Sustainability

A leader among our peers in ESG stewardship.

We prioritize the safety and health of our employees while supporting the professional development of our diverse and thriving team. We are a leader in environmental stewardship, integrating processes and goals throughout the organization while encouraging technical and innovative solutions to safeguard our surroundings. We seek to build and maintain strong partnerships with our stakeholders by investing in and connecting with the communities where we live and work, and to be transparent in reporting our progress in these areas. Our business strategy is designed for long-term profitable sustainability.

CDP Scores

2023 Overall Score:

A-

2023 Supplier Engagement Score:

A-

We are proud to share the most recent strides we have made in not just living up to industry and societal standards, but also to our own:

2023

  • Superior safety metrics including a total recordable incident rate of 0.20 per 200,000 hours worked, contractors plus employees, a 38% improvement from 2022.
  • Reported spill rate for 2023 was 0.006 per 1,000 Bbls of produced fluids, a 45% improvement from 2022.
  • Developed a centralized Operations Surveillance Room (“OSR”), empowering our operations team with leading technologies. The OSR is manned 24/7/365 by Operations Specialists. In addition to driving operations efficiencies and cost savings, the host of technologies employed monitor, communicate and automate responses that serve to mitigate emissions and reduce spill volumes.

2022

  • Developed operations EHS dashboard that provides nearly real-time tracking of the company’s safety and environmental performance, available to all employees.
  • Completed controlled emissions test simultaneously evaluating 5 different technologies.
  • Conducted aerial LiDAR flyover baseline study of 100% of operational locations.
  • Began monthly aerial LiDAR flyovers of all OOOOa locations in Midland Basin.

2021

  • Initiated water recycling with neighboring operators.
  • Participated in pilot aerial light detection and ranging (LiDAR) flyover program covering ~30 locations.
  • Met internal goals for implementing LDAR at 100% of Midland Basin and 100% of South Texas locations.
  • Developed corporate ESG and EHS dashboard to monitor essential data used by management and presented quarterly to the Board of Directors.
  • Established near- and medium-term emissions reduction targets for flaring, GHG and methane.
  • Conducted and reported scenario analysis applying International Energy Agency Sustainable Development Scenario assumptions.

2020

  • Initiated testing dual-fuel technology for completions operations.
  • Increased the ESG-related duties and renamed an existing committee of our Board of Directors to the  Environmental, Social and Governance Committee.

2019

  • Added gas pipeline interconnections that serve to reduce flaring.
  • Exceeded internally set goal by implementing LDAR at 100% of Midland Basin and 50% of South Texas locations.

2018

  • Built water handling infrastructure in Howard County, which reduces emissions, truck traffic and operating costs.
  • Implemented compressed natural gas on first SM Energy dual-fuel rig.
  • Locally sourced 100% of sand for Midland Basin operations.

2016

  • Began utilizing solar power at select operations sites.
  • Initiated leak detection and repair (LDAR) in accordance with the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) OOOOa.