?Coming from a background in farming prepared Fred Lawrence for a life of working with commodities. A fifth-generation Vermonter, his father and grandfather were both involved in the cement business as well.
From Middlebury College, Lawrence received a degree in Asian history, focusing on China. He spent the next five years assisting in establishing political communications in Asia with the International Republican Institute under the direction of U.S. Senator John McCain. He then entered the London School of Economics were he acquired a master’s in international political economics, with a focus on energy.


He was drawn to the oil and gas business because he saw it as an intersection of business and policy. After writing a few op-ed articles, some connections in Washington steered him to the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) in 1999, where he started as an economics associate. He currently is vice president, economics and international affairs.


Lawrence talked with Oil and Gas Investor about his background, his work at the IPAA and his continuing charity work in Asia.


Investor How do you help IPAA members with international business dealings?


Lawrence IPAA’s international committee aims to be the focal point between independents and international E&P ventures, and to provide members with information on international investment opportunities.


Investor How successful was your work with the International Forum at NAPE?


Lawrence IHS Inc. has done a super job with their morning workshop on international E&P at NAPE, and then in the afternoon, we have our international prospect-promotion forum, which has grown to two rooms, covering companies and countries from Canada to Australia. It drew 400 attendees this year.


Investor You follow U.S. gas-production data. Did output go up last year?


Lawrence Yes, it did, but you have to be careful with gas data because it does take a while to firm up. There was a sizeable increase last year of more than 4%, according to EIA data, and we’re looking at a similar increase being repeated in the 2007-08 timeframe. Much of this is due to shale-resource plays onshore the Lower 48. But I don’t think we can write off the Gulf of Mexico because we’re also seeing some IPAA members like Contango Oil & Gas and Plains Exploration & Production having some interesting finds there as well.


In 2007, we went from 50.6 billion cubic feet per day in 2006 to 52.8 billion, according to the EIA.


Investor Who have been some of your personal and professional mentors?


Lawrence My parents have given me examples of the rewards of hard work and continued learning.


Professionally, the IPAA has offered me a whole host of mentors. Whether it’s former IPAA vice president Scott Espenshade, with whom I worked, or Jerry Jordan, who was the chairman when I started, these are industry veterans who certainly have provided me with growth opportunities.


I really appreciate IPAA president and CEO Barry Russell and the successive leadership provided from the impressive list of chairmen of IPAA, including the current chairman H.G. “Buddy” Kleemeier, who’s also a numbers guru.


Members have been inspiring as well.


Investor Where do you see yourself in five years?


Lawrence In college, I never expected I’d be doing democracy work in Cambodia and Mongolia. I never expected I’d be working in the oil and gas sector, especially coming from the Green Mountain state.
I hope to be where my continued interest in energy meets my desire to be challenged by all the above-ground hurdles that the industry has to work with, ranging from international geopolitical flashpoints to American legislative policy, workforce constraints and consumer sentiment.


Investor Do you tell people back home what business you’re in? What’s their reaction?


Lawrence Yes, I do proudly, because I think a lot of people in those areas take energy for granted and they haven’t had enough exposure. Even myself, growing up as a Vermonter, I was not exposed to a lot of facts about the industry on the supply or demand side.


I have realized that one needs exposure to the unknown to make more balanced choices and opinions. It was only by taking the jump into the complete unknown, whether the provinces of Cambodia or the U.S. oil and gas industry, that I realized how much I had to learn from people who really impressed me.


Investor What do you like best about it?


Lawrence Meeting our members, hearing wildcatting stories, just the fact that every day I’m doing something different. I can never get bored with my job. Whether I’m crunching numbers in my office or attending events in Houston or New York. I am always learning from people who are very talented at their jobs.


Investor Tell us about your non-profit work in Asia.


Lawrence I spent about five years after college working for a private non-profit group called the International Republican Institute, chaired by Senator John McCain. I worked in countries like Mongolia, Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Indonesia. We would typically bring pro bono political consultants to these countries undergoing democratic transitions and provide them with instruction in political organization, communication, leadership development, “get out the vote” and transparency.