It’s mid-morning in Williston, N.D., and all of 2° with an expected high of 27°. In the Bakken, the nation’s third-largest oil basin, polar conditions this time of year are nothing more than life and business as usual, especially for oilfield workers used to spending Christmas on the job. Whiners need not apply. This is about as far from the Permian and its face-melting summer heat as one can get. ...

In an interview back in October, Crescent Energy CEO David Rockecharlie quipped, “We feel like we’re the largest company nobody’s ever heard of.” Oh, but we do hear you. Loud and clear. With now a third Eagle Ford acquisition this year, Houston-based Crescent is a growth through acquisition E&P that looks to double the size of its company in the next five years. And it’s off to a rip-roaring start. ...