LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) – At a roundtable Tuesday, leaders in the oil and gas industry discussed the future of the industry and how it’s shaping up in 2017.

It was a full house at the Petroleum Club Tuesday as a panel of speakers hashed out the past, present, and future of the struggling oil and gas industry.

“We want people to be informed we want people to be excited about where the industry is going,” said Chad Mercke.

International Society of Automation Lafayette Section President Chad Mercke said the industry is slowly coming back.

“We are seeing a little bit of a spike. Hiring is starting to come back. A lot of the shell plays on land reviving in the Gulf of Mexico, some projects in the deep water are back on so things are starting to look a little brighter.”

UL Dean of Engineering Dr. Mark Zappi said a big contributing factor to bringing the industry back is the White House.

“Anytime you cut regulations, that stifles growth and industry investment. I think that this is a president that is environmentally sensitive but also supports fossil fuels, and I think that we can have our cake and eat it too. You could utilize fossil fuels and you can also protect the environment and I think that our industry is well equipped to handle these challenges.”

Stone Energy Vice President Keith Seilhan wants to encourage young minds to stick with it.

“My belief is this, the students that are in college now have a very bright career in this future and there’s one primary thing driving that. A lot of the talent, the experienced talent, has recently left. It’s going to have to be replaced when things warm up, so if these students graduating are just a little patient and get good experience they are going to have a very lucrative career because they are going to fill a gap in their generation and the one in front of them.”

Seilhan said hiring is expected to pick up by 2018.