Podcast
Interview with
Robert Hefner, President & CEO, Hefner Energy
Recorded in May 2020
Robert Hefner joins us from Hefner Energy, a technology driven minerals & royalties company who is focused on the MidCon. During the episode, Robert discusses the pros & cons of investing in the Anadarko Basin, the difference between stochastic & deterministic modeling, and why active portfolio management is so important for maximizing the value of a minerals portfolio.
Personal Bio
Robert Hefner is an Energy entrepreneur who was named to Forbes’ Energy & Industry 30 under 30 list and whose insight and theories have been reported nationally from “The Wall Street Journal” through to “The Oil & Gas Investor.” At his core, he is driven by the adventure of tapping into underutilized assets (energy, people, or otherwise), and the opportunity to share stories and form deep connections with those he partners with.
Growing up in the oil industry, Robert’s track record of making fast, prudent decisions, and forming innovative strategies for the future, is rooted in a strong respect and historic understanding of what it means to be an energy entrepreneur. His great-great grandfather, Robert A. Hefner (“The Judge”) was a key figure in the early oil and gas legal landscape, being credited with the first mineral severance and creating the foundation for the Mineral Deed which is still in use to this day. Over his lifetime, the Judge went on to amass over 30,000 acres of minerals in Oklahoma's Anadarko basin by the time he was elected to Oklahoma’s Supreme Court in 1927. He also served as Mayor of Ardmore (1920-1926) and of Oklahoma City (1939-1947) where he was pivotal in the creation of Oklahoma City’s water supply later named in his honor. Entrepreneurialism, and in turn civic duty, has deep roots in Robert’s blood and reflects his approach to everything he engages with.
With major lakes and highways carrying the family name across Oklahoma, there is a presumption that Robert’s success is a bi-product of a healthy trust fund. Whereas, nothing could be further from the truth. He has, by both necessity and choice, forged his own path, both in life and the energy sector, and while he may not have inherited the wealth, he certainly inherited an eye for opportunity. From managing more than 1 million gross acres for Fortune 100 companies such as Chesapeake Energy (NYSE:CHK) to being called upon to evaluate more than $10 billion in properties for various acquisitions, and acquiring more than 100,000 net acres across the lower 48 onshore representing more than $100mm of assets, Robert has stepped out from the family name to be a man in his own right.
Robert proudly calls Oklahoma City his home base where he serves as the Co-Founder and President of the Oklahoma City chapter of the ADAM Energy Network (a private network for members of the oil & gas Acquisitions, Divestitures and Mergers community) and Member of the Board of the Children’s Hospital Foundation who treated his baby sister for eight months before her passing. When not conducting business, he loves to travel, embracing adventures across the globe with his wife Kellie and twin-boys Easton & Pierson.
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