Don L. Sparks of Midland, founder and chairman of the board for Discovery Operating, will receive the 2022 Top Hand award from Permian Basin Petroleum Association Jan. 18 at Petroleum Club of Midland. After beginning his career with Shell, Sparks founded Discovery in 1973. He is a Navy veteran and graduate of University of Texas with a petroleum engineering degree. Discovery currently operates about 420 wells within 400 miles of Midland with operated production totals of 10,700 b/d of oil and 13 million cubic feet per day of gas.