It’s a New World In this month’s roundup of news and views, we share some headlines that, five years ago, few would have expected to see. But that is how much things have changed since the previous boom cycle. These are the full versions of the “Drilling Deeper” news items that appeared as abbreviated versions […]
What Sells, and Why: An Auction Primer
Via email, Ben Beasley, Director, Strategic Accounts (Ritchie Bros.) provided PB Oil and Gas Magazine with feedback, as follows. PB Oil and Gas: What are the top items, count-wise, being put up for auction in the Permian over the last six months, or since January, whichever way you have recent time frames calculated? How has […]
Living in the Real World
“The last sale we had, I got up [on the podium] at 10:00 in the morning and got down at 7:30,” said Machinery Auctioneers Owner/Auctioneer Terry Dickenson. “I never left the chair.” How does he keep from losing his voice after nine-and-a-half hours of constant auctioneering? “Well, the voice, you know—you just get on adrenaline” […]
Hiring and Firing: What do I need to know?
What are a few critical things that you need to know before hiring or firing an employee? First, avoid hiring people who are not a good fit for the organization. I have had clients that were so quick to hire that they did not read the job application. How do you tell your boss that […]
The Cafeteria Plan
Welcome back! I thank you for the feedback and responses to the safety section of Permian Basin Oil and Gas Magazine. It is fun to write about some experiences, solutions, and different angles on how to make safety relevant, innovative, and even (sometimes) thought provoking. As I’ve said before, there are numerous different angles to […]
Pushing the Frontiers
In this month’s roundup of news and views, we share some progressive views and expansive pronouncements. These are the full versions of the “Drilling Deeper” news items that appeared as abbreviated versions in the print edition of PB Oil and Gas Magazine’s October 2019 issue. Upstream Sector Emerging As Epicenter for Industrial Internet The upstream […]
Lease Prices, Demystified
In recent months some record dollar amounts have been paid for leases in the Permian Basin. In 2018 a Santa Fe firm that places bids for anonymous investors bid more than $95,000 per acre for a tract of U.S. government land on the New Mexico side of the Basin. That number was a record high […]
On the Front End
In this month’s roundup of news and views, we share some firsts and foremosts. The Basin is a fertile ground for superlatives and precedent-setters. These are the full versions of the “Drilling Deeper” news items that appeared as abbreviated versions in the print edition of PB Oil and Gas Magazine’s September 2019 issue. Longest Lateral […]
Oil Patch Tales: The Doodlebugger
By Bobby Weaver I was late getting down to the Rig #8 last Thursday but as soon I got there and my eyes adjusted to the dim interior I spotted all the regulars gathered at a corner table in what appeared to be a somewhat somber mood. I got my usual long neck and joined […]
Hiring: How Will the People Be Found?
More than ever, the success, and the future, of the Permian Basin depends on the region’s ability to hire the right people and in the necessary quantities. Being attractive enough to potential workers beyond New Mexico and Texas can mean less competition within the region for its limited pool of qualified workers, and thereby can […]