Chair's Initial Thoughts - 2025 Event

Streaming allowed me to revisit the sessions in depth; without it, it would be challenging to  capture every nuance. My notes were full, but the recordings confirmed just how much strategic ground we covered. 

The opening set the tone. Ryan Prater argued convincingly that many facilities are overdesigned because requirements go unchallenged. MVP discipline forces leaders to strip back to what truly adds value, question every requirement, and resist anchoring bias from first estimates or legacy designs. Ryan linked MVP principles to Lean, showing how smarter redundancy and cultural discipline prevent waste without eroding value.

Brett Ingram contrasted MVP’s “what not to build” with modularization’s “how to build smart.” He showed that neither extreme wins: fully bespoke field construction is slow, while fully modular projects risk logistical bottlenecks. The hybrid path, he argued, delivers faster schedules, smarter reuse, and long-term balance. His examples showed how hybrid modularity can cut project timelines by 30% while enabling equipment reuse at a time when “less is more.”

Zach reframed facilities as dynamic systems, not “set and forget” assets. His case studies proved the value of continuous optimization: 18% lower fuel use from compressor tuning, and flare monitoring that both cut emissions and recovered lost product worth hundreds of thousands. Zach acknowledged operator concerns about data overload, but showed how analytics can be made explainable and frontline-friendly. It was the big-picture vision paired with practical operator logic that held the room’s attention.

The following panel acknowledged what every executive now faces: a post-$100/barrel world. Margins are tighter, and facilities design is where cost discipline must show. Josh Wenzel, Director, Coiled Line Pipe, FET Global Tubing, demonstrated that innovations like coiled line pipe are not theoretical but commercially proven — 20% lower install cost, 97% fewer welds, faster schedules, and reduced emissions. Josh anchored the conversation in today’s economics, showing operators exactly where savings can be captured without compromise.

Matthew Warren, Petroleum Engineer, Bureau of Land Management and David Penfield, Facilities Engineering Advisor - Texas/New Mexico, Civitas laid bare the gap between commingling’s promise and its practical headaches. In theory, commingling extends well life and reduces surface impact. In practice, royalty accountability, jurisdictional overlaps, and measurement uncertainty make it contentious. Attendees during the discussion stressed regulators seemingly only trust bulk-and-test methods, exposing the lack of a common philosophy across operators. The clear strategic need: a unified test philosophy distinguishing surveillance from compliance.

Molly Determan, President, Energy Workforce & Technology Council reminded the industry of a structural risk that no technology can solve alone: the workforce cliff. Half of today’s workforce is over 45, while attrition among early-career hires is at record highs. Molly argued operators must target the zero-to-five-year window with mentorship, rotations, and cultural shifts. While pay will always be the number one driver, companies that make mission, culture, and growth opportunities a compelling #2, #3, and #4 will win. The room’s recruiters recognized the point: retention is no longer just about remuneration, but about shaping a company that early talent chooses to stay in.

Amy cut through the noise of “innovation for innovation’s sake.”  

Under mounting pressure to cut emissions while driving efficiency, Chord Energy is piloting new technologies — from low-bleed pneumatics to electrified equipment. But as Amy Paddock cautioned, running 30 pilots without a path to scale is wasted effort. Amy’s message was direct: innovation without discipline is distraction. The foundation must be standardization. Predictable designs simplify operations, strengthen safety, and allow workforce knowledge to scale. Over-customization does the opposite — eroding efficiency, creating risk, and blocking repeatable performance.

Robert Ward, Strategic Account Director, Sensirion Connected Solutions dismantled the assumption that a Republican administration makes emissions compliance optional. He reminded operators that methane mitigation remains a cost centre in 2025 — hundreds of dollars per site, per month — regardless of political shifts. He introduced crew-assistive technology, offering timestamped, verifiable evidence of leaks. His key point: emissions monitoring is not a regulatory whim, but a structural reality. And simple solutions are now available that don’t require heavy capex or complex integration projects.

Seyed K. Mahjour, Ph.D., Engineering Specialist IV | Oil & Gas Division, Railroad Commission of Texas gave a clear-eyed view of flaring and venting compliance. Rule 32 requires beneficial gas use, with exceptions tied strictly to safety, technical, or economic limits. Economic justifications are under sharper scrutiny, making defensible workflows critical. The strategic implication: compliance isn’t a box-checking exercise. It’s an economic decision point where weak cases collapse under regulatory pressure.

John Westerheide, Chief Revenue Officer, Kathairos & Jason Francis, VP, Project Management, Kathairos delivered one of the most debated presentations of the conference: making the case for nitrogen in place of instrument air. His argument was pragmatic, not glossy: nitrogen can reduce pneumatic emissions, simplify maintenance, and ease regulatory headaches. Case study data gave weight: Systems already running at 2,700 sites.

One client eliminated 40 compressors, cutting 300,000 SCF/day of methane venting.

John. Also acknowledged the challenges — logistics in remote basins, reliance on third-party supply — but his competitive jab stuck: “Compressors are a 1960s answer to a 2025 problem.”

Wes VanNatta, President, XOG Resources shifted the lens from cost to revenue. His session, though focused on Houston, resonated broadly: operators can generate, certify, and sell emissions reduction credits. Whether VOC reductions, flaring limits, or tank venting — compliance activities can become income streams. For operators in Permian and beyond, the concept was compelling: why treat emissions reduction solely as cost when it can also be monetized?