HOUSTON, July 12 (Reuters) - Twenty top U.S. energycompanies agreed to contribute $16.5 million to open new schoolsin West Texas, where an influx of oil and gas workers havestrained schools, roads and other civic services.
This is the first initiative by the Permian StrategicPartnership, a consortium of shale producers which has pledgedto raise $100 million to address civic strains, a spokesman forthe group said. The companies all operate in the Permian Basin,the top U.S. shale field.
Another $22 million will be donated by local foundations andphilanthropists. The funds are earmarked to bring IDEA PublicSchools, a national tuition-free charter school, to the region,the group said.
The Permian Strategic Partnership aims to address labor andhousing shortages, school overcrowding, healthcare and trafficcongestion in the Permian Basin. Its founding members are oiland gas producers and suppliers which aim to pump millions ofbarrels of oil and gas in coming decades.
The shale boom has lifted Permian oil production to 4.2million barrels per day, and made the United States the world'sbiggest oil producer and fifth largest exporter, according tothe International Energy Agency, a group of major oil consumingnations.
The first charter school would open in August 2020. Fundingfor the $38.5 million project eventually will create 14 schoolswith seats for 10,000 students at seven sites in Midland andOdessa, Texas.
Permian Strategic Partnership backers include AnadarkoPetroleum Corp , Apache Corp , BP PLC ,Chevron Corp, Cimarex Energy Co , ConchoResources Inc , ConocoPhillips , Devon EnergyCo , Diamondback Energy Inc , EncanaCorp , Endeavor Energy Resources, EOG Resources,Exxon Mobil Corp , Halliburton Co , OccidentalPetroleum Corp , Parsley Energy Inc , PioneerNatural Resources , Plains All American PipelineLP , Schlumberger NV, and Royal Dutch Shell.(Reporting by Jennifer Hiller; Editing by Richard Chang)
