Hayley with some of the refugee children from Ukraine. Their parents were forced to leave their children in the care of the Polish people so they could return to Ukraine and fight.(Photo courtesy of Yourbasin.com)
West Texas musician lends helping hand amid Russian invasion of Ukraine
By Erica Miller
ODESSA, Texas (KMID/KPEJ) – Country music star and West Texas native Scott Hayley is no stranger to hard work — his oil field grit has helped him climb the county music charts and has taught him a lot about what it takes to succeed. Four months ago, Hayley packed his guitar and boarded a plane bound for Romania- all to help a crisis-stricken country wean itself off of Russian oil.
Hayley has worked in the oil and gas industry in the Permian Basin for nearly 20 years; most recently, he’s acted as a consultant lending his directional drilling expertise to companies in the area. He originally wanted to take a break from drilling and focus solely on his music, then COVID hit, and the world stopped. Drilling came to a halt and concerts across the country were cancelled. That’s when Hayley decided it was best to find balance and kept pursuing both of his passions.
“I tried to leave oil and gas several years ago and just play music. But, as you know, this stuff gets in your blood- that black gold runs through your veins. It’s something I just couldn’t give up,” Hayley said.
Which is probably a good thing, as the oil and gas industry in the U.S. has ramped up its production amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. And while the U.S. is well equipped to handle the demand in the wake of the halt on Russian imports, other countries in Europe aren’t as lucky.
Read this full story at Yourbasin.com.
Hayley packed his guitar and boarded a plane bound for Romania- all to help a crisis-stricken country wean itself off of Russian oil.
Hayley at a drilling site in Romania.
