G2 Petroleum Texas began in 2008 with a simple idea: learn the land before trying to outsmart it. Based in the McKinney area of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the company started during a time when the energy industry was shifting fast and certainty was rare.
Their early work focused on deep Hackberry wells along the Gulf Coast. At more than 13,000 feet, those wells tested patience and discipline. Progress was slow. Results were mixed. But the experience shaped how the team thought about geology, risk, and time.
From there, G2 Petroleum moved north to Wichita Falls, working with shallow producing wells that needed care. Through steady reworks and close coordination with operators, production stabilised. In 2013, that chapter closed with a sale to a publicly traded oil company, marking an important milestone.
The next phase took them into the Appalachian Basin. Despite advanced tools and careful planning, the results fell short. It was a humbling period, but one that sharpened their long-term thinking.
Over time, the focus shifted toward royalties and minerals. G2 Petroleum secured interests across more than 60,000 acres in the Bakken, Eagle Ford, and Barnett Shale. Today, their largest footprint sits in Colorado’s DJ Basin, with royalty interests tied to more than 1,000 wells.
Their story is not about speed. It is about staying curious, respecting the ground, and building something meant to last.
What is your typical day, and how do you make it productive?
My day starts early. I review production reports before anything else. Numbers tell the truth before people do. I block time for field calls, then leave space for thinking. If the calendar is too full, nothing useful gets done.
How do you bring ideas to life?
Ideas usually come from patterns. I notice the same issue across multiple wells or basins. Then I write it down. If it still makes sense after a week, we test it on a small scale.
What’s one trend that excites you?
The quiet shift toward long-term royalty ownership. People are moving away from chasing short wins. They want assets that last.
What is one habit that helps you be productive?
I write things down by hand. Maps. Numbers. Questions. It slows me down enough to think clearly.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Stop assuming effort guarantees results. The ground does not care how hard you work.
Tell us something you believe almost nobody agrees with you on?
Most people think better tools solve uncertainty. I think they mostly help you understand how uncertain things really are.
What is the one thing you repeatedly do and recommend everyone else do?
Compare nearby wells. Always. Local data beats big forecasts every time.
When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do?
I go back to first principles. What do we know about the rock? What has it done before? That usually clears the noise.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business or advance in your career?
We stopped trying to be everywhere. We focused on a few basins and learned them deeply. That changed everything.
What is one failure in your career, how did you overcome it, and what lessons did you take away from it?
The Appalachian Basin. We trusted technology too much. Production didn’t follow the models. We took the loss and kept the lessons. Geology wins. Always. And diversification is not optional.
What is one business idea you’re willing to give away to our readers?
Create a simple education service for mineral owners. Most people don’t need advice. They need clarity.
What is one piece of software that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
A basic spreadsheet. I track decline curves manually. It forces me to see reality without filters.
Do you have a favorite book or podcast you’ve gotten a ton of value from and why?
Anything about long cycles. Energy, history, or even farming. The themes repeat.
What’s a movie or series you recently enjoyed and why?
A slow documentary about rural land use. It reminded me that everything important takes time.
Key learnings
- Long-term thinking reduces stress in volatile industries.
- Local data often matters more than advanced tools.
- Failure can sharpen strategy when lessons are taken seriously.
- Simplicity creates clarity in complex systems.
- Patience remains one of the most underused advantages in business.