It goes without saying the soaring price of crude oil and wild price swings have producers rethinking their capital budgets and drilling programs this year. While some operators are focused on capital discipline and shareholder returns amid the Mid-East conflict, others are set to ride the wave of higher prices by expanding operations, boosting production, and adding rigs. ...

It must’ve been a tough pill to swallow for Nick Dell’Osso last February. Three months ago, the CEO of Okla. City-based Expand Energy, who led the company to become the nation’s largest natural gas producer, faced a board decision to relocate headquarter operations and top-level executives to Houston. After 17 years with Expand (previously Chesapeake Energy) and less than six years in the pilot seat where he navigated the merger of Chesapeake and Southwestern Energy, Dell’Osso decided to wave goodbye. ...