This week marked the one year anniversary of the closing of Franklin Mountain Energy’s acquisition of OneEnergy’s Lea county, NM assets. I have been so blessed to work with the team over the past year and I’m excited for the 2020+ drilling campaign. As for me, it’s time for a pivot. The entrepreneurial journey I’ve been on since 2012 has been incredible. I could never have imagined the course my river would take and for now, I’ve found a nice spot on the bank to take...

The week so far has had some unexpected turns: My keynote speech in Dallas was personal  (but fear not... I still brought my message of gloom); companies are focusing on FCF AND slowing down AND return OF capital; and I’m posting stories about my favorite bosses. If you had told me about this week 4 months ago- I would have said you were lying. So to close the series ‘My best bosses’, There are too many stories but I really only need one quote: “Trust your...

Yesterday’s visit by “The Ghosts of Bosses Past” sparked an avalanche of memories (please, somebody just merge already!). So the ghostly visits continue... Early in my career- I was pretty dynamic (some might use aggressive, especially for a Canadian). I called people out, I didn’t suffer fools and I generally went around assuming that work should be the only focus of anyone on payroll. I was full of piss and vinegar. Smart and driven. And basically every boss’s worst nightmare. Instead of putting me on a leash and...

It’s almost as though energy companies are conspiring against me. No mergers. Minimal Q announcements. Even the Houthi rebels have taken a break, creating a void and deafening silence (to me!) in the energy space. So what am I to do?  Break my posting streak of ~320 days or continue to break with tradition and tell a happy story? I don’t want to get the wrong reputation... On the WP podcast, I talked of one of my first work mentors- the person who made the move to...

I was so convinced there would be a merger announcement today, I didn’t write a post while the ‘creative juices’ were flowing last night.  Alas! No ‘Merger Monday’ event to write about so instead, I’ll have to freestyle a heartwarming and out of character post. At some point in your career- probably too late- you realize that you spend more time at work than you do anywhere else.  Which is why- income aside- work is so impactful to your mood and outlook. When Anadarko bought Kerr McGee in...

We now return to our regularly scheduled topical hottakes (In advance of what I hope is Merger Monday!!) The US Horizontal rig count dropped a whopping 17 rigs last week, inching closer to my 700 HZ rig target. Halliburton’s Quarterly earnings showed a 21% drop in revenue from their completion and production division - in spite of no where near that percentage of drop in the Q3 gross well completion activity.  This suggests smaller stages, wider stage spacing and companies working hard to get wells on production...

As my eldest and I were joking around, working on his golf swing and watching Dave Chappelle last night, he turned to me, gave me a big hug and said “it’s nice to have my real dad back.”  And you know what?  I agree.  It’s nice to be back. Every once in about 9 months you have a experience where you say “This time, I’m going to remember this moment forever”.  You never do- but you try to capture it the best you can.  Hopefully I capture it...

The series over the last week was a great set up for Q3 earnings, and man am I excited.  So let’s get the last of the optimism out of the way. (Because I’m gonna roll up the sleeves and get dirty next week...) I believe with 100% confidence that the world will continue to need energy, from all sources and in particular, oil and gas. I believe that prices- the lifeline and anchor to the industry- will have to match the price of the marginal local bbl and...

There was a piece in a Vanity Fair article on Theranos that boiled down the Silicon Valley business plan perfectly. I’ve pasted it in the comments section.  But suffice to say - the punch to the face that was the WeWork IPO (down 80% valuation when bankers have to buy it?!) coupled with the trade war and fears of recession and investors are taking a pause and evaluating the companies they own... does this business plan make sense?  And, most importantly, even though it’s a great business,...

I don’t know if you’ve landed at DIA recently, but when you do and just want to get where you are going, an Uber can take upwards of 20 minutes just to arrive.  So last night, after a long travel day- I went to the cab line to expedite the process. 45 minutes later my usual $41 Uber was replaced with a $77 cab.  Not surprisingly, like most things, the event reminded me of oil and gas.   Hope and dreams and growth are great but...