Text and photography by Patrick Currey

For the kid who walked a mile to school in 20 below zero weather in Soldotna, Alaska, the cold was no big deal. Instead, the big deal growing up was feeding a moose off the back deck .  

“They love lettuce and raspberries,” said Zia Hills Multi-Skill Operator (MSO) Jonathan Boone Jr. “We weren’t really supposed to feed them but in Alaska, kids are still kids.” 

After high school, wanderlust got the better of Jonathan and his early trail landed him on a small horse ranch on the eastern plains of South Dakota.  

“I’d never ridden a horse in my life,” he admitted. “I was a little intimidated if not a little scared.” 

He fell in with a hardworking, hard-playing bunch, learned the finer art of taming horses, and that near-mystic communication between horse and rider, but not without a few hard landings himself.  

Next Stop – Delaware Basin

The energy sector was a natural fit for Jonathan. He’d been around it most of his life. His father, Jonathan H. Boone, worked at the ConocoPhillips Nikiski LNG plant in Alaska and had done stints offshore Africa and at APLNG. Transferred to the emerging operations in the Delaware Basin, Dad told Jonathan about the outstanding job opportunities in the far corner of southeast New Mexico. Equipped with general roustabout and welding skills, a strong work ethic and a matching youthful “can do” approach, Jonathan hired on as a new MSO out of the Loving, New Mexico office.

“In the Zia Hills we work with facility production and maintenance to ensure well and facility optimization,” he said.

Part of the MSO's job is to understand why wells start dropping in production. 

“Is it a lift design flaw or are we losing reservoir pressure? Are there restrictions in the facility? These are all part of a day’s questions to be solved. Can I fix it or live with it?  That’s an MSO’s role – to figure it out.”

While safety culture never rests on the job, the biggest hazard in the Delaware is arguably the drive to work. 

One day near Malaga, not far from the Loving Office a sand hauler hit his brakes and was slammed into by the truck behind.

Jonathan’s immediate reaction was to pull over and make sure everyone was OK. The first at the scene, he saw the driver pinned inside the cab. Even with the help of others who’d also stopped to render assistance, they couldn’t force the door open. The pillar was destroyed. The driver was bleeding but conscious.

Jonathan could smell noxious fumes and saw that the truck’s engine was on fire. He kept calm, raced for his extinguisher, and put the engine fire out, saving the vehicle and driver from being engulfed in flames.  

To keep the driver from passing out they kept the conversation up, cut the seat belt away and gave him electrolytes. Emergency medical services responded quickly and finally extracted the injured driver with the jaws of life.  

Safety is continually reinforced at ConocoPhillips with annual courses in defensive driving, first aid and CPR training at the Loving Office. “In our daily safety briefings, we always cover the importance of driving.”  

For his on-the-spot emergency response, Jonathan was awarded a 2022 SPIRIT Award, but was quick to commend the other selfless drivers who stopped to render assistance. 

“People continued stop to see if we needed relief or if they could do anything to help. There’s a real sense of community out here. I’m glad to be a part of it.”