The San Juan Basin, which extends 7,500 square miles across northwest N.M., and southwest Colo., bears a storied history of gas riches, disappointments, and recent revivals. Natural gas was first discovered here in 1921. By 2007, the San Juan was touted as the nation’s largest gas field with claims of 12.9 TCF of recoverable reserves. But after 10 years of decline and poor economics, the basin in 2017 saw a mass exodus of its largest players—ConocoPhillips, BP, and ExxonMobil—chasing Permian treasures. Enter the independents ready to snap up those assets. ...

The San Juan Basin extends 7,500 square miles across northwest N.M., and southwest Colo. Natural gas was first discovered here in 1921. Now a spry age of 104, it remains one of the nation’s oldest producing areas with sedimentary rock dating back to mid-Paleozoic times and a collision of supercontinents. ...

Might Texas-born Bob Simpson be looking to build back the Williston Basin powerhouse he created more than a decade ago? Back in 2010, the company Simpson founded in 1986—XTO Energy—merged with Exxon in a $41 billion all-stock deal pronounced one of the largest transactions in history for an independent oil and gas company. ...