On the heels of the COP-CXO announcement, word leaked out "from sources familiar that asked not to be named" that Pioneer and Parsley were in discussions.  The two Midland based producers have a storied family history (Parsley was founded by Brian, the Chairman of Pioneer's son, and he remains as Chairman of Parsley) and a core presence in the city.  As you'd expect, therefore, there is some uproar about governance issues with approving this deal but... he/she in glass...

Did you hear the one about the three guys at the Conoco board meeting in 2021?  The first guy says... “I’m so glad we made an accretive transaction.”  The second says “It wasn’t that accretive to me! My stock was down 70%! And now I have a boss!”  The third says “I changed the comp plan the day before I got bags of cash for my company and then they put me on the board here to help with...

In the week I got banned from LinkedIn permanently (#drwisLIdead), another author was temporarily restricted. Gregory Wrightstone writes about climate change and moreover, as is the title of his book, the ‘Inconvenient Facts’ that people don’t want you to know. We will have a series coming up with Doug Sandridge on some additional inconvenient facts (like to replace the Indian Point Nuclear facility when it is shut down in NY will require 500,000 acres of land to be used for...

Last week saw some great rumors and add to the excitement as we head into #MergerMonday tomorrow.  ConocoPhillips is said to be in the final throes of negotiations with Concho, and for all the reasons outlined in the article last week, it seems likely to be announced later today. We will see, but I'm betting yes. Earlier in the week, Paul Sankey outlined the reasons that Exxon and Chevron should ultimately get married and although I don't disagree, I think...

Travis Stice, CEO of Diamondback Energy, was overshadowed by the miraculously leaked rumor that ConocoPhillips was going to buy Concho. Having discussed that yesterday and put it on the shelf to patiently wait the announcement, it's time to get back to discuss the impact, and the meaning, of Mr. Stice's comments. "...While it is important that our industry recovers from this downturn and works to again attract attention and capital from the investment community with well-thought-out long-term investment frameworks, the...

Have you ever wanted to learn about how venture capital in Silicon Valley world? Think you have an idea that can grow to $10 mm a month in revenue? Ever wondered why all these new start ups with fancy apps and lots of losses (think Uber) can go public? This is the show for you. We host Brian Mac Mahon from Expert Dojo. His energy, knowledge and passion shine through for the whole hour and I think this will be...

Everything is strategy, and leaking a deal to the press with the classic "said the people familiar who asked not to be identified because the matter isn't public" has a specific purpose.  Bankers love to do that and, when you see the "Concho used advisor so and so..." on the transaction, I can virtually guarantee who that bank will be (DM if you'd like to place a side bet).  It's all about pumping the stock and here's why:  Unlike...

American Express earned their spot on my Wall of Shame (and thus, never ever ever use again list) when in 2002, I paid my corporate credit card online 2 days before the bill was due, but was told to allow 5 days for electronic delivery.  I was charged a late fee and, upon discussion with customer support (service would be too generous), they refused to reverse the charges.  In typical DRW fashion (as you know from the book, I...

Like the way you feel the morning after being fired, or cut from the last spot on the national team the day before the World Championships, you feel like you’ll wake up and it will have all been a bad dream. But as you gather yourself, you realize that “no, that did in fact happen.” While nowhere near as traumatic, discovering that after my second appeal to LinkedIn I remain “restricted” (which since I can’t login and don’t appear in...

I met Ryan Zorn of Clear Creek Resource Partners about 18 months ago in 3 chance interactions in downtown Denver over about a week.  Quiet, thoughtful and passionate the industry, I started following him on LinkedIn. His points are well laid out, thought through and speak to the larger issue of energy policy both here and abroad.  Many requested I get Ryan on the podcast - and this week, we did. I hope you enjoy. #hottakeoftheday Episode 74 w/Ryan Zorn https://youtu.be/zDgWMI9d9Nk   Audio only...