They Came Out Smoking It was Napoleon who said that “an army travels on its stomach.” If the army that descended on Windwalker Farms ever were pressed into duty on the field of battle, not only would it be formidable—with 300 under arms, and a high incidence of marksmen—but it’d be well-fed, too, with a […]
The Booming Business of Worker Accommodations
Living Large, Temporary Style It goes by a number of names: temporary housing, workforce housing, “man camps,” lodges, worker accommodations—but by whatever name, these developments are making an impact in the Permian, as they have in all booming oil and gas plays. ODESSA—It’s quiet here in the dining hall of Goliath Industries’ pristine, barely completed […]
Pushing the Frontier at Pioneer
Pioneering Spirit The President and CEO of Pioneer Natural Resources, Scott Sheffield, combines a global perspective with West Texas savvy to help fuel a resurgence in the Basin. When Teri Pender joined a small independent in Midland 30 years ago as an auditor, she occasionally had to ask questions of a petroleum engineer who always […]
New Mexico’s New Horizons
Although the oil and gas industry in New Mexico is booming—as it is in the rest of the country—these days, Wally Drangmeister calls the state’s industry “a tale of two basins.” Drangmeister, the director of communications for the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association, pointed out that there are a near-record 87 rigs operating in […]
Where Loyalty Still Counts: Mack Chase
The word “artesia” refers to “rising to the top.” Fittingly, the town of Artesia, N.M., is home to an entrepreneur and philanthropist, Mack Chase, who has not only risen himself, but has helped others rise as well. With instincts, luck, and a lot of hard work, Mack C. Chase has forged […]
Corrosion Control
In the Permian Basin, accepting and mastering corrosion brings cost containment and peace of mind. Remember the television commercials for Fram oil filters that made the phrase “Pay me now or pay me later” a recognized part of American culture? Well, those involved in the corrosion control end of the oil and gas industry could […]
Chesapeake’s Chess Move
Chesapeake Energy’s anticipated divestiture of as much as $5 billion in Permian Basin assets is not likely to soften the local market, observers say. The flurry of news reports detailing the financial stresses of Chesapeake Energy, cropping up in mid-May, brought with them the disclosure that the Oklahoma City-based firm is looking to find buyers […]
Opportunity Knocked
The word “Wolfberry” and the name “Jim Henry” will forever be linked in the petroleum history of the Permian Basin. The story’s been told numerous times, and in various ways, but if there is a good “short version” of the tale, it’s in this capsule remark from Henry’s friend Jim White: “He [Jim […]
Epicenter of a Revolution; Part 3 in a Series
No matter where Larry Richards has traveled in the world, He always runs into someone who has been to the Permian Basin. As president of Midland-based Hy-Bon Engineering, Inc., he was in Siberia last year overseeing one of his company’s projects. “I told the group I was from Midland and two men […]
Navigating the Hurdles
Amidst an atmosphere of positivism and enthusiasm, the 18th Annual Executive Oil Conference gave evidence that the Permian Basin, with its technologies and leadership, is poised to enter what could be its greatest chapter. The all-day sessions, which included a number of speakers as well as two panel discussions by industry experts, convened April 3 […]