D CEO Oil & Gas Awards Recognize Texas' Continued Innovations in Oil and Gas and Energy Finance

DALLAS, July 23, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- From East Texas to the Permian Basin, the Lone Star State continues its emergence as a national and international epicenter for energy finance and activity, propelling the United States to become the top oil producing country in the world. The second annual Oil & Gas Awards will celebrate the individuals and organizations who are making this activity and recognition possible through innovations in the upstream, midstream, services, and finance sectors.

The awards continue a collaboration that brought together leaders of research institutes and professional associations across the region, who recognize that private equity and innovative financing techniques have played a critical role in the growth of production in the last few years.

Willie Hornberger, partner at Jackson Walker and one of the initiative's leaders, said these awards are noticed from Midland to Washington, D.C. to Switzerland.

"The eyes of the world continue to be on Texas, and for good reason," Hornberger said. "If Texas were a country, we'd be the No. 4 oil-producer in the world. The Oil & Gas Awards are exciting because they recognize the impact that energy financing transactions in this area are having worldwide."

Paul Moorman, Managing Director in investment banking at Stephens Inc., said that continued growth in the Texas oil & gas industry can be attributed to the role of private equity and private institutional investment.

"Investors continue to see extraordinary opportunities in the energy sector in North Texas and the Permian Basin and are filling the capital void created by a slowdown in public market financings," Moorman said. "It's appropriate to recognize the creative thinkers and leaders who are continuing to make capital available by finding ever more creative ways to get deals done, fueling America's continued leadership in the global oil & gas sector."

Bill Schonacher, President and CEO of International Bank of Commerce, added, "As part of a team with deep roots in the Texas energy sector, I'm proud that we're once again recognizing the impact that the sector has on the state, region, and world."

"As a national association of 16,000 members, we are proud of our Texas roots. Headquartered in Fort Worth, AAPL supports land professionals from across North America, with 47 percent of the membership residing in Texas, and more than 10,000 Texans attending our NAPE Expo each year," Director of Communications & NAPE LeAnn Callihan said. "We value the contribution and support of the Texas E&P industry and are excited to be a part of an awards program to honor innovators in the region."

"The oil and natural gas industry remains the backbone of the Texas economy and has fueled our state's success, and Texas' progress has made the United States the world's energy leader," said TXOGA President Todd Staples. "Our nation's ability to achieve and sustain energy dominance rests here in the heart of Texas, and TXOGA is pleased to join in on this celebration of the women and men who make that possible."

"The connection between the oil and gas industry and the Texas economy is an ever-changing, ever-shifting landscape but this much is true – the industry remains as important to the statewide economy as it ever was, and increasingly to the US and global consumer economies as Texas takes the lead on global supply growth," said Karr Ingham, Petroleum Economist for the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers.  "The D CEO Oil & Gas Awards are a new and significant spotlight on the economic contributions of the industry on every front, and the huge contributions from North Texas in particular," he said.

"Innovations in finance and technology continue to impact the oil and gas industry, especially from East Texas to the Permian Basin," said Bruce Bullock, Director of the Maguire Energy Institute at SMU. "These awards are one way to recognize the innovation, and the innovators, that help set this region apart."

The awards will honor CEOs of the year, CFOs of the year, and innovators of the year within upstream, midstream, and services (including technology companies) categories. The awards will also honor the private equity firm of the year, the M&A / restructuring deal of the year, and the financing or capital deal of the year. Additionally, the awards will honor a rising star and lifetime achievement honoree for their impact across all sectors.

Title sponsors of the awards program are Jackson Walker LLP, BKD CPAs and Advisors, ICON Global GROUP, International Bank of Commerce, and Stephens Inc.

Efforts to promote the awards and select winners from among nominations submitted by the public are supported by the American Association of Professional Landmen (AAPL), the Council of Petroleum Accountants Societies, the Dallas CPA Society, Dallas Young Professionals in Energy, the Energy Management Program at UTD, Financial Executives International, Maguire Energy Institute at SMU, the North Texas Commission, Texas Alliance of Energy Producers, TCU Energy Institute, The Institute of Petroleum Accounting at UNT, TXCPA Fort Worth, TXCPA Permian Basin, TXCPA Wichita Falls, TXCPA South Plains, Texas Oil and Gas Association (TXOGA), the Women's Energy Network, and UTD.

The program is open to all industry players with strong North Texas ties. For more information and to submit a nomination, visit productions.dmagazine.com/north-texas-oil-gas-awards/. The awards will be recognized at a private reception in the fall, and finalists will be profiled in the November issue of D CEO magazine.

If you have questions about the awards or nomination process, please contact Payton Parker at [email protected] or (214) 523-5272.

Contact: Ben Alexander
214.953.5623
[email protected]

SOURCE Jackson Walker LLP