Scott Sheffield, oil industry legend or convenient scapegoat? The FTC sure has opinions, and so does Russell Gold. Chuck sits down with the Texas Monthly senior editor to unpack the wild allegations that Sheffield was secretly cozying up to OPEC. Was the guy who helped turn the Permian into an oil superpower really playing both sides, or is this just another case of regulators picking a high-profile target? They dig into Sheffield’s legacy at Pioneer, the politics of energy regulation, and why industry leaders always seem to end up in the hot seat. Plus, a look at how Texas Monthly is helping bring the oil world to Hollywood with Taylor Sheridan’s new series, *Landman.* Click here to watch a video of this episode. Join the conversation shaping the future of energy. Collide is the community where oil & gas professionals connect, share insights, and solve real-world problems together. No noise. No fluff. Just the discussions that move our industry forward. Apply today at collide.io Click here to view the episode transcript. 00:00 - Intro 01:05 - Importance of Scott Sheffield Story 02:51 - ExxonMobil Acquisition of Pioneer Background 04:44 - FTC Investigation of Acquisition 06:44 - FTC Press Release & Sheffield's Response 12:45 - Price Control Power in Oil Industry 15:14 - COVID Impact on Prorating Oil 18:28 - Oil Policy Discussions 19:20 - Evidence from FTC Investigation 23:07 - Scott Sheffield as Political Scapegoat 24:44 - Creating Oil and Gas Industry Heroes 28:57 - Texas Monthly & Landman Connection 29:55 - Boomtown and Landman Insights 30:50 - Earthquake Impacts on Oilfields 33:10 - Life in the Oilfield 33:55 - Issues of Oil Theft 35:35 - CSI in the Permian Basin 37:20 - Jerry Jones in Oil and Sports 40:20 - Episode Wrap-Up https://twitter.com/collide_io https://www.tiktok.com/@collide.io https://www.facebook.com/collide.io https://www.instagram.com/collide.io https://www.youtube.com/@collide_io https://bsky.app/profile/digitalwildcatters.bsky.social https://www.linkedin.com/company/collide-digital-wildcatters
