Number 4 - ExxonMobil in the UK

Greg Strickland, field foreman (above),
says the safety culture at Talco goes
beyond the effort to achieve good
statistics – employees work hard to
ensure they all go home safe at night.
Patricia Carter, senior operations technician, says the focus on safety
has been part of the culture of Talco since the field’s early days.
Small town, big changes
The Talco oil field was discovered
in 1930 and is named
after the nearby town of Talco,
a farming and ranching community
about 130 miles east of
Dallas, with roots to 1856 and a
population of about 500.
In 1936, change galloped into
Talco when drillers struck oil not
far away. Overnight, the quiet
little community turned into an
oil boomtown.
In the words of one resident,
“People went crazy. There was
no place for them to sleep, no
place for them to eat, but still
they came to Talco.”
The Humble Oil & Refining
Company, a predecessor company
of ExxonMobil, acquired an
interest in the Talco field the same
year oil was discovered. Since
that time, East Texas production
fields have become an important
training ground for engineers,
geologists and geophysicists from
Humble, Exxon and ExxonMobil.
For many, working in these
production divisions, as they
were called, was a significant
career development assignment
and often included responsibility
for Talco. A number of those
employees went on to senior
leadership positions, including
Exxon Mobil Corporation’s Senior
Vice President Mark Albers.
“Talco’s achievement in working 40 years without a
lost-time incident is remarkable in itself. But the larger
lesson is this: By working together we can meet and
surpass our safety goals. That means a safer work
environment – and a better life – for everyone.”
Randy Cleveland,
Manager of ExxonMobil U.S. Production
“The safety achievements of
Talco employees during the past
four decades is truly outstanding,”
Albers says, “and I congratulate
everyone associated with
attaining this milestone. Their
accomplishments are a reflection
of ExxonMobil’s unwavering
commitment to achieving superior
safety, health and environmental
performance.”
More than a number
Talco’s 40-year accomplishment
is impressive, and it
proves an important point, says
Randy Cleveland, manager of
ExxonMobil’s U.S. production.
“The company has always set
very high standards for safety
performance,” he says. “Talco’s
achievement in working 40 years
without a lost-time incident is
remarkable in itself. But the
larger lesson is this: By working
together, we can meet and
surpass our safety goals. That
means a safer work environment
– and a better life – for everyone.”
the Lamp
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