Apache Corporation is an American independent oil and gas corporation. It is headquartered in 1 Post Oak Central in the Uptown district of Houston, Texas.
Apache has become a large multinational company, with regional offices and operations in the United States, Argentina, Australia, Canada, Egypt and UKNorth Sea.
The company’s proved reserves at year-end 2010 totaled 2.95 billion barrels of oil equivalent, roughly half oil and half natural gas.
Community involvement: Apache Corporation Nonprofit Service.
When it comes to community needs, Apache listens closely.
After a deadly tornado in Moore, Okla., in 2013, Apache heard what the community needed and pledged $500,000 to help it rebuild. Moore was hit by an EF5 tornado that killed 24 and injured 377. Among those killed were nine children, including elementary school students.
The $500,000 donated by the company funded safe rooms for students at two new elementary schools, a junior high school and a high-school gymnasium/band room in the Moore school district.
In Midland, Texas, Apache heard a need for educational improvement. The company joined other contributors in helping fund bonuses for 325 new teachers and 1,200 existing ones in an effort to attract and retain quality instructors in the Midland School District.
The donated funds will help pay for 325 $10,000 signing bonuses for new teachers who commit to the district for three years and 1,200 $2,500 resigning bonuses for current teachers who return for the upcoming school year.
Saving a Popular Fishing Spot
Apache helped fund a project to replace the Pickets in Ship Shoal 26, a trout-fishing hot spot in Terrebonne Parish.
Workers were expected to remove the structures that make up the Pickets by mid-summer. After the structures are dismantled, construction was scheduled to begin on a 12- to 15-acre artificial reef to replace the popular fishing spot.
Three separate 4- to 5-acre reefs made from 15,000 tons of crushed concrete will be installed where the Pickets stood, much to the delight of anglers.
Located off the Louisiana coast, the Pickets was a big draw for speckled trout, redfish and other marine life that thrive among its many legs, pilings and wellheads. Under federal law, the offshore platform had been slated for removal after production ceased and leases expired.
The budget for the artificial reef is $1.2 million, and the cost is being split between Apache, the Coastal Conservation Association Louisiana, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries’ Artificial Reef Trust Fund and Fieldwood Energy.
Community Engagement in Western Australia
An integral part of Apache’s business in Western Australia is building enduring relationships with the communities that host our operations. To that end, Apache has been a sponsor of the annual Exmouth Whaleshark festival, providing a display and staff to explain the role of oil and gas in adjacent waters. Apache also has sponsored the annual NAIDOC indigenous art awards in Exmouth as well as hosting regular community briefings on company activities impacting the region.
In 2013, Apache hosted the inaugural visit of the U.S. Consul General to Western Australia and senior representatives of the Shire of Exmouth to the Atwood Falcon drill rig during its offshore drilling campaign in the Exmouth subbasin. Apache also was a sponsor and participant in the 50th anniversary commemoration of the founding of the township of Exmouth in January 2014.
While most of our Australian operations are located offshore, Apache’s onshore Devil Creek Domestic Gas plant is an active member of the Pilbara community, participating in the Karratha District’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry, road safety forums and the Shire of Roebourne local government authority.
Apache has provided funds for amenities at the nearby Gnorrea Point camping area as part of a community benefits package and funds a number of community initiatives, including Aboriginal driver education and other education programs. In recent years, Devil Creek has hosted the annual WA Chamber of Commerce and Industry North West resources tour, connecting Western Australian business with the state’s resources sector.
Responsible Shale Operations
Listening closely to community needs during shale operations is a top priority for Apache. The company recognizes the importance of developing relationships with local communities through a broad and inclusive process from project initiation to completion. Building these partnerships provides a foundation for positive socio-economic outcomes for the company, the community and its services. As we listen, Apache responds to community concerns and works to implement programs to reduce impacts.
Among its efforts, Apache has introduced vehicle monitoring devices to ensure employees operate vehicles safely on public roadways. The company implements baseline groundwater testing protocols to make sure local groundwater resources are protected. Apache also is reducing its use of freshwater and now recycles much of the water used in drilling operations, an issue important to local communities.
Promoting quality education
For years, Apache has promoted educational opportunities for teachers and students across the globe. Two of its most notable endeavors are Fund for Teachers and Springboard: Educating the Future.
Founded in 2001, Fund for Teachers enriches the personal and professional growth of teachers by supporting them as they pursue opportunities around the globe in self-designed summer fellowships.
More than 6,000 teachers have been awarded nearly $22 million in grants for fellowships that have taken place in 124 countries, empowering them to explore ideas, terrains, and cultures and impacting students in classrooms across the United States.
Fellowships for 2014 include:
- Explore children’s use of art and writing during the Holocaust in Amsterdam, Terezin and museum archives in Israel;
- Research traditional and contemporary art and culture in China and Taiwan;
- Explore the historic geography of the Grand Canyon; and
- Investigate innovative uses of technology at an education conference in Florence, Italy.
Building schools in Egypt
In Egypt, Apache continues to provide educational opportunities for children who might otherwise not have the prospect of going to school.
In the Matrouh area in Egypt’s Western Desert, Apache completed construction of a sixth co-educational school for the Bedouins, a desert-dwelling nomadic tribe. A total of 200 students attend the schools. The company’s support includes monitoring student performance, furnishing school supplies and providing building maintenance. The schools are built in small villages and often serve as the only primary school for the children living there.
Apache also has built 201 one-room schools attended by about 7,000 girls in remote rural areas of the country where educational opportunities for girls are scarce. Apache and Springboard: Educating the Future have partnered with Egypt’s National Council for Childhood and Motherhood and the Sawiris Foundation for Social Development to provide the educational prospects for girls.
Egypt launched its National Girls’ Education Initiative in 2003 with the goal of providing quality education to underprivileged girls who are deprived of educational opportunities due to geographic, social and economic realities.
Lending a helping hand
Apache’s community outreach programs support many charitable and civic organizations around the world.
The centerpiece of the company’s community outreach is its popular tree giveaway program. Since donating its first seedling in 2005, Apache has awarded 3.6 million trees to nonprofit organizations in 16 U.S. states to help improve wildlife habitats, restore storm damage and enhance communities where the company operates.
The trees go to nonprofit organizations including cities, counties, schools, parks, universities, youth associations, wildlife refuges and community groups.
Among the recent recipients was the city of El Reno, a small central Oklahoma town where about 200 residents braved chilly weather one Saturday morning for the opportunity to take home crape myrtle, maple, oak, redbud and other trees. About 850 trees were given away to the residents.
El Reno was just one of the many communities to receive free trees from the Apache Tree Grant Program in 2013. Forty-seven organizations in Oklahoma, Louisiana, Texas and New Mexico were awarded grants totaling more than 250,000 trees.
In Houston, Mayor Annise Parker joined company officials at Memorial Park to plant 10,000 trees donated by Apache in honor of Arbor Day. There, the company kicked off its “Trees for Tots” program in which employees planted a redbud tree for each baby born to an Apache family living in the Houston area.
In Louisiana, the Black Bear Conservation Coalition planted 85,000 trees from Apache to help restore the habitat for threatened black bears. In New Orleans, the City Council issued a special proclamation to honor Apache for its contribution of more than 20,000 trees that have been planted throughout the metropolitan area from 2005 to 2012.
The company donated 3,000 trees to the restoration of the Gettysburg battlefield to mark its 150th anniversary. The tree donation was used to replant fruit orchards and recreate wooded areas throughout Gettysburg National Park to help restore the battlefield. Click here to see how the donation is helping visitors travel back in time.
Trees are a valuable natural resource that improve air quality, provide essential habitat and enhance neighborhoods. It is estimated each tree can remove 110 pounds of carbon dioxide per year for 50 years, or about 2.5 tonnes during the life of the tree.
Volunteering
Planting trees is only one of the many civic efforts embraced by Apache employees. Employees and their families regularly donate their time, effort and money to hundreds of charitable causes each year. Charities supported by company employees include Habitat for Humanity, Special Olympics, Adopt a Beach, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, American Red Cross, Project C.U.R.E., Ronald McDonald House, Wounded Warrior Project and many more.
In 2013, employees donated $1.2 million in personal funds that were matched by the company for a total of $2.4 million worldwide through the Apache Matching Gift Program. The program matches donations to charitable organizations in social welfare, education, conservation and ecology, health and human services, arts and culture, and civic improvements. Apache matches employee contributions on a dollar-for-dollar basis up to $10,000 per employee per year.
By matching employee contributions to eligible 501(c) (3) or 501(c) (3)-equivalent non-profit groups, Apache supports organizations that are important in employees’ lives and encourages community involvement. Through matching gifts, the impact of Apache’s community outreach program is multiplied and reaches a broad spectrum of organizations.
Corporate Outreach
One of the more popular charity events sponsored by Apache is the Tour de Houston fundraising bike ride that benefits the nonprofit Houston Parks Board and its efforts to reforest the city. About 4,200 riders signed up for the ride through downtown and surrounding areas, with Apache’s headquarters serving as the first and fifth rest stops for the cyclists.
Another charitable program popular among Apache employees is Habitat for Humanity. Each year, volunteers gather to build a home for a family in need of affordable housing. Since 1987, Habitat for Humanity has built 840 homes housing more than 2,800 deserving Houston families.
Apache volunteers hauled in 51 bags of trash during the annual Adopt a Beach effort at San Luis Pass in Galveston. Apaches and their families spent three hours collecting everything from discarded window blinds to fireworks to car parts along the beach. The Adopt a Beach program is sponsored by the Texas General Land Office.
Volunteers also assisted athletes in the Special Olympics Spring Games. Special Olympics provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.
Each year, Apache conducts a Military Appreciation Assembly to honor Apache employees and family members who have served in the armed forces. As part of that celebration, the company hosts a military care package drive to collect supplies for Operation Interdependence, a nonprofit group that supports troops serving on the frontlines, military families and veterans.
Regional Outreach
Apache’s charitable outreach extends throughout the world, touching numerous lives in regions where company employees live and work.
Australia
In Australia, a group of Apache electricians and electrical contractors working on Varanus Island raised more than $6,000 for charity. The money was generated from the sale of copper extracted from obsolete switch gear that would otherwise have been scrapped.
The electricians spent nearly a year gathering the $6,000 worth of copper. While it took extra time and effort to get approvals to extract and sell the copper, the group intends to carry on its efforts as long as there is obsolete material to process.
The region boosted its support of the Western Australia’s Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation by committing $152,500 to the LINC program at the children’s hospital.
The LINC program helps caregivers who may need community-based support such as respite, advocacy, financial assistance or practical help. A caregiver is someone who provides ongoing support and assistance to a child with disability or chronic illness.
Apache has supported the LINC program and other hospital initiatives for the past six years.
The region is a principle partner of the 2014 “Gift of Hearing” appeal, a fundraising initiative of the Ear Science Institute Australia (ESIA), marking the third year Apache has supported the program.
ESIA is dedicated to the research, treatment and prevention of disorders of the ear, hearing, balance and associated conditions.
The region supports the Lions Eye Institute, which held the grand opening of its new research laboratories in Perth during summer 2014. Aiming to prevent and cure blindness and eye disease, the institute’s mission is to provide leadership in scientific research and clinical practice.
The Australia Region also supports the Dreamfit Foundation and its Dream Program, which assists people with disabilities by providing individualized equipment-matching service. The Dreamfit team will source, modify or custom design a piece of equipment to help people with disabilities try new activities and overcome challenges in their daily life.
The region works closely with the Constable Care Child Safety Foundation, which celebrated 25 years of providing safety education programs. About 150,000 children learn about safety through the program each year.
Canada
Apache’s Canada Region has been recognized for its extensive volunteer efforts. The region received the Propellus Calgary award for Outstanding Employee Volunteer Program in 2014. Propellus is a nonprofit group offering consulting services that help organizations succeed.
The Outstanding Employee Volunteer Award recognizes businesses that demonstrate success in developing and implementing an employee volunteer program that is supported at all levels in the organization. Nominees exemplify social responsibility through leadership and innovation in their efforts to promote employee volunteerism.
Apache was nominated for the volunteer award by the nonprofit Calgary Urban Project Society (CUPS). During the past 15 years, Apache has volunteered thousands of hours and raised more than $1 million for CUPS programs in health, education and housing for Calgary’s poor.
Apache’s signature event is the Kickoff Breakfast in support of CUPS and in partnership with the Calgary Stampeders football team, which attracts more than 700 people from the city’s business and political communities. Each year, 50 Apache employees volunteer their time organizing the event to raise money for CUPS. Started in 1992, the breakfast raised more than $90,000 last year.
The region also maintains strong relationships with other community partners, such as Ronald McDonald House. Each summer, employees and their families take part in the “Rock the House Run presented by Apache” to raise funds for the charity. Apache has made a long-term commitment to the organization, contributing more than $600,000 since 2006.
With input from employees, Apache also organizes volunteer and fundraising events for United Way of Calgary and Area, the Calgary Zoo, the Alzheimer’s Society of Canada and other organizations.
In addition to volunteering, the Canada Region also steps up in times of disaster. The region contributed $500,000 to relief efforts in southern Alberta following devastating flooding in June 2013 that forced more than 100,000 people from their homes and caused billions of dollars in damage.
A number of Apache employees in the Calgary area were affected by the floods, with some losing homes and possessions. Despite their difficulties, many employees volunteered to help in dozens of communities across the area.
Apache’s $500,000 donation included $250,000 to the Calgary Foundation, which supports qualified recipients in long-term rebuilding and recovery efforts. The additional $250,000 was directed to organizations supporting the relief efforts.
A month after the disaster, a group of 25 employees from Apache’s Calgary office boarded a bus and traveled to Okotoks south of Calgary to lend a hand to flood victims.
The team pitched in on a shift at the Salvage Centre, a nonprofit organization where people affected by the flooding could get necessary items such as clothing, bedding and furniture. The employees stayed busy organizing the center and stocking shelves with donations from people throughout southern Alberta.
Egypt
The Egypt Region has been helping the country’s orphans since 2005. Last year, it raised US $23,000 (160,160 EGP), the largest donation since the region began its annual campaign for needy orphanages.
The money, donated by Apaches throughout the region and matched dollar-for-dollar by the company, is being used to purchase food, clothing, medicine, school supplies, toys and more.
Twenty orphanages and 16 associations in 10 cities, including Cairo, benefit from the fundraising campaign. There are an estimated 1.7 million Egyptian orphans.
The region also promotes education. The region was named a global finalist for the U.S. Secretary of State’s 2013 Award for Corporate Excellence for its corporate social responsibility programs, including its efforts to provide educational opportunities for girls in Egypt’s rural communities.
Apache has built 201 one-room schools attended by about 7,000 girls in remote rural areas of the country where educational prospects are scarce.
An interagency committee chaired by the State Department chose 12 U.S. companies as finalists from 42 nominations submitted by U.S. ambassadors around the world. Apache was named a finalist for its “exemplary corporate citizenship, innovation and distinguished contributions to the overall growth and sustainable development of the local economy in Egypt.”
United Kingdom
Apache’s North Sea Region has a long track record of supporting community projects.
At the Peterhead Health Center in Scotland, Apache donated funds to purchase two pieces of medical equipment used daily: a blood pressure monitor and a new electric bed.
The blood pressure monitor and electric bed are the latest in a long list of diagnostic tools Apache donations have acquired for the health center and its patients. Patients can take the small monitors home with them to get more accurate blood pressure readings. The electric beds are used in examination rooms to make patients more comfortable.
Apache also supports the Aberdeenshire Life Education Services, a health education charity working in partnership with schools, parents, businesses and the community to teach children about healthy life choices. The charity’s programs supplement the educational services children receive in primary schools.
Three mobile classrooms operated by the charity visit every Aberdeenshire nursery, primary school and special needs school annually, delivering age-appropriate programs on healthy lifestyles, including drug awareness. The funds donated by Apache are helping the organization purchase a fourth mobile classroom.
Donations from Apache North Sea help support the Buchanhaven School in Peterhead. Current projects include the construction of two additional classrooms to accommodate the growing student population.
Apache also donated five new computers to the Saint Fergus’ Primary School. With the donation, each classroom now has one desktop connected to a separate smartboard, which is an essential tool for teaching. The school is located in Paisley southwest of Glasgow in Scotland.
New Ventures
In Alaska, the Apache Rainbow Challenge fly fishing tournament gives participants the opportunity to fly fish for rainbow trout on the world famous Kenai River.
Over the past two years, Apache has raised $90,000 from the tournament to benefit the Tustumena 200 Sled Dog Race, the only Iditarod sled dog race qualifying event on the Kenai Peninsula. The donated funds have kept the race afloat following financial setbacks in recent years.
In addition to the Tustumena 200, the fly fishing tournament supports Alaska Resource Education, a partnership between the state Department of Education and private industry to educate young people about Alaska’s natural resources through classroom visits and teacher training.
