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Small business training program expands to new Permian Basin communities. By Mella McEwen, Oil Editor March 31, 2026 ConocoPhillips and the University of Texas Permian Basin are bringing the ConocoPhillips Small Biz Builder program to new communities this year. Keep Watching Watch More After successfully testing the project last year in Odessa and Carlsbad, New Mexico, the program will begin in Monahans beginning April 28 for six weeks, Midland later this summer, and Hobbs, New Mexico, in the fall. Article continues below this ad What to know. Program Overview in Monahans: - Start Date: Tuesday, April 28 - Location: Monahans Education Center - Length: 6 weeks - Information and Application: ConocoPhillips Small Biz Builder | ConocoPhillips - Eligibility: Open to local entrepreneurs and small business owners in Ward, Winkler, Ector and Midland counties in Texas, and Eddy and Lea counties in New Mexico ConocoPhillips provided a $150,000 grant for UTPB to host the program for a second year. The program aims to help local entrepreneurs and small business owners build stronger, more sustainable businesses through hands-on training, expert mentorship, and practical financial tools. "Small businesses breathe life into our community," said ConocoPhillips Permian President Aaron Hunter. "We're proud to continue our partnership with UTPB to equip these small businesses in the Permian with the tools they need to grow sustainably." Brian Shedd, executive director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Economic Development at UTPB, told the Reporter-Telegram one change to the program was tailoring it to specific communities and extending it from three to six sessions. Article continues below this ad "ConocoPhillips was keen to address early-stage entrepreneurs, those with an idea, or the beginnings of an idea, and later-stage entrepreneurs," he said. He and Stephanie Griffin, program director, work with the early-stage entrepreneurs, using curriculum from CO.STARTERS, a nationally recognized model that guides entrepreneurs through business idea development, customer discovery and business modeling. It is paired with tools and training from FINSYNC, a leading small business financial platform that helps participants manage cash flow, streamline operations and make confident decisions. Later-stage entrepreneurs - those who don't need all the basics - will also work with the UTPB Small Business Development Center to refine their businesses for additional growth and success. A benefit was changing the program from almost entirely virtual to in-person, said Griffin. Article continues below this ad "The coolest thing is the camaraderie," she said. The participants "become this cohort that leans on each other. Even when we've finished the prepared material, they're still there." She said it helps the participants to be around like-minded entrepreneurs, "cohorts who understand that drive," or business owners who share lessons learned. Article continues below this ad In 2027, if the program is renewed, and Shedd is confident it will be, the plan is to return to Odessa and Carlsbad and revisit one of the three communities visited this year. "ConocoPhillips is talking about expanding the small biz builder program to other parts of the country where they work," he said. March 31, 2026 Oil Editor Mella McEwen is the oil editor for the Midland Reporter-Telegram.

Record North Slope lease sale by supermajors shines fresh light on 88 Energy's alaskan ambitions. ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, Repsol and Shell have just competed at the most successful lease sale ever held in Alaska's National Petroleum Reserve. The timing could hardly be better for 88 Energy Ltd (AIM:88E, ASX:88E, OTCQB:EEENF, FRA:POQ), the AIM-listed explorer advancing plans to drill one of the North Slope's most promising untested prospects. For a company with a market capitalisation of just £17 million, external validation from the world's largest oil companies carries significant weight. When supermajors compete aggressively for acreage in your backyard, it reinforces the investment case that house broker Cavendish has been making for some time. The centrepiece of that case is the Augusta-1 exploration well, scheduled to spud in the first quarter of 2027. The prospect sits directly adjacent to the giant Prudhoe Bay and Kuparuk River fields, two of North America's most productive oil provinces. What distinguishes Augusta from many frontier plays is the degree to which geological risk has already been reduced. The two target reservoirs, the Ivishak and the Kuparuk, are proven formations that have collectively yielded more than 15 billion barrels from nearby fields. Multiple offset wells have already demonstrated hydrocarbon presence in the immediate area, and the prospect carries a 48% geological chance of success. That figure sits well above the industry norm for frontier exploration. The economics, should Augusta succeed, are compelling by any standard. Cavendish models a net present value of $426 million from the Ivishak reservoir alone, with a post-tax internal rate of return of 61%. The payback period is modelled at under three years, reflecting 88 Energy's single most important structural advantage. Its acreage sits close enough to existing infrastructure that any discovery could be tied back rapidly and cheaply, avoiding the capital costs that have killed comparable projects elsewhere. To fund the advanced planning phase, the company has raised just over A$5 million through a placing at a 2.7% discount. The sum covers permitting, rig contracting and lease payments while preserving at least 12 months of working capital runway. The raise has prompted Cavendish to trim its price target to 19.8p from 22.5p, though its buy rating remains firmly in place. The deeper question for investors is whether the convergence of factors now surrounding the North Slope is sufficient to re-rate the stock. Renewed supermajor interest, supportive government policy, proven infrastructure and a multi-zone prospect with high geological confidence are all present simultaneously.

Best Paper Award at the Geophysical Seminar 2026. Marie Stavland from ConocoPhillips and Ryan Alexander from Viridien were awarded the Best Paper Award at the Biennial Geophysical Seminar last week. The winner was selected through a combined vote by seminar delegates and the Best Paper Committee. The award was presented for their contribution at the Biennial Geophysical Seminar 2026, titled "Imaging of the Ekofisk Reservoir Below Overburden Gas with Viscoelastic Full Waveform Inversion." NPF extend its congratulations to the winners for this outstanding achievement. A sincere thank you to the Best Paper Committee and to all delegates who participated in the voting process. The Best Paper Committee consisted of: * Åsmund Drottning from DIG * Ole Jøran Askim from Aker BP * Celine Ravaut from Equinor