The third annual Oil & Gas Awards has been canceled and replaced with a virtual panel event to be held on October 28, 2020. For more information, view Jackson Walker’s announcement regarding the upcoming event, “Defining the Future of Texas Oil and Gas: A Conversation With Industry Leaders.”
Supported by a host of allied organizations, the program celebrates leaders in upstream, midstream, services, and finance sectors, plus a new category for 2020: Regulator of the Year.
Over the years, resilience and innovation have helped the energy industry in Texas emerge from disruptive market cycles with renewed strength. D CEO’s third annual Oil & Gas Awards will honor leaders who continue to make notable contributions, even in turbulent times.
The awards are presented in partnership with research institutes and professional associations across the region. “The energy industry is particularly emblematic of the can-do spirit that has made Dallas-Fort Worth one of the powerful economic engines in the country,” said Christine Perez, editor of D CEO Magazine. “We’re proud to continue to tell its story, in collaboration with our esteemed partner organizations.”
Willie Hornberger, partner at Jackson Walker, helped spearhead the program for D CEO. “Grit has defined us as a state, and grit has defined the oil and gas industry,” Hornberger said. “These awards give us the chance to recognize the resilience that will get us through this and make us stronger on the other side.”
From the start, a focus for the program has been highlighting the region’s strength in energy deal-making and technology. “In uncertain times, innovations in finance and technology have an even greater impact on the oil and gas industry across Texas,” said Bruce Bullock, director of the Maguire Energy Institute at Southern Methodist University. “These awards are one way to recognize the innovation, and the innovators, that are helping this region as we move forward.”
Past honorees in D CEO’s Oil & Gas Awards include Trevor Rees-Jones of Chief Oil & Gas, Joseph Wm. Foran of Matador Resources, Kelcy Warren of Energy Transfer, and Doug Dormer of Cardinal Midstream. Here is a photo recap of the 2019 event.
“The oil and natural gas industry remains a pillar of the Texas economy,” said TXOGA President Todd Staples. “The resilience of the nation’s energy industry starts here in the heart of Texas, and TXOGA is thankful to play a part in honoring the women and men who make that possible.”
Karr Ingham, executive vice president of the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers, said that the independent spirit born in the Texas oil patch will carry the industry to better times. “Independent producers drill 96 percent of wells in Texas and produce 88 percent of the oil and gas in the state,” Ingham said. “I am glad that these awards can help honor the resilience of producers from North Texas to the Permian Basin and the contributions they are making as we recover together.”
Ed Longanecker, President of the Texas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners Association, added, “The outstanding men and women working in oil and gas will ensure that our industry thrives during our recovery, and these awards are an important way to recognize the positive impact they are making on our state and country.”
“Private equity and private institutional investments are helping sustain the industry,” said Paul Moorman, managing director in investment banking at Stephens Inc. “Although the world looks different today than it did a few short months ago, opportunities remain within the energy sector in North Texas and the Permian Basin, and investors continue to evaluate ways to fill the capital void,” he said. “It’s appropriate to recognize the determined leaders who are continuing to make capital available by finding creative ways to get deals done.”
Brian Matlock, National Energy and Natural Resources Leader for BKD LLP, said that times are tough but he still sees the Texas spirit as strong. “There is no doubt the oil and gas sector, and especially Texas, has been drastically impacted by the systemic effects of COVID-19, but I continue to see oil and gas companies and related private equity firms looking to the future,” Matlock said. “Many of these private equity funds continue to focus on identifying acquisitions and reducing expenses through enhanced technologies.”
“The energy industry is no stranger to rapid and unexpected change, so I believe we’ll emerge from these times with renewed strength,” said Ed Ireland, Director of the Ralph Lowe Energy Management Program at the TCU Energy Institute. “These awards are a great opportunity to thank leaders across all aspects of the industry who are moving us forward.”
Beyond leadership recognition, D CEO’s Oil & Gas Awards provide a great opportunity for industry players to come together, said Bernard Uechtritz, CEO of Icon Global. “Without question, the energy sector is a vital cornerstone of all the economies of Texas, even the nation,” he said. “It is critical to use opportunities such as this to congregate, collaborate, and cohesively unite to explore, express, and energize synergistically where we are—and what it is going to take to rise and emerge together.”
Title sponsors of the awards program are Jackson Walker LLP, BKD LLP, Icon Global Group, and Stephens Inc. Signature sponsors are Texas Mutual, Whitley Penn, and Moss Adams.
Partner organizations are the American Association of Professional Landmen (AAPL), the Council of Petroleum Accountants Societies, Dallas Young Professionals in Energy, the Energy Management Program at UTD, Financial Executives International, Maguire Energy Institute at SMU, the North Texas Commission, Texas Alliance of Energy Producers, TCU Energy Institute, the Texas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners Association, The Institute of Petroleum Accounting at UNT, TXCPA Dallas, TXCPA Fort Worth, TXCPA Permian Basin, TXCPA Wichita Falls, TXCPA South Plains, Texas Oil and Gas Association (TXOGA), and the Women’s Energy Network.
Nominations are due July 10. The program will honor executives in upstream, midstream, and energy services & technology sectors, as well as regulator of the year, private equity firm of the year, M&A or restructuring deal of the year, and the financing or capital deal of the year. Rising Star and Lifetime Achievement awards also will be presented.
The program is open to all industry players from East Texas to the Permian Basin who have strong North Texas ties. For more information and to submit a nomination, click here. Winners and finalists will be featured in the November issue of D CEO magazine and recognized at a private awards event this fall.
If you have questions about the awards or nomination process, please contact Kelsey J. Vanderschoot, associate editor, at kelsey.vanderschoot@dmagazine.com or 707-758-0697.
