Headline speakers at industry events are the forever premium attraction to draw an audience. Who doesn’t want to hear from the nation’s top oil and gas CEOs sharing their company stories and foresight? But aside from those presentations largely scripted, one-on-one interviews can offer other takeaway gems when energy leaders sit down to address questions....

Oh, to be a fly on the wall in the C-suite when “advanced talks” of a potential merger conclude with a final agreement. There’s a certain romanticism to the dance—at least one can envision—when negotiations are at last settled, and a hard-fought deal is ultimately reached that promises more bounties ahead....