Somewhere, Tom Ward has a divining rod and it’s not the kind that leads to water. Since the launch of Okla. City-based MACH Natural Resources in 2017, Ward has stuck to his intuition to find wealth in under-performing plays in the Mid-continent. Over time, it’s become his signature to snap up lagging or bankruptcy assets in the Anadarko, Southern Kans., and the Texas Panhandle and turn that business around. ...

With the launch of Mountain V Oil & Gas, President and CEO Mike Shaver was gifted with a prediction he’ll never forget from his business partner. The year was 1994. The place, the mountains of W.V. That business partner? Shaver’s dad who put these words into the universe, “If we can make it through the first three years, we got it made.” And, boy, did they. ...

Let’s start with electricians who’ve become the Most Wanted rock stars in Wyo. Kiss your mama and thank baby boomer attrition and the surge of AI and data centers for this magical moment where thousands of electricians are in crazy demand. Here, the action is in full throttle, wages are considerably higher, and the projects keep coming. ...

It’s been a year since Reese Energy Consulting shared news from producers on the hunt for oil and gas magic on the fringes of basins. Step-outs from core areas, extending shale play extensions, bringing exploration back into the mix. So, maybe the Permian inches closer to its peak now, and the Anadarko and Bakken continue to decline. Maybe the Utica oil window is barely open. Maybe there’s a whole lot more to be discovered....