Validus Energy may be headquartered in Denver, but its heart beats in Okla., where within three years the company has become the state’s second-largest oil and gas producer. The Midcontinent wasn’t the first landing zone Validus eyed to build a grand footprint upon its founding in 2021. No, that would have been Texas and the Eagle Ford. Then, a remarkable offer came along that changed everything.

Reese Energy Consulting today is following the latest from Validus, which initially set its sights on the Eagle Ford, amassing 42,000 net acres, 35 MBOED, and 350 repeatable drilling locations in the Karnes Trough Oil window. One year later, Devon Energy came calling with a $1.8 billion offer and Validus sold its Eagle Ford position, doubling the price it paid for those assets. Sweet dreams are made of these.

Then came a new playbook for Validus. This one meant to reawaken the Midcontinent and turn a “left for dead” basin into a billion-dollar success story. Three heavy-weight acquisitions have since followed primarily in the Anadarko, where the rock hasn’t fundamentally changed but the technology and well-spacing has. Thanks to Hart Energy for the head’s up. We look forward to hearing more heart beats here.