Click here to listen to the Audio version of this story! What if you could ask your smart speaker something like, “Hey, for our wells in Loving County, what is the risk of frac hits from neighboring leases?” and, in a few seconds, get a detailed answer? Although this sounds amazingly close to asking […]
Compliance, Competence, and Commitment
Safety has a tendency to find all kinds of acronyms to serve as catchy bywords. Take for instance the “Three C’s” of safety. This trio—compliance, competence, and commitment—furnish a catch-all category that encompasses the root causes of all injuries and accidents. Each C is equally necessary. It’s like a 3-legged stool. One weak leg can […]
Fueling the Planet
Click here to listen to the Audio version of this story! Since 2023 the United States has been the world’s top exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG), ahead of Australia and Qatar. In fact, a recent report by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) showed that the top U.S. gas basins—the Permian is second only […]
Honoring Our Own
PHOTOGRAPHY BY: CRE8IVE MARKETING AGENCY, WWW.CRE8IVE.COM MIDLAND, TEXAS—Amidst well-wishing, applause, and overflowing good will, oilman Travis Stice accepted the Permian Basin Petroleum Association’s Top Hand Award for 2025 here at a gala ceremony at the Petroleum Club on the evening of Jan. 29. The award, which is the highest honor conferred by the PBPA each […]
Heroes and Leaders
Honesty and politeness are in short supply. Imagine the worst of times in business. Did you think of 1929, the 1960s, 1973, 2001, 2008, or 2020, to name a few? Political upheaval and business uncertainty often go hand in hand. Throughout history, there have been heroes and villains, but hopefully the good guys prevail in […]
Garrett Golding: On Energy, Economics, and More in the Permian Basin
MIDLAND, TEXAS—In the first luncheon of 2026 for the Permian Basin Petroleum Association, invited speaker Garrett Golding, Assistant Vice President for Energy Programs at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, addressed the PBPA’s membership on Feb. 19 in the banquet hall of this city’s Petroleum Club. Golding share his insights drawn from his work at […]
The Basin as Entertainment
Click here to listen to the Audio version of this story! If you’ve followed the Paramount Plus dramatic series Landman through two seasons now, I imagine you’ve begun to think of the characters as family. Dysfunctional family, to be sure, but family. The steady character development within the show is giving the series […]
Anatomy of an Independent
Click here to listen to the Audio version of this story! Usually, all the industry news is about the major operators, and sure, they are influencers and market makers. Beyond the spotlight, however, are a host of hard-working independent producers. Working together, independents actually produce about 83 percent of U.S. oil and 90 percent […]
“Back” to the Future!
Welcome to this month’s edition of Safety. Each year, regardless of anyone’s job description, whether white collar or blue collar, back injuries rank among the most prevalent suffered in the workplace. Each year there are more than two million back injuries. Eighty percent of adults suffer a back injury sometime in their lifetime, whether at […]
Finding Funding
Click here to listen to the Audio version of this story! In a time of extensive mergers and acquisitions (M&A), momentum reversals in energy transition, and other industry turmoil, oilfield service companies (OFS) looking to finance fleet upgrades or expansions face some headwinds. The good news is there are still many workable options available. […]