JUNE 13, 2023 | BY VICTORIA STEPHENS
University of Oklahoma alumnus, Ken Waits, CEO of Mewbourne Oil Company, is a force not only in the oil industry but as a long-time Mewbourne College board member and higher education advocate.
After earning his bachelor’s in petroleum engineering in 1983, Waits joined Mewbourne Oil Company, one of the industry's largest privately owned oil and gas companies. His expertise spans 40 years, and he makes clear that his passion is in more than the work itself; it is in inspiring the next generation of energy leaders.
“We're going to need young people to come into this industry and help us continue to meet the demands that the world has for reliable, affordable energy,” Waits said in an interview with Oil and Gas Investor Magazine.
Waits encourages future college students to consider the energy sector and be a part of a turning point in history as the world looks to diversify energy efforts. “I think it's an energy addition, not a transition,” he said.
Mewbourne Oil Company has grown, bringing on 35 interns this summer, with their production increasing from 125 to 150,000 barrels a day. The company continues to be an oil and gas industry leader.
Ken Waits speaking as a panelist for the Mewbourne School of Petroleum and Geological Sciences.
Under the leadership of Waits, Mewbourne Oil Company has emphasized developing interns to help them reach their full potential.
“Frankly, I wish I was 25,” Waits said. “I think there's more opportunity in the business than young people can imagine.”
Among the growing methodologies contributing to the diversification of energy resources, Waits pointed out just how critical innovative programs will be to prepare students for the industry, including Mewbourne College’s new GeoEnergy program.
“Renewables will be needed, geothermal will be needed, carbon capture and carbon sequestration, hydrogen...that kind of program and is an example of how education is changing along with the business.”
Mewbourne Oil Company was founded in 1965 by Curtis W. Mewbourne, following his career as an officer in the U.S. Army and working in the industry as a petroleum engineer. Mewbourne graduated from the University of Oklahoma’s School of Petroleum Engineering, and on November 2, 2007, the Mewbourne College of Earth & Energy was named in his honor. The Mewbourne Oil Company, under the leadership of CEO Ken Waites, continues to support the Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy.
The Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy improves people’s lives through research, education and service by studying Earth’s past and present, developing new energy tools and resources, and creating geoscientists and engineers who work across disciplines to address some of society’s most critical challenges.
Victoria Stephens is the marketing manager at the Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy. For media inquiries, you can email Victoria or call her at 405-325-8981.
