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Clint Kling of Shepherd VR joins TownSquare Media KLXX 1270AM’s Talk of the Town with Steve Bakken and special guest co=host Jason Spiess.





The interview stems around a discussion on how Toyota and several police departments are integrating VR Training into their HR, safety and overall culture.

“I mean a lot of my university research was based on assessing effectiveness in training just because everybody said VR was better,” Kling said. “Nobody really had any hard data. I spent a year and a half or so setting up experiments and running them and basically showcasing what is effective training and as far as VR goes, what’s effective training as far as our traditional methods go. So VR definitely has taken leaps and bounds on the effectiveness of the training.”

Toyota Motor of North America produced and developed a VR experience that teaches team members about assessing risks associated with new equipment on the factory floor. Kling discussed how this translates into other areas of heavy industry and manufacturing training.

“So in that environment we ended up designing an open pit mining scenario so you know when you put on the goggles you’re basically transported from the classroom into the open pit environment,” Kling said. “Everything’s adjusted to scale so everything looks like it should if you were on that site. So the equipment sizes, the high wall sizes, we had a conveyor crusher units presented in a kind of a real life scale.”

At last week’s Sioux City city council meeting, the council voted unanimously to allow the department to use a $75,000 grant to purchase a Virtual Reality training system.

This simulated training will allow officers to use VR headsets to work on movement commands, learn how to de-escalate hostile situations; all while in a mobile and safe environment.

“So like what the police academies are doing, that’s fantastic,” Kling said.

Kling is a seasoned professional in mining and oil operations with over a decade of hands-on industry experience. Kling bolsters his practical knowledge with robust academic qualifications – a Master of Science degree in Mining Engineering and a Graduate Certificate in Safety Management. But his ingenuity doesn’t stop there.

In the course of his doctoral studies, Kling has been meticulously creating and refining virtual reality modules to amplify the effectiveness of safety training. By weaving together advanced neuroscience and psychology principles, he’s brought to life the unique Functional Integral Training (FIT) method.

This groundbreaking approach capitalizes on the immersive nature of VR to facilitate superior knowledge retention, positioning Shepherd VR’s training modules a cut above the rest.

“With Shepherd VR, you’re not just learning safety – you’re experiencing it,” Kling said. “Experience the mining environment like never before and cultivate the safest practices with our unique VR training module.”















Kling added that the magic of an impactful VR training module lies in the ingenious crafting of its storyboard.

“Leveraging an in-depth understanding of brain functions and learning mechanisms, I’ve harnessed this knowledge to construct immersive virtual reality modules,” Kling said.

At the end of the day, what is the goal? To Kling, it’s to “help individuals fully understand the crucial concepts of safety and thereby fundamentally transf...

Warren Martin, executive director, Kansas Strong, joins The Crude Life with an update on the Jayhawk State.

Martin has been very active educating and promoting the benefits of oil and gas, including tax revenues, community development projects and everyday uses for petroleum products.

“Informing the public about the many ways the Kansas oil and natural gas industry contributes to our state and our nation is an important part of our mission,” Martin said. “Kansas Strong has implemented a multi-platform campaign to reach Kansans with our message. See how Kansas Strong is helping educate and inform Kansans about the critical role our industry plays.”





Martin provides periodic messages dedicated to topics related to the oil & natural gas industry and how they impact our lives. He has appeared at over 200 events in the past year.

“So Kansas is a unique oil and gas producing state. We’re 11th leading producing state in the nation. Yet we do not have big oil here in Kansas. We don’t we do not have any of the major oil companies here. Only one that it could even slightly be considered a major oil producing company that actually does production here in the state,” Martin said. “We have a lot of pipeline companies. We have a lot of refining companies. But oil and gas production is predominantly done by local, independent oil and gas producers across the state. We are almost exclusively a marginal well state.”



Martin, a philosophy graduate of Texas Tech University, is an author, teacher, minister, artist, quasi-philosopher and speaker known for his unique teaching style. His passion is to inspire & invest in the next generation of leaders. He currently serves as Executive Director of Kansas Strong for the promotion of the quality of life created by the oil & natural gas industry.



He previously served as Executive Director of the General Tommy Franks Leadership Institute and Museum and was the primary presenter of all Inspired Leadership Experiences. Warren has been leading leadership workshops, presenting keynote presentations and consulting with Fortune 500 corporations and non-profit organizations for 22 years.









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Transform your safety training with Shepherd VR – The Future is Here! Dive into a new era of learning with our groundbreaking VR modules, designed to enhance retention and reduce workplace accidents.

Leveraging over a decade of industry expertise in mining and oil, Shepherd VR combines neuroscience and psychology with our innovative FIT methodology to revolutionize safety training.

When supply chains run smoothly, the economies they support do too.

But when even the smallest disruption occurs, supply chains can quickly turn into the equivalent of a daisy chain — where one event sets off a cascading impact down the entire logistics value chain.

Experts fear that this is what could happen up and down the East Coast as businesses and shippers try to manage the fallout from the March 26 collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge as a result of a cargo ship collision.

According to Maryland Governor Wes Moore  port is responsible for over 51 million tons of foreign cargo. That’s the largest in the country. For everybody who was buying cars, everybody who was buying farm equipment, we’re the largest port in country that does that. So, this is not just impacting Maryland.”

In regards to the Energy Industry, smaller companies like RMI Supply are able to remain nimble, ready and able for new business opportunities.

“The big companies and ones involved with mergers or buyouts have an added layer of issues related to time and supply chain,” RMI Supply president Mark Workman said. “Smaller companies can make a decision in the moment, whereas a larger company can take months to make a simple decision.”

Workman explained how this can create financial impacts as well, especially considering the rate of inflation on goods and services.

“The fundamentals of logistics are playing out in front of me where I can see an increase in cargo costs coming, prompting me to make a decision now,” Workman said. “The larger companies can become so bureaucratic it’s hard on them.”

Workman added that during these supply chain impact issues the inability to make a decision will often result in the market making the decision for you and your company.

RMI Supply is a leading provider of specialty oilfield chemicals focusing on delivering environmentally-friendly products to the market combined with a fast and responsive service.

Among the questions around what happens now is what the accident means for shipping and the economy.

The port handled a record amount of cargo last year. While President Joe Biden has said he intends for the federal government to rebuild the bridge, and called on Congress to support that effort, the port is directly responsible for about 15,000 jobs and generated $4.7 billion in economic value to the state of Maryland.

The bridge’s collapse stranded at least 10 vessels in the water and ships outside the blockage have had to reroute to other East Coast ports, such as Norfolk and New Jersey. For global shipping, this comes at a time when companies are contending with route disruptions along the Suez and Panama canals.

Along with being the top U.S. port for autos, Baltimore is also the nation’s furthest inland port, said Houston Mason, adjunct professor of supply chain management at Loyola and Georgetown universities. Companies may have to spend an extra day traveling up the Chesapeake Bay and into Baltimore’s harbor, but once their product is unloaded, it’s closer to the Midwest than it would be at any other East Coast port.

In the last decade, after increasing the depth of berths at its primary cargo terminal, Baltimore has been able to handle substantially larger ships than other East Coast ports, Mason said.

The port is also a major source of employment across the region. A a href="https://mpa.maryland.

Kunal Patel, Dallas Federal Reserve, joins The Crude Life to breakdown the recent Energy Survey. This quarter’s survey also includes for the first time a set of questions regarding price expectations for oil and natural gas over six-month, one-year, two-year and five-year horizons.

According to Patel, activity in the oil and gas sector was relatively unchanged in the first quarter of 2024, as documented in the survey in regards to oil and gas executives responding to the Dallas Fed Energy Survey.

The business activity index, the survey’s broadest measure of conditions energy firms in the Eleventh District face, was 2.0 in the first quarter, suggesting little to no growth during the quarter. The index was essentially unchanged from last quarter.

Oil and gas production decreased in the first quarter, according to executives at exploration and production (E&P) firms. The oil production index moved down from 5.3 in the fourth quarter to -4.1 in the first quarter, suggesting a small decline in production. Meanwhile, the natural gas production index turned negative, falling sharply from 17.9 to -17.0.

Costs increased at a slightly faster pace for both oilfield services and E&P firms. Among oilfield services firms, the input cost index increased from 21.3 to 31.2. Among E&P firms, the finding and development costs index was relatively unchanged at 24.2. Meanwhile, the lease operating expenses index increased from 22.6 to 33.7.

Oilfield services firms reported modest deterioration in nearly all indicators. The equipment utilization index remained negative but increased from -8.4 in the fourth quarter to -4.2 in the first. The operating margin index moved down from -32.0 to -35.4, suggesting declining margins. The index of prices received for services was unchanged at -6.2.

The aggregate employment index was relatively unchanged at 3.4 in the first quarter. While this is the 13th consecutive positive reading for the index, the low-single-digit reading suggests slow net hiring. The aggregate employee hours index increased from 2.8 in the fourth quarter to 6.9 in the first quarter. Additionally, the aggregate wages and benefits index increased from 21.2 to 32.8.

The company outlook index rebounded in the first quarter, jumping 24 points to 12.0. While the company outlook index increased, it is still below the series average. The overall outlook uncertainty index fell 22 points to 24.1, suggesting that while uncertainty continued to increase on net, fewer firms noted a rise in the recent quarter. The uncertainty index this quarter was slightly above the series average.





























On average, respondents expect a West Texas Intermediate (WTI) oil price of $80 per barrel at year-end 2024; responses ranged from $70 to $120 per barrel. When asked about longer-term expectations, respondents on average expect a WTI oil price of $83 per barrel two years from now and $90 per barrel five years from now. Survey participants expect a Henry Hub natural gas price of $2.59 per million British thermal units (MMBtu) at year-end. When asked about longer-term expectations, respondents on average expect a Henry Hub gas price of $3.18 per MMBtu two years from now and $3.94 per MMBtu five years from now. For reference, WTI spot prices averaged $82.52 per barrel during the survey collection period, and Henry Hub spot prices averaged $1.44 per MMBtu.

In the top two areas in which your firm is active: What West Texas Intermediate (WTI) oil price does your firm need to cover operating expenses for existing wells?

The average price across the entire sample is approximately $39 per barrel, up from $37 last year. Across regions, the average price necessary to cover operating expenses ranges from $31 to $45 per barrel.

Terry Etam, author of The End of the Fossil Fuel Insanity: Clearing the Air Before Cleaning the Air’; columnist for the BOE Report and blogger for Public Energy Number One; gives an update from Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Etam talks about how natural gas continues to be a wild card, yet foundational energy source for Canada. He explains how politics and policies have creates issues for almost all energies north of the border.

The author also discusses the emerging carbon management industry in Canada. Companies are vying for tax subsidies and carbon credits in order to create new revenues for their respective shareholders.

The discussion also veers into similarities and differences between doing business in the United States and Canada when it comes to energy services.















Everyone knows that fossil fuels won’t last forever. Something needs to change at some point, regardless of whether the issue is climate change or because we need a practical replacement for petroleum as cheap supplies run out.

But while headlines suggest that a green-energy paradise is around the corner, not many are aware of the immense technical challenges that stand in its way. To turn our backs on fossil fuels, a staggering amount of work will be required to refit a global energy sector that has grown systematically for over a century. News of the latest green advancements can make it seem like plug-and-play technology, and simply a matter of switching from one source to another. In reality, the challenge is far greater, and infinitely more complicated.

To make matters worse, environmentalists and fossil-fuel defenders wage continuous but fruitless war, and the growing gap makes it impossible to have any sort of constructive dialogue. Each camp becomes more locked in their position with every exchange, and the most revolutionary ideas never see the light of day. Instead of building, time and money are wasted sparring.

Sparing no sacred cows, Terry Etam cuts through the media rhetoric, government propaganda, and widespread ignorance of the energy sector to get to the heart of what needs to change-and what needs to stay the same-if the challenges of moving away from fossil fuels are to be met, while maintaining the quality of life we have come to expect and rely on.

Terry Etam is a twenty-five-year veteran of Canada’s energy business. He has worked at a number of occupations spanning the finance, accounting, communications, and trading aspects of energy, and has written for several years on his own website Public Energy Number One and the widely-read industry site the BOE Report.

His goal is to kickstart new energy dialogues in a constructive manner as the world faces, and begins to understand, the real challenges of moving away from fossil fuels. In today’s welcome but hyper-vigilant state of environmental scrutiny, where natural ecosystems are treasured and measured far more than ever before, any large-scale changes to energy infrastructure will face huge challenges, as any project manager can attest. It will be far, far harder than many imagine to move away from fossil fuels rapidly.

Mr. Etam has been called an industry thought leader and the most influential voice in the oil patch. He lives in Calgary, Alberta with his family and, for some reason, a little dog.















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Energy transition and industry engagement were the Talk of the Town this week on Townsquare Media’s KLXX SuperTalk 1270AM. Specifically the positive work Chris Wright and the team at Liberty Energy are doing for the oil and gas industry.

Talk of the Town host Steve Bakken asked The Crude Life’s founder Jason Spiess about his opinion on Chris Wright and the recent changes at Liberty Energy.

“Before CO and carbon capture became a catchword, Liberty Energy figured out the industry was more expansive than oil and gas and we are an energy company and not limited to oil and gas,” Bakken said. “They grew into some other spaces and have done a great job being vocal and pushing out the messaging.”

Spiess agreed with Bakken and advanced the conversation further.

“What their CEO Chris Wright has done, in my opinion, has become of the true leaders in the petroleum space to educate global leaders on how the oil and gas industry is a leader in carbon management and environmental innovations,” Spiess said.

The two continued the discussion citing examples of how the industry used to be very “boiler plate” on how to conduct public relations, however, time have changed.

“What Chris Wright and Liberty do different than many of the other leaders in the industry is they do not present their message from an ego-centric point of view rather a this is what we do and this is why we do it,” Spiess said. “He’s really been one of the first ones to crack the presentation culture where I think the rest of the industry has missed.”

















Bakken agreed.

“Chris and Liberty stepped outside the box,” Bakken said.

Chris Wright is the Chief Executive Officer of Liberty Energy in Denver, Colorado. Mr. Wright was appointed to the Board of Directors in 2020. He also serves on the Denver Branch Board of Directors.

From the perspective of Denver Branch Board Director Chris Wright, “energy is the infrastructure of the economy. It makes everything else possible.”

Wright, a pioneer in hydraulic fracturing, is the chief executive officer and chairman of the board of Liberty Oilfield Services in Denver. He also is the executive chairman of Liberty Resources and Liberty Midstream Solutions.

He previously served as chief executive officer of Pinnacle Technologies, which created the hydraulic fracture mapping industry and helped launch the modern “fracking” industry and commercial shale gas production in the 1990s.

“We bring out the technology, the trucks, and the horsepower” to release oil and gas from shale, Wright said on the Federal Reserve’s website. Large producers like Exxon and ConocoPhillips are among Liberty Oilfield Service’s customers.

Wright serves on numerous organizations’ boards of directors and is involved in several initiatives to provide scholarships, career opportunities, and other resources in communities across the Denver region. He sees his Denver Branch Board director service as an extension of that commitment to helping others pursue their dreams.

Learn more about Wright and Liberty Energy here.







Everyday your story is being told by someone. Who is telling your story? Who are you telling your story to?

Email your sustainable story ideas, professional press releases or petro-powered podcast submissions to thecontentcreationstudios(AT)gmail(DOT)com.

#thecrudelife promotes a culture of inclusion and respect through interviews, content creation, live events and partnerships that educate, enrich,