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. He didn’t want to move his family or the company’s longtime HQ in Okla. City.

While it’s not always easy sticking to your guns, Dell’Osso proves it can sometimes open big opportunities.

Reese Energy Consulting today is following the latest news from Okla. City-based Gulfport Energy, which has announced its appointment of Nick Dell’Osso as its new president and CEO. Talk about a perfect match. Gulfport operates in the Utica gas window in eastern Ohio and the Anadarko’s SCOOP—basins shared with Expand and known well by Dell’Osso. Gulfport operates 258,000 net reservoir acres in the Utica eastern Ohio to include a Marcellus development, representing 80% of its total production, and 73,000 net reservoir acres in the SCOOP accounting for the other 20%.

Congratulations to Nick Dell’Osso on a new door opening and, yes, sticking to his guns.