As parents are prone to say: Don’t give me any static. A much-overlooked safety hazard in the oilfield, static electricity accumulation can be dangerous. The oil and gas industry is renowned for its complex operations, hazardous environments, and rigorous safety protocols. While there are many commonly known risks like hydrocarbon releases, blowouts, and mechanical failures […]
Cleaner is Better
Click here to listen to the Audio verison of this story! Permian Basin methane emissions have dropped by 20 percent since 2022, even as production has increased, according to a S&P Global study, as reported on this magazine’s website (tinyurl.com/yc6jd2pt). That good news is a result of many different approaches, and three of them […]
The Real Role of Mature Workers: Mentors and Leaders
According to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), the number of people aged 65 and older working or seeking work has increased by 144 percent over the past 20 years. The broader labor force expanded by approximately 13 percent during that period. The trend had been building momentum when it ran up against the wall […]
Difference Maker
Click here to listen to the Audio verison of this story! The person who founded what is now Diamondback Energy and took it from a tiny, private-equity-backed firm producing 3,700 barrels of oil equivalent per day (BOE/d) in 2012 to a publicly traded firm producing more than 900,000 BOE/d in 2025, deserves to […]
Natgas In Ascendancy
By the time 2026 arrives, the Permian Basin will again be producing more natural gas than any other region in North America. Whether that abundance translates into “bright prospects” depends on where one stands in the value chain—but the consensus among analysts is that natural gas will play a larger strategic role in the Basin’s […]
Giving Back
Click here to listen to the Audio verison of this story! From helping people save homes and cars to funding education, to funding family-building events, oil patch companies and organizations are busy in the community beyond just the business of finding and transporting oil and gas Both Oilfield Helping Hands and Danos Gives began […]
Shrinkage, Consolidation, Steering, and Going Casual
Shrinkage. The oilfield services world has shrunk. The year 2014 marked the top and we have been shrinking ever since. The industry is now the market cap of Shell. The entire industry. It isn’t all bad. As long as everyone is making money. We aren’t there yet but we will be. It is a very […]
Stay Safe on Those Holiday Roads
Click here to listen to the Audio verison of this story! It’s a customary practice to tell people to be safe around the holidays. And of course road safety is especially important. I’m going to encourage you to be safe on the roads by telling you three true tales of less-than-safe road behavior. Fortunately, […]
The Safety Professional’s Whack-a-Mole Reality
Step into any bustling workplace—be it a construction site, manufacturing plant, oilfield, or office tower—and you’ll find a safety professional engaged in a daily dance with risk. It’s a role that demands more than just adherence to rules or checking boxes. In fact, being a safety person is strikingly similar to playing a round of […]
Grounded in Grit, Driven by Trust
Click here to listen to the Audio verison of this story! In the heart of West Texas and southeastern New Mexico, the Permian Basin isn’t just oil-country. It’s banking country too. Here, financial institutions don’t simply lend, they live the energy business, and they know that raising the next generation of bankers and customers […]