Happy Thanksgiving from the Louisiana Gas Association! We are thankful for such a successful year of togetherness. We hope you enjoyed it just as much as we did. Our goal for the rest of 2024 is to continue working to make 2025 the best year yet.

Sincerely,

Larry Williams, City of Walker

LGA President

LGA’s Annual Operations Conference took place November 11-13 at the Paragon Casino in Marksville, and it was a great success! A big thank you to our exhibitors and sponsors for their incredible support. We ended up with 120 attendees and 28 exhibitors, plus our incredible sponsors! The attendees had the opportunity to connect with exhibitors and gain valuable insights from presentations on key topics such as Small Generator issues, regulatory updates, an APGA update, and Damage Prevention Enforcement.

We also celebrated our outstanding scholarship recipients, including Skylar Gray and Leah Kibodeaux, who attended the Scholarship Reception to accept their certificates, and Rita Lind, who shared a heartfelt “thank you” video. Congratulations to Entergy for winning this year’s BBQ Cook-off! Thank you to everyone who helped make this event memorable.

At LGA's Annual Operations Conference, several board seats were expiring that needed to be voted on at the Annual Membership Meeting. Please welcome the current board of directors! 

President: Larry Williams, City of Walker

1st VP: Nathan Gray, Enterprise Products

2nd VP: Chris Gray, CenterPoint Energy

Secretary: Cole Vanderlick, EGW Utility Solutions

Treasurer: Ken Drone, LMA/LMGA

Past President: Sue Guidry, Targa Resources

Directors

• Chip Arnould, Entergy
• Cory Fontenot, EnLink Midstream
• Ernest Brown, Terrebonne Gov.
• Rusty Burroughs, NuLine
• Darrell Dugas, City of Denham Springs
• Billy Forest, Louisiana 811
• Kevin Hargis, Atmos Energy
• Marshall Harris, Ferguson Waterworks
• John Jewett, Genesis Energy
• Mark LeBlanc, Utility Solutions Supply
• Rob Mistretta, John H. Carter
• Mike Richey, City of Alexandria
• John Streiff, Kerotest
• Dustin Smith, Atmos Energy
• Thomas Smith, GUD #1 of EBR Parish
• Russell Spansel, Entergy
• Blaine Spell, CenterPoint Energy
• Michael St. Romain, South Coast Gas
• Terry Thibodeaux, GridSource
• Chad Wille, Boardwalk Pipelines

How Do I Qualify to Serve on LGA's Board of Directors?

You must start by serving on a committee for at least 1 year! See details below!

If you're committed to serving the natural gas community beyond the office or field, joining a committee may be the opportunity you need! In order to join the Board of Directors, you must have served on an LGA committee for at least 1 year.

Our committees work with the Board of Directors to oversee the various programs and operations of the LGA. As a member of the LGA, you are encouraged to join any of the committees below. We can build a stronger association and industry with your participation and dedication!

Nathan L. Gray Jr. (Enterprise Products)

Hello to all, my name is Nathan L. Gray Jr. My oil and gas industry career began in June of 1980 roustabouting for an Exploration and Production company, Placid Oil Company, in Houma, Louisiana as an inexperienced 18 yr old just out of high school looking to pursue fame and fortune. My early years of learning how to work around heavy equipment such as forklifts, cranes, and boats onshore and offshore have served me well. My first day on an offshore production platform was Christmas day in 1980 working in the roustabout crew. I learned that day that the producing well heads on the well deck would be my Christmas trees for this holiday season, which was very different from the traditional evergreen tree in our homes. A real eye-opening experience for someone who had never seen a production well much less work on a steel grating deck over the Gulf of Mexico water performing daily tasks. Over time I moved into operating production platforms from Viosca Knoll to Matagorda Bay on a 7-day on and 7-day off rotation and loop operations traveling offshore and back to land base every day.

The offshore environment is not for the faint of heart, severe weather and long working days will test you to the highest extent. Through mergers and acquisitions over the years, I have been fortunate to continue my career within the oil and gas industry, with varying roles and responsibilities. I have been in my current role for 27 years with Enterprise Products in a Transportation Pipeline Compliance capacity covering a large area from North Carolina to Texas supporting over 5,000 miles of transmission liquid and gas pipeline systems.  

My involvement with the LGA started with filling an open position left to me by Joel Kohler in late 2016 due to a position change that required him to be in the corporate office in Houston. I have been working diligently to continue what he started in the organization. My position within the LGA as a Board member and Officer has been challenging but rewarding. My work with the LGA consists of participation in the Transmission Committee, Bylaws Committee, Education and Training sub-committee, and the Scholarship Committee; attending and participating in events sponsored by the organization. The efforts of the Scholarship committee piqued my interest several years ago which has led to something that I am very passionate about with my close friends and family, sporting clays. It has meant the world to me to be able to lead a wonderful team within the LGA to be able to have exciting sporting clay tournament events. This year’s event was packed with local youth teams, our LSU team, and many other levels of talent. I continue to strive to serve and make the organization better every day.

On a personal note, I continue to enjoy my hobbies which consist of sporting clays, bowling, golf, riding my Harley, and attending car shows. I have a wonderful wife Wendy of 23 years, my daughter Skylar, and my sons Ethan and Jeremy.  

From the wellhead to the consumer, natural gas pipeline systems provide us with a clean and efficient source of energy. There are essentially three major types of pipelines along the transportation route: gathering systems, transmission systems, and distribution systems. Gathering pipeline systems gather raw natural gas from production wells. Transmission pipeline systems transport natural gas thousands of miles across many parts of the continental United States. Natural gas distribution pipeline systems can be found in thousands of communities from coast to coast and distribute natural gas to our homes and businesses through mains and service lines.

Except for gas service lines, the pipe used in natural gas pipeline systems can range in size from 2 inches to 42 inches in diameter; gas service lines are generally from ½ inch to 2 inches in diameter. Natural gas gathering and transmission pipeline systems are constructed from steel pipe. However, natural gas distribution systems have been constructed from many different materials including cast iron, steel, copper, and plastic pipe. Plastic pipe is most commonly installed today for gas distribution systems.

Natural gas pipeline systems are owned and operated by many different companies. The location, construction, and operation of these systems are generally regulated by federal and state regulations.

Enterprise Products Partners L.P. is a publicly traded partnership listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE Ticker: EPD) and is a leading North American provider of midstream energy services to the producers and consumers of natural gas, natural gas liquids (NGLs), crude oil, refined products, and petrochemicals. Our origins began with Enterprise Products Company, formed in 1968 by Dan Duncan and two partners as a wholesale marketer of natural gas liquids. Today, our integrated energy infrastructure network provides midstream energy services to producers and consumers of natural gas, natural gas liquids, crude oil, refined products, and petrochemicals. We link producers from some of the largest North American supply basins with domestic consumers and international markets. The Enterprise model and personal mission is for every employee to “do the best they can every day” and the collective mission is for every employee to “achieve extraordinary results through perseverance, hard work, and collaboration.”

You will find below examples of Enterprise Products integrated midstream value chain.

The natural gas industry is a vital part of our State, and your voice is needed to ensure sponsorship of responsible legislation that balances the needs for growth of the industry with protection of the valuable resources we all enjoy.

Member benefits include:

• Education and Training
• Public Relations and Networking opportunities
• A voice in legislation affecting our industry
• Regulatory Compliance assistance

For more information regarding membership requirements and fees, click here to download the LGA membership brochure.