As I write these words (2:00 p.m. on Friday, March 27), WTI crude stands at $99.48. And note that we are talking WTI here, not Brent. Brent was at $113. And this in a world where, only a few months ago, forecasters were saying we’d be in the $50s range at this time. What a […]
Landman as Comeuppance
Click here to listen to the Audio version of this story! Reader, your working world and your daily doings are the most exciting stuff anyone in the country has ever seen. At least that’s what the streaming series Landman has proven, if viewer ratings have anything to say about it. And while you might not […]
Going Robo
Click here to listen to the Audio version of this story! It’s a new kind of truck on an old familiar road. If you’ve spent any time driving Interstate 20 through the Permian Basin, you know the rhythm of the road. Long stretches of asphalt. Pickups and hotshots. Endless convoys of sand trucks running […]
AI in Action
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 […]