It wasn’t that long ago that the number of data points for rigs and oilfield equipment could be counted on the fingers of one hand: Is it on, is it leaking, does it sound like it’s working right? All could only be gathered in person—and that last one could be up for discussion. Even a few years ago datapoints, gathered remotely, numbered just a few dozen, then a few hundred, … [Read More]
When the Smoke Cleared
MIDLAND, TEXAS—Oh, the boundless glory. Bear witness, all, to the triumph, the jubilation, the tension, the passion, the mastery, the wonder, and the reverential awe … [Read More]
Phillips 66 Takes Aim on Texas Projects
Phillips 66 announced May 18 it is moving forward with the Zeus Gas Plant and a third Coastal Bend Fractionator, two projects that will advance its integrated … [Read More]
Featured Story
Little Midland: Why the Permian Basin Looms So Large in Houston
Call Houston “Little Midland” and some residents of Midland, Texas, may smile at the irony. Midland sits in the heart of the Permian Basin, where oil wells, pump jacks, drilling rigs, and service yards dominate the landscape. Houston, by contrast, is more than … [Read More]
12 Hours of Money: A Permian Basin Finance Story
Part 1: One Friday morning in August Part 2: Epilogue, The Many Versions of Risk After a long 12 hours on this particular Friday, everyone was exhausted. Carla was managing payroll. Ted was trying to save a company. Linda was deciding what to do with … [Read More]
The Basin is the Best
Life in Southeast New Mexico and West Texas is better than life anywhere else. That's true on any scale or metric—social, cultural, socio-cultural, socio-political, geographic, geologic, anthropogenic, or attitudinal. It's true in terms of liveability, … [Read More]