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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, Don Sparks of Midland, cofounder and chair of the |
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board of Discovery Operating, has been named the recipient of the |
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2025 Chief Roughneck Award by the Independent Petroleum Association |
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of America; and |
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WHEREAS, The highest honor awarded by IPAA, the Chief |
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Roughneck Award was established in 1955 and recognizes an |
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individual whose accomplishments and character represent the |
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highest ideals of the nation's oil and natural gas industry; |
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Mr. Sparks was selected by his peers as the 66th recipient of the |
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award; and |
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WHEREAS, Born in Pampa, Mr. Sparks grew up in Amarillo and |
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earned a bachelor's degree in petroleum engineering from The |
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University of Texas at Austin in 1962; following his graduation, he |
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served as an officer in the U.S. Navy for four years, and he went on |
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to hold a number of engineering and consulting roles with Bailey, |
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Sipes, Williamson and Runyan and with the Freeport Oil Company and |
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Shell Oil Company; he cofounded Discovery Operating in 1973, and |
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today, the family-owned independent company operates approximately |
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420 wells across Texas and produces more than 15,000 barrels of oil |
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and 35 million cubic feet of natural gas per day; in addition, |
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Mr. Sparks cofounded Platt, Sparks & Associates, which evaluated |
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properties, performed reservoir studies, and provided expert |
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testimony for hearings and litigations; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Sparks has benefited his industry in numerous |
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capacities; he has been influential in the development of the |
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Wolfcamp and Spraberry shales, and he helped establish the logging |
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suite and analysis that has been the basis for choosing the landing |
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zones in the horizontal wells drilled and completed in the Midland |
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Basin; a licensed professional engineer, he has held leadership |
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positions with the Permian Basin Chapter of the Society of |
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Petroleum Engineers, the Permian Basin Petroleum Association, and |
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IPAA, and he has also served with a number of other organizations |
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and committees, including the U.S. Department of Energy |
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Unconventional Resources Technology Advisory Committee and the |
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National Society of Petroleum Engineers; he has received various |
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accolades in recognition of his efforts, such as the Leadership |
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Award from IPAA and the Top Hand award from the Permian Basin |
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Petroleum Association; and |
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WHEREAS, Through his outstanding professional contributions, |
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Don Sparks has earned the respect and admiration of innumerable |
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people, and he is richly deserving of this prestigious honor; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 89th Legislature of the State of Texas, |
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1st Called Session, hereby congratulate Don Sparks on receiving the |
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2025 Chief Roughneck Award from the Independent Petroleum |
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Association of America and extend to him sincere best wishes for the |
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future; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Mr. Sparks as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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House of Representatives and Senate. |