set out to be a doctor and went to college to be a physician and it wasn't until kind of right at the end of my
undergraduate degree that I decided, man, I, I really don't want to be a doctor and I'm not going to be a very good one because I think my bedside manner wasn't very good and uh you know, and I had to call, I had, I felt the pull of the long gas industry, there's a lot of nostalgia with it, once it's in your blood, it's hard to get rid of and uh and and I felt drawn back to the industry and, and so that's what I did, I want, I decided not to go to medical school and went back to work for caterpillar
actually in their engine division, the large industrial engine oil field engines um in particular and it wasn't long after that. The Patterson drilling by then was about 80 rig company. Um We had gone on a buying spree, they had to access the public markets and had gone and done an I. P. O. In 1993. And by 1997 they were really busy trying to consolidate the drilling market.
And my dad talked me into coming back to work for the company at that time. And I stayed there four years. Uh Almost four years have had a great experience working for Paterson, working for my family. Um learned a ton about running and not only a drilling company in an oil and gas company but but a public company on top of that. Um But uh later uh right before the U.
T. I. Paterson merger um I decided that I wanted to go out on my own um and really start trading my own water and you know doing doing my own path. And so I went and started some businesses also related on my own. Um And I did that for about five years when I decided to sell those businesses and and really cash out. Um I really didn't know what I was going to do next and but but the company I work for today, basic energy services had become a very large client of mine.
I built a lot of equipment for them and um had gotten to know the Ceo very well and, and so he and I were friends and he talked me into coming to work for the company. Um and the rest is history now. I run that company today and now I'm the Ceo of that company and have been since 2013, so been here almost almost 13 years and uh, it's been a great choice. I'm glad I chose basic at the home. Basic uh, was a lot like patterson drilling in the, in the um early days, very employee minded, very uh,
similar ethics, similar, you know, kind of integrity and core values to the company and that attracted me. So, um, you know, I was used to that with patterson and um, so when I came to basic, um, it was, it was, it was like riding a bike, you know, I enjoyed how similar the companies were and so it was, it was a, It was a shoe that just fit and uh, you know, little by little, I kept moving up through the ranks at basic and then like I said, I became ceo at in 2013 at the age of 39.
Jason Spiess
So if you became ceo at the age of 2013, you've been overseeing the integration of technology, is that fair to say?
Roe Patterson
Oh, absolutely. I mean the business has changed so much in the last 3-5 years, it's incredible. Um business is so different, you know, hardly do we do we do any vertical work today, it's all horizontal, along lateral um Wells, the new wells that are coming on now, we still do a lot of work to those older vertical wells,
but all of the new wells and all the technology that's advanced in the industry, it's mind blowing. Um what, how different the industry is just in just in a 3 to 5 year span.
Jason Spiess
Uh Just a couple other questions about the industry and then we'll get into your book as long as I got the wealth of knowledge on the line here, roe patterson with us and um the job market has changed significantly to the the advent of technology has really changed changed the job market, you mentioned the kind of disappearing or the niche industry that vertical wells have become, we used to joke five
years ago that when the technology started coming and these guys ain't slinging chains anymore. I mean, have you, have you noticed much about the change of the workforce?
Roe Patterson
You know, it definitely has changed, it always, it's always a kind of a strange dynamic, you know, every time I think that the oil field has really changed, there's there's still so much that's the same. Uh but but definitely the caliber of employee and the knowledge that they have to have and their abilities uh has changed. Um And so the employees in our industry are very adaptable.
Um And and as the technology has uh you know, the that level has increased, employees matched it with their skill set. So, um I always amazes me to see how um our our industry rises to any kind of challenge or or you know, technological advancement. Um our folks in particular have just done a fantastic job of changing with the times, but we definitely do more automation. We keep people uh you know, hands and fingers out of harm's way much more than we used to, like you say, slinging
changes is kind of a thing of the past. It definitely is now, you know, we still have people get hurt because people still find a way to uh you know, do something that they shouldn't do but but but as an industry by and large, we've really gotten better at trying to keep all of our workers out of harm's way and to automate our systems as much as possible so that we don't have those opportunities where anyone can get hurt.
Jason Spiess
It's been quite an evolution over the past 567 years, decade. If you will, just with the technology, the changing workforce from the league, you mentioned the automation, the safety requirements, to the safety procedures, everything that goes with it.
Um let's transition over to crude blessings a little bit. You mentioned it a little bit earlier, but let's focus on the book a little bit. Um what we'll just uh start with the basic one. What was your inspiration behind writing the book?
Roe Patterson
Well, I just thought it was a great story. I was actually talking to my kids one day, uh 18 year old son and a 16 year old daughter and I was talking to them about their grandfather and you know, kind of a legacy and uh starting a one rig company that ended up being, you know, 300 rigs strong and the second largest drilling contractor in the world and, and uh you know, kind of how that all developed and it struck me because they just didn't know pieces and parts of the story as much as I wanted
them to and and hoped they would, and you know, it dawned on me that so much had happened of that story when they were weren't even alive or when they were very young and I thought, you know, this is just that's that's a mistake. It's one of these things that people should know this story, not, not just my kids and my family, but everyone should know this story just because it's a fantastic story and you know, it's, it's it's a life, you know, dad's life was full of lots of trials and uh,
and some tribulation and um, you know, it's for, for all the success, there were lots of hurdles and lots of failures to, and, and you learn more probably from the failures than you do from anything else and, you know, in overcoming all kinds of adversity. Uh, and dad had a lot in his life, but he had a lot of success to, and uh, and this, this mantra of doing the right thing and always doing the right thing is a little bit lost in our society today.
Um, you know, I don't hear as much of that integrity and you know, morality talk as, as I think I heard when I was growing up, I don't hear enough of that today of, you know, treating people like you want to be treated and really taking care of people in the business space because if you can do that at work and you can do that in your business and, you know, it'll follow you into your personal life too and you don't hear enough of that.
You know, you hear about a lot of cutthroat kind of edgy business practices out there and not a lot of this, um, you know, camaraderie and what's good for everyone, you know, should be good for everyone, etcetera. And um, and if it's not good for everybody, then let's don't do it. You know, that kind of, and that's the way dad ran his business, that's the way he ran his life.
Um, you know, it didn't matter whether you're talking about his dealings with competitors with customers, with vendors or his employees who were, who were so important to him. Um, he treated him the same way. Um, you know, I can remember I could in the book, uh, one of his competitors showing up in his yard and needing a vital piece of equipment because his particular piece of equipment had failed.
And he was in a bionic. He was in a huge bind. He couldn't, he couldn't get that piece of equipment from any vendor. And he knew dad had a spare piece of this particular equipment and, and dad gave it to him without thinking, you know, he, he loaned him the piece of equipment without thinking, you know, here's a competitor. You know, somebody he's out bidding against every day for work. And, and, you know, without a moment's hesitation, he gave this guy a piece of equipment, didn't
ask for a nickel, didn't ask for any rent. He just, you just gave it. And, and that's, that's something that I think is missing in, uh, in business today and in, in our lives and our society today. You know, those, that kind of thought, um, and process. Um, and so, so that, that's part of the story. And I wanted to share it and I wanted people to hear it. And, you know, um, I wanted to memorialize, uh, you know, a guy that I think did a good job of, of just life.
Jason Spiess
Well, I certainly think that's a relevant topic or subject matter if you will, that part of the story where you're talking more about integrity and, um, just some basic, um, good old fashioned, honest ethical capitalism, if you will. And, and the reason I wrote that down was because just uh, last week we were having a conversation about a dozen of us were, and it was the words were uttered that we wondered if honesty was considered a weakness in today's world.
People who were honest were considered weak and um, kind of listening to some of the things you were talking about, their kind of went in line with that, where, uh, it seems like we're getting to that point now. And I'm looking at the recap of your book and you've got the word faith in there.
How important is, uh, faith in the oil industry? I've argued for a long time that it's, it's a very important vein of the industry that you mentioned in your book is the only reason I bring it up. You care to comment on that part of it.
Roe Patterson
Sure. Um, you know, it's, I think you're right, it's very important, um, in our industry, um, probably in our industry in particular. Um, you know, when you have the kind of cycles that we go through, um, you know, ups and downs, you dang sure, pray a lot. Uh, you know, to get through these bad patches. Um, you know, for dad, I'll just say that faith was a tough thing.
Um, he didn't come to faith until the end of his life and really the sickness that he developed through Alzheimer's, um, is one of the, one of the bright spots in the silver lining of that disease was that it brought him to faith. Um, and you know, one of the things I talked about in the book is that it shouldn't take a disease, you know, to break you down.
Um, you should want to, you should want to, you know, find your faith and find your relationship with God earlier than that. It shouldn't, it shouldn't take a disease to get you there. It did for debt, but it should be for everyone. Um, and uh, but I think in our industry, by and large, you know, faith has not talked about a lot, it's a little bit um, uh whatever you not pc uh, to talk about faith openly.
Um, but I would say in my industry and in my experience, um men and women of faith are more prevalent than, than anyone can imagine. So, um you know, I think when it, when it is discussed and it is out there for discussion, I find our industry is full of believers.
Jason Spiess
Another part of the book that I find interesting is the growing up in a, I guess an oil industry household, you know, um, in today's world of startups and, You know, startups are different now than they were 20 years ago, even uh, the old uh, take the apple, those guys started in a garage, it wasn't until they got a couple 100 gs till they got rolling. And um you know, a lot of times the oil and gas companies are kind of like that, by they just have to be because the fluctuation of oil prices
go up and down so much that you know, by the time you feel comfortable to leave live a lavish life, well oil prices are down and now you're eating beans and rice again. So you try to balance it is what I'm saying. But um what do you make about like today's current startup culture and just kind of what you grew up with your interpretation of what you know, businesses and then what we're kind of with today?
Roe Patterson
Well, I think the two, well, the thing that I would say is the biggest difference is where the capital sources are today versus where they were um, you know, 2030 years ago. Um, You know, 2030 years ago when you needed capital for a startup, you either went and raised money from, you know, a few close personal friends or associates that we would invest with you or you went to the bank or you did both.
And which is the way Patterson got started. Uh, you know, they, they raised a little bit of equity, um, and some and some startup working capital from a few small investors and then they went and and borrowed the rest from a commercial lender. Uh, that's not the way most entrepreneurial efforts get started today today, private equity, these big private equity firms who have multiple limited partnerships, uh, limited partners that are, that are, that are investing in these big
private equity outfits. They're the ones that fund, um, you know, the majority of the startups and entrepreneurial efforts within our industry, both on the exploration and production company side and on the service company side where I'm at, that is extraordinarily different. Um, mainly because they don't have any kind of lending restrictions.
They don't have any kind of obstacles that they have to jump through. They really don't, most of the time don't have to raise a bunch of private capital or equity, uh, to get funded. You know, it's all funded by the, by the pe farm. Um, and so that's a different, that's a different animal. Uh, you see ownership and, and, and people who develop these businesses have less and less skin in the game.
Uh, you know, when dad was starting a company, you know, his butt was on the line, he, he wrote the check, you know, and, and he personally guaranteed the notes. So did my uncle close talbot and so their entire livelihood was at risk. Um, you know, along with the fate of the company and the fate of the investors who had put money into the, into the company.
You don't see that today today, it's really just the private equity that has money at risk. And a lot of the principal players within the companies, they don't have a lot of skin in it. It's certainly not there, their whole livelihood or their whole fortunes there, you know, we're invested, they don't have personal guarantees.
So, um, you know, their rear ends are, aren't on the line like they used to be, um, back in back in those days. So I think those are the two biggest differences I see is how the, you know, how people get their money and get their capital today. So much different than, than how it was back when dad got started.
Jason Spiess
What do you think people will take away from when they read this book? And what did you take away from when he wrote it?
Roe Patterson
For me, It was extraordinarily therapeutic. I mean I lost dad in 2015 to 2 Alzheimer's, you know, after a nine year battle and it was sad. Um, I miss him greatly, you know, running a company today. I wish I had, uh, you know, his ear and his and his advice, uh, sometimes today because he always had good advice and, and I would always keep you kind of, uh, you know, back to your roots of, of doing what's right and, and always making that, you know, kind of first and foremost in your thought
process. So I miss him and writing the book was therapeutic for me. It felt good and a lot of tears. Um, but a lot of laughs to, uh, in putting the book together. Uh, I hope most people when they read it, I hope it's just a good story. I hope it's inspirational that there's nothing in your life that you can't overcome. Um, and there's nothing in your life that is, you know, it's gonna keep you from um, facing a new day and the next day.
So no matter how bad that the trial our trials are, there's, there's tribulation around the corner if you just, um, you know, put your, what, your nose down and and get back to work and that's, you know, that's kind of what dad always did when he get a, when he faced an obstacle, he, he just pursued it with an unbelievable amount of passion and hard work, um, never giving up on his, on his principles and his values of, of doing the right thing, but he would just grind it out and uh, and he
succeeded. But you know, he, you know, he used to come to Alzheimer's, but he beat Alzheimer's too. And uh, you know, he had tough, you know, almost a couple of times in the drilling business, but he beat it, you know, and um, in the books about how that happens for for one person. And so, um, and then, you know, he had a hard relationship with God and he won in the, in the end, you know, um, and uh,
and I hope people just take some inspiration from that for their own lives. And uh, and and that dad's way of, of doing business. Can can be one that people want to emulate.
Jason Spiess
Is this just for the oil industry, or can it extend outside
Roe Patterson
of it? This is a book about business. I mean, it's a book about life. Um, and I actually say that in in in the book, you know, it doesn't matter where you are, whether you're in the oil field or any field, um, all of these core principles um are are important. And so now the book is not just for the oil industry, and it's not just about the oil industry, it's just about life.
And um, you know, I hope, uh, you know, it's about being a good dad, it's about being a um, you know, hard worker. It's about it's about cheating people ethically. You know, it's it's it's kind of, it's a book about faith. It's it's it's a it's really just about life. And so no, it transcends in my mind, it transcends far beyond the oil field
Jason Spiess
row patterson ceo of basic, the author of crude blessings. How can people get copies if they want to order it online or get a copy themselves?
Roe Patterson
Well, you can you can go to amazon or you can go to e books, um, you can also go to crude blessings dot com and uh, and you can get uh get a copy, but it's it's readily
Jason Spiess
available any final thoughts or anything we forgot to mention or talk about.
Roe Patterson
No, I think we covered it. Pretty good. I appreciate your time and appreciate the interest.
Support the industry! Only $5/month ensures daily interviews, news and information is available for the world. The Crude Life produces original content that focuses on industry, the people, energy innovations, community building and it’s proactive culture. Our custom content is non-polarizing, trusted and often news making.
Support American Entrepreneurs! Click on the image and use the promo code OTIS!
Submit your Article Ideas to The Crude Life! Email studio@thecrudelife.com
About The Crude Life
Award winning interviewer and broadcast journalist Jason Spiess and Content Correspondents engage with the industry’s best thinkers, writers, politicians, business leaders, scientists, entertainers, community leaders, cafe owners and other newsmakers in one-on-one interviews and round table discussions.
The Crude Life has been broadcasting on radio stations since 2012 and posts all updates and interviews on The Crude Life Social Media Network.
Everyday your story is being told by someone. Who is telling your story? Who are you telling your story to?
#thecrudelife promotes a culture of inclusion and respect through interviews, content creation, live events and partnerships that educate, enrich, and empower people to create a positive social environment for all, regardless of age, race, religion, sexual orientation, or physical or intellectual ability.
Sponsors, Music and Other Show Notes
Studio Sponsor: The Industrial Forest
The Industrial Forest is a network of environmentally minded and socially conscious businesses that are using industrial innovations to build a network of sustainable forests across the United States.
Studio Email and Inbox Sponsor: The Carbon Patch Kids
The Carbon Patch Kids are a Content Story Series targeted for Children of All Ages! In the world of the Carbon Patch Kids , all life matters and has a purpose. Even the bugs, slugs, weeds and voles.
The Carbon Patch Kids love adventures and playing together. This interaction often finds them encountering emotional experiences that can leave them confused, scared or even too excited to think clearly!
Often times, with the help of their companions, the Carbon Patch Kids can reach a solution to their struggle. Sometimes the Carbon Patch Kids have to reach down deep inside and believe in their own special gift in order to grow.
The caretakers of Carbon Patch Kids do their best to plant seeds in each of the Carbon Patch Kids so they can approach life’s problems with a non-aggressive, peaceful and neighborly solution.
Carbon Patch Kids live, work and play in The Industrial Forest.
Click here for The CarbonPatchKids’ website
Featured Music: Alma Cook
Click here for Alma Cook’s music website
Click here for Alma Cook’s day job – Cook Compliance Solutions
For guest, band or show topic requests, email studio@thecrudelife.com
Spread the word. Support the industry. Share the energy.
The Crude Life Podcast: Roe Patterson, the author of Crude Blessings