By Natalie Hobbs, Timmerie V. Smith, Kristin Rodin, Saebree Gonzales and Bre Sanchez
A working pump jack in the Permian Basin part of West Texas (Timmerie V. Smith).
Texas residents are speaking about the global energy, economic and humanitarian challenges from the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February, international energy and trade markets have struggled to maintain stability. As the conflict continues, financial and emotional hardships are felt around the world.
Energy and Economic Impacts in Texas
Wade Jones, CEO and founder of Infinity Hydrocarbons, said gasoline prices have increased substantially due to the decline in gas supply as Russian crude oil is currently banned in the United States.
“Gasoline is a refined product of crude oil,” Jones said. “So when the prices of crude oil increase, the prices that you are going to see at the pump are going to increase as well.”
Jones said some Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast refineries have been importing certain qualities of crude oil from Russia that help with the refining process for gasoline.
“With these Russian grades of crude oil being banned, these refineries will have to switch to other and likely more expensive qualities of crude oil,” Jones said. “Which will likely impact the price seen at the pump as well.”
An active oil rig in the Permian Basin of West Texas (Timmerie V. Smith).
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration website, the U.S. imported 12,569 barrels of crude oil and petroleum products from Russia in Dec. 2021. This is a significant drop from May 2021, when 26,171 barrels were imported from Russia.
Jones said Texas’ supply is not being affected by the conflict, but it is still being affected by the inflation caused by rising gas prices. The higher energy prices are fueling inflation in the country.
“The cost of most everything is increasing,” Jones said, “and we are all being impacted negatively by the increasing cost of living.”
While Texas’ energy supply is not being directly affected, other global resources are at risk due to the conflict.
According to a press release from the International Monetary Fund, sanctions on Russia will worsen global supply chain issues and the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. With Russia’s expulsion from various banks from the Society of Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication, the International Monetary Fund reports Russia’s economy has struggled to pay for imports and receive payment for exports.
Humanitarian Effects
Data from the Global Conflict Tracker, created by the Council on Foreign Relations, indicates there have been over 2,000 civilian casualties since Feb. 24, when Russia invaded Ukraine.
Alicia Rigney, a Lubbock missionary who spent multiple summers in Ukraine, said the conflict between Russia and Ukraine genuinely upsets her.
“I have cried so many tears over this,” Rigney said. “It has broken my heart because I know how beautiful those cities are and they’re now being flattened.”
Alicia Rigney (left) and her Ukrainian Translator, Gregory Salivon (right), pictured here after three days moving West after the bombing started in Kharkiv. Photo provided by Alicia Rigney.
Rigney said Ukrainian residents are heartbroken with the current situation.
“Most of the heartbreak comes from seeing a land they love just be completely destroyed for no reason – having to leave everything they were doing at a moment’s notice in order to escape the bombings,” Rigney said.
The Council on Foreign Relations reports nearly 5.4 million refugees have fled from Ukraine since February.
Rigney said the Ukrainian citizens she has been in contact with have fled to bunkers, mountains and surrounding countries. Refugees are struggling to find work and speak the language of the countries they fled to.
Rigney said she was in contact with a Ukrainian friend when Russia initially invaded.
“The night of the first attack I was on the phone with one of my translators and we were just crying and praying,” Rigney said. “She was so scared.”
Leyla Mamedov, a Russian student at Texas A&M, said she feels sympathy for both Ukrainian and Russian citizens.
“It’s upsetting seeing innocent Ukrainian’s go through their houses and hometowns getting bombed,” Mamedov said. “And I feel bad for Russian citizens because there’s nothing anyone can really do to stop Putin from ordering all of this.”
Mamedov said she wishes Russian citizens would not face the consequences of their president’s actions.
“I feel bad that all of these companies like Amazon, Apple, and so many more are done shipping their products to Russia,” Mamedov said. “Russian citizens don’t deserve that either.”
Rigney said this conflict will not only bring destruction and war, but previous relationships between Russia and other countries will never be the same.
“Well, I think it has strained the relationship forever between Russia and everybody,” Rigney said. “And we being the other superpower, it of course is going to affect our relationship with Russia.”
Rigney said she believes the current Ukrainian president is who the country needs at a time like this.
“In the book of Esther chapter 4:14 it says, ‘perhaps you were born for such a time as this,’” Rigney said, “and I think that about President Zelenksyy. He is absolutely the person they need right now.”
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