Oilfield 360 Podcast

AI Power Surge: Can Natural Gas Keep Up with Demand?

AI is driving a new wave of power demand. But where will the energy come from?

At the Daniel Energy Partners Thrive Conference, Oilfield 360 Podcast hosts David de Roode and Victoria Beard-Queen sit down with Jason Downie, Managing Partner of Tailwater Capital.

Jason shares his perspective as an energy private equity investor and why natural gas and midstream infrastructure will be critical as AI, LNG exports, and reshoring drive the next phase of energy demand.

00:00 Why Oil Still Matters
00:54 Podcast Sponsors
01:59 Live From Thrive Conference
02:30 Nuclear Plus Gas Takeaways
03:39 Meet Jason Downey
04:10 Why Tailwater Name
05:09 Fly Fishing Banter
05:45 Jason Energy Origin Story
07:49 DLJ To Hicks Muse Path
10:54 Energy Thesis And 2003 Shift
12:05 Private Equity Explained
13:07 Tailwater Strategy Three Legs
14:35 Portfolio And Midstream Model
18:18 Bullish Themes E&P LNG AI
26:21 Texas Power Demand Surge
30:36 Structural Demand Pull Wrap
31:27 Replacement Depletion Math
32:21 Raising a PE Fund
33:39 Treat Investors as Partners
35:30 Giving Young Talent Rope
38:21 Service and Salesmanship Club
41:02 Solo Africa Hunt Reflections
46:03 Tailwater White Space
47:35 Water and Infrastructure Opportunities
51:51 Career Advice for Your 20s
54:59 Wrap Up and Where to Follow

From humble beginnings fixing pumps to building a water giant, how did Schmitz do it?

On the Oilfield 360 Podcast, hosts David de Roode and Victoria Beard Queen sit down with industry legend, John Schmitz, CEO at Select Water Solutions.

John shares how buying distressed or forgotten assets during downturns shaped his growth, and why water is becoming one of the most strategic parts of the oilfield, among many other great stories and shared insights from his years in the energy industry - Upstream, Midstream and Downstream.

00:54 Podcast Sponsors
01:59 Welcome And Upcoming Events
02:59 Meet John Schmitz
04:25 Early Career And First Company
06:35 Surviving The 80s Crash
08:02 Buying Companies In Downcycles
13:51 Midstream And Upstream Expansion
15:27 Private Equity And Going Public
24:17 Life After Complete Energy
26:55 Family Support And Marriage
28:33 Giving Back In Cook County
32:36 Meeting Harold Hamm
32:54 Save Domestic Oil Fight
33:53 Partners In Complete
34:46 Why Harold Matters
35:25 What DEPA Does
36:59 US Energy Advantage
38:23 Industry Turnaround Story
40:55 More With Less
42:45 Family Office And Kids
43:16 Select Origin Story
46:17 Water To Recycling Shift
48:39 Pipelines And Networks
51:42 Efficiency By The Numbers
53:25 Ranch Life And Longhorns
55:01 Stark Ranch History
01:00:19 Mentors And Advice
01:03:02 Romania And Global Expansion

How do you turn a startup launched during a downturn into a major oilfield technology success story?

On this episode of The Oilfield 360 podcast, hosts David de Roode and Victoria Beard Queen sit down with Neal Lux, CEO of Forum Energy Technologies (and TV Star - Landman appearance), to discuss his path from co-founding Global Tubing to leading FET today.

Lux shares insights on scaling a coil tubing startup, the Smart Taper innovation that improved weld fatigue life, and how technologies like subsea robotics and remote ROV operations are shaping the future of oilfield services. 

00:00 Why Oil and Gas Matters
00:36 Podcast and Sponsors
03:48 Meet Neal Lux
04:54 From Consulting to Maverick
07:55 Joining a Risky Startup
11:30 Global Tubing Early Struggles
13:37 Culture and Innovation
15:29 Coil Tubing Explained
17:54 Smart Taper Breakthrough
19:13 Designing for Long Wells
21:16 Beyond Intervention Use Cases
23:22 Partnering with Operators
25:33 Why They Bought Eagle
26:12 Joining the Forum Family
27:04 Leadership Under Chris
27:49 COVID Debt Turning Point
28:32 What FET Does Today
30:17 FET 2030 Growth Plan
33:10 Landman TV Cameo
37:02 Subsea Robotics Innovation
39:38 Lessons From Mistakes
41:52 Life Outside Work
45:13 CEO Reality Check
48:34 Investor Story and Value
50:21 NYSE Texas Listing

How do you transform an oilfield services giant into a power generation powerhouse?

Gravity CEO Rob Rice joins David de Roode and Victoria Beard Queen to reveal the "behind-the-scenes" of his company’s massive evolution.

From his days as an Air Force flight test engineer to leading multi-million dollar divestitures, Rice explains why the future of the field is not in water or chemicals, but in standardized 400 kW natural gas generators.

Tune in to find out!

00:36 Podcast Mission And Sponsors
01:59 Host Banter And Industry Events
03:39 Meet Rob Rice
03:54 Louisiana Roots And Air Force
05:46 First Rig Trip Spark
07:25 Early Career Texas Eastern
08:51 Enron And Overseas Work
11:28 Hanover To Archrock Leadership
14:41 Air Force Flying Stories
16:26 Gravity Origin And Reshaping
20:23 Power Rental Market Focus
26:11 Reliability Data Centers And Service
29:18 Strategic Partner Role
30:52 Looking Ahead For Gravity
31:01 Growth and Diversification
32:13 Company Size and COVID Reset
33:49 Remote Work and Tech Shifts
35:43 Deal Prep and Data Rooms
38:32 Motivating Teams Through Change
41:59 Professionalism First Impressions
45:24 Career Choices in Energy
49:10 Mentors and Paying It Forward
50:15 Life Outside the CEO Role
52:21 Crawfish and Louisiana Roots
54:51 Final Advice and Wrap Up

Can nuclear power be deployed as easily as a shipping container?

In this episode of Oilfield 360, hosts David de Roode and Victoria Beard Queen sit down with Bobby Gallagher, CEO of Deployable Energy, to discuss how his experience in offshore drilling led to innovations in both well safety and nuclear energy.

From a millisecond-response blowout preventer concept to containerized microreactors designed to run for five years without refueling, Gallagher explains how factory-built nuclear systems could transform energy supply for remote grids, maritime operations, and critical infrastructure.

They also explore nuclear’s regulatory hurdles, global competition, and why building the next generation of energy infrastructure will require both engineering and leadership.

00:36 Podcast And Sponsors
01:59 Back In Houston Banter
03:28 Meet Bobby Gallagher
03:57 From Military To Oilfield
04:56 Korea Shipyard Boom
07:19 Service And 9 11
10:50 Pyro BOP Breakthrough
15:47 Starting Deployable Energy
17:31 One Megawatt Container Reactor
19:06 Factory Build And Logistics
21:55 Fuel Choice And Scaling
27:00 LEU Vs HALEU Explained
29:47 Supply Constraints Strategy
30:58 Energy Poverty and Portability
32:31 Oilfield Tech Inspiration
34:17 Houston as Build Hub
35:52 Maritime Nuclear Use Cases
37:21 Island Grids and Soft Power
39:42 China Russia Nuclear Race
44:10 Scaling Manufacturing in Houston
45:11 Hiring for Character
46:14 Mentors and Resilience
49:23 Family Life and Sports
50:07 Cycling Career and Crashes
53:02 Martial Arts and Humility
56:03 Closing Wisdom and Farewell