All Episodes

Everybody in oil and gas has been sitting on mountains of completions data and barely using it. Ben Dickinson and Bryan Frantz of NexTier Completion Solutions built the fix from the inside out, an end to end frac data platform made by the people running the pumps. John and Bobby get into why the closer you are to the equipment the closer you are to the truth, where frac data standards are headed, and whether efficiency has hit its ceiling. Plus AI coding and the hunt for a good Pittsburgh wing. Click here to watch a video of this episode. 0:00:00 - Back from summer break 0:00:41 - Trying to keep pace with AI 0:10:16 - Who NexTier is and where it came from 0:12:22 - Building an end to end frac data platform 0:15:17 - The industry's siloed data problem 0:20:39 - Agnostic architecture and one tool for everyone 0:26:44 - Borrowing solved problems from other industries 0:31:41 - The tech stack and starting greenfield 0:35:17 - Control systems and the job data schema 0:44:11 - Why frac data has no standard 0:47:08 - Fleet Stream and getting data to customers 0:53:23 - Has operational efficiency hit its ceiling 0:59:58 - How opinionated should the software be 1:03:08 - Physics vs data driven modeling 1:08:41 - The AI coding tools they use 1:10:35 - Western PA wings and pierogi https://twitter.com/collide_ai 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/collide-ai.bsky.social https://www.linkedin.com/company/collideai

Paul Brown, Founder and Principal Engineer at BDE Data, joins John and Bobby all the way from Scotland for a conversation that covers a lot of ground. From his days as an international drilling engineer dodging pirates off the coast of West Africa to building WellSchematic.com and tackling the nightmare of digitizing 50-year-old multilingual well files, Paul is the rare person who speaks both languages fluently. Click here to watch a video of this episode. 00:00 - Oil prices, energy costs, and life in Scotland vs Texas 01:50 - Paul's background and path from drilling to data 08:19 - WellSchematic.com and legacy well data as a service 10:52 - Drilling war stories: West Africa and the Falklands 15:00 - UK oil industry and energy policy 34:41 - Legacy well file digitization 38:06 - The PDF table extraction problem 42:22 - Open source models vs foundational models 44:31 - AI stack, data privacy, and cloud infrastructure 51:54 - AI's role in the upstream industry 56:04 - Getting tech adopted in the drilling world 59:06 - Coding journey: from PHP and Laravel to Python 1:02:22 - Advice for engineers getting into coding 1:09:38 - Programming languages and AI-assisted development 1:11:56 - Cursor and Claude Code 1:13:55 - Speed round: Scotland, whiskey, and cloud platforms https://twitter.com/collide_ai 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/collide-ai.bsky.social https://www.linkedin.com/company/collideai

When you have 80 patents and a lifetime achievement award in hydraulic fracturing, you have seen some things. John William Ely, Founder of Ely and Associates Corp, and Jon Harper, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, talk frac history, pre-job diagnostics, the slick water revolution, geothermal, and why the industry keeps pumping the same thing and expecting different results. Click here to watch a video of this episode. 0:00 - Intro and guest backgrounds 3:25 - John William Ely's origin story 7:45 - Offshore blowout and well control in the Middle East 11:25 - How fracturing has evolved over 50 years 19:30 - The slick water revolution and where we went wrong 27:40 - Pre-job diagnostics and what operators overlook 36:55 - Geothermal applications and completions challenges 43:50 - Parent-child well interaction and offset communication 47:00 - Refracing and diversion 54:15 - Increasing recovery factor 1:06:35 - Longer laterals, U-turn wells, and land-driven decisions 1:12:35 - Knowledge gaps in the next generation of engineers 1:25:20 - The untapped tight conventional opportunity 1:30:02 - Advice for young engineers entering the industry https://twitter.com/collide_ai 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/collide-ai.bsky.social https://www.linkedin.com/company/collideai

Owner relations in oil and gas has been shoved in a corner forever, basically a "here's your check, don't call me" situation, and Deren Boyd, Dagen Boyd, and Josh Wright, co-founders of Firm App, are building the platform to fix that. These three started in oilfield safety software with iScout, got acquired by KPA, and now they're tackling the massive gap between operators and their surface and mineral owners with AI-powered multichannel communication. We're talking voice agents with adjustable accents, auto-responding emails, chat widgets that actually work, and an owner-facing app that puts payment info and well data in people's pockets. Plus the OKC crew gives their take on Devon and Expand relocating and what that means for the city. Click here to watch a video of this episode. 0:00 Devon and Expand leaving OKC, what it means on the ground 4:42 What is owner relations and why has it been ignored 7:18 Timing and the generational shift driving tech adoption 10:10 How operators have been duct-taping owner relations together 12:05 The owner-facing app and multichannel approach 14:38 AI voice agents, email auto-response, and chatbot workflows 18:15 Building and rebuilding AI architecture every six months 21:29 Under the hood on voice AI, latency, and conversation nuance 26:37 School districts, 10,000 page websites, and unexpected use cases 34:58 The iScout origin story and oilfield safety software 42:17 Getting thrown in the penalty box and winning work back with data 46:13 Revenue statements, vendor portals, and what owners actually ask about 52:24 NAPE plans and the land community 54:48 Business model and implementation timeline 55:58 NIL, college athletics, and the dumpster fire 1:04:36 Dev tools, Claude Code, and the future of SaaS https://twitter.com/collide_ai 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/collide-ai.bsky.social https://www.linkedin.com/company/collideai

Bobby Neelon and John Kalfayan sit down with Kayla Ball to break down why the methane compliance space is stuck in the trough of disillusionment, how she ended up cleaning up Petra's flat file nightmare at IHS, and why vibe coding with Claude feels like training your own replacement. They dig into sensor data chaos across ops teams, why public data companies should be worried, the wild difference between building lovable prototypes versus commercial deployments with SOC2 governance, and how AI is forcing everyone to confront the fact that humans shouldn't be entering data into anything anymore. Click here to watch a video of this episode. 0:00 - Devon and Chesapeake leaving Oklahoma City 4:50 - What SensorUp actually does beyond sensors 11:40 - Methane space challenges and compliance markets 18:30 - Why standardizing sensor data is so hard 26:40 - Getting into product management from geology 32:45 - AI automating regulatory workflows and field inspections 38:50 - Vibe coding prototypes versus productizing for enterprises 45:15 - Public data moat questions for IHS and Enverus 52:30 - Duck Lake and licensing components over custom dev 58:15 - Product management changing with Claude Code 1:04:40 - Data problems holding back AI adoption 1:11:20 - Speed round on youth sports complexes and baseball 1:22:40 - Hot takes and wrapping 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

Hussein Shel, CTO and head of business development for energy and utilities at Amazon Web Services, joins Bobby and John to talk about his journey from Chevron engineer to cloud technology leader. They explore how AI coding tools are changing the game for energy companies, why the barrier to entry for building apps has never been lower, and what it means when your reservoir engineer can now spin up their own solutions in minutes instead of months. Hussein shares why he thinks we're only scratching the surface of what's possible when you combine domain expertise with modern AI tools, discusses the cultural shifts needed for energy companies to move fast, and explains why he's both excited about AI's potential and concerned about its massive energy demands. If you’re into energy tech, you’re in the right place. John and Bobby have built a deep catalog of conversations with the minds modernizing energy inside companies like AWS, Snowflake, Devon Energy, and more. Listen to the full library on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or watch at https://collide.io/community. Click here to watch a video of this episode. 00:00 - Welcome and introductions 03:14 - Early AI experiments and low-code tools 08:11 - Core principles that haven't changed 12:04 - Managing costs and governance 15:15 - Data access and shadow IT 17:16 - Building apps in weeks vs months 19:25 - Domain-specific foundation models 21:10 - AWS infrastructure and energy footprint 26:21 - Custom silicon and partnerships 29:11 - Current AI model landscape 33:36 - Enterprise adoption challenges 38:58 - Cultural change from the top 42:06 - Scoping problems and quick wins 46:16 - Legacy systems and technical debt 52:18 - Building AI-first energy companies 56:57 - Tech debt acceleration 1:00:04 - Speed round and favorite spots 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

Collide AI 2025 Wrapped Part 1 turns into a real talk on why forward deployed engineers win where AI pilots stall, with Michael Cortez, John, and Nick Smart swapping war stories from completions, geophysics, and the startup trenches while they map out how Collide Enterprise moves past basic chat tools into search plus workflows that actually hold up in the real world. Click here to watch a video of this episode. 00:00 Setup and intros  00:45 Michael’s path and joining Collide  01:59 Nick’s background and role shift  03:08 Collide Enterprise vs community  04:16 Search, RAG, and workflow evolution  06:31 Why out of the box AI falls short  08:41 Time savings and real work focus  11:39 Single source of truth vision  13:16 Small teams scaling bigger assets  17:18 AI adoption vs past tech hype  19:26 Digital transformation missing link  20:20 Why FDEs make pilots work  23:36 Biggest learnings this year  31:52 What’s next in 2026  38:57 Bold predictions for 3 to 5 years  47:37 Fine tuned models teaser and wrap 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 https://app.collide.io/content/RprbJAD 

Bruce Holman and Corey Scott showed up ready to blow up the idea that accounts payable has to be slow, messy, and stuck in the past. They walked us through how Energy Payables is flipping the script with a platform that actually makes sense for operators and vendors, think cleaner workflows, real transparency, and smart tech like AI doing the heavy lifting instead of some poor soul buried in spreadsheets. Between the stories from the field, the back-office chaos they’re fixing, and the vision they have for where oil and gas operations should be headed, this conversation feels like a peek at how the industry finally gets out of its own way and into something a whole lot more efficient. Click here to watch a video of this episode. 00:00 - Intro 01:42 - EnergyLink Platform 08:37 - JIBLink Overview 14:15 - Understanding JIBs 18:10 - Vision for the Platform 20:57 - Evolution of Tech Stack 26:08 - Introduction to Energy Payables 28:18 - What is Energy Payables? 30:14 - Network Effects in Energy Sector 32:50 - Vendor Pain Points 38:15 - Energy Payables Pricing Model 40:25 - AI Impact on Energy Ogre 44:05 - AI for Normalizing Frac Data 47:43 - Data Extraction from PDFs 50:35 - Azure Cloud Solutions 52:07 - Introduction to DataFoundry 55:54 - Token Models Explained 58:12 - Overview of DuckDB 59:04 - Energy Payables API Insights 1:02:30 - Speed Round Discussion 1:06:44 - Contact Information 1:08:35 - Conclusion and 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

Justin has a way of making the oilfield and the data world feel like they’ve always belonged together. He walked us through how he’s helped teams untangle messy workflows, clean up data quality issues, and actually make analytics useful instead of overwhelming. From his time at Marathon Oil to experimenting with tools like Snowflake and Alteryx, he’s all about boosting efficiency and giving people the confidence to make smarter decisions. We also ended up talking about where AI actually fits into oil and gas, not the hype, but the stuff that genuinely moves the needle. Click here to watch a video of this episode. 00:00 - Intro 01:12 - Justin McBroom Introduction 05:29 - Data as a Strategic Asset 09:08 - Accessing Data Effectively 11:04 - Optimizing Spotfire Performance 14:30 - Common Pitfalls to Avoid 17:44 - Empowering Your Workforce 19:50 - Alteryx Virtual Query Builder Insights 27:38 - Justin’s 100+ Day Streak Achievement 29:37 - Analyzing Most Popular Posts 31:12 - Strategies for Successful Posts 33:55 - The Dynamics of Social Media Posting 37:18 - The Return of Vine 40:06 - Passionate Posts Discussion 46:02 - AI Designed for Success 50:29 - Recommendations for Companies 55:20 - Encouraging Tool Exploration 57:28 - Accountability in Work 1:06:06 - Speed Round Q&A 1:09:04 - Favorite Houston Restaurant Picks 1:09:31 - Tools Everyone Should Use 1:10:27 - How to Connect with Justin 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

PandoScape is on a mission to make data actually make sense. We sat down with Christy Hopkins and Philip Heggelund, the CEO and CTO duo behind the company, to talk about how they’re untangling the mess of data integration in energy. From subsurface insights to cloud headaches, they’re rethinking how information flows across the industry. We got into the good stuff: cleaning up bad data, breaking down silos, and figuring out how to build real trust in data systems. Christy and Philip aren’t just building tools, they’re building a future where energy companies actually use their data instead of drowning in it. Click here to watch a video of this episode. 00:00 - Intro 01:23 - Christy’s International Experience 03:22 - Recent Cloud Outages 06:05 - On-Prem AI Servers 10:59 - PandoScape Overview 18:05 - PandoScape's Services 20:50 - Unique Features of PandoScape 23:20 - PandoScape’s Technology Stack 25:00 - PandoScape’s Business Model 26:40 - Target Market for PandoScape 28:20 - Future Plans for PandoScape 30:00 - PandoScape’s Funding History 31:40 - Hiring Plans at PandoScape 33:20 - PandoScape’s Culture and Values 34:15 - Data Engineering vs Data Science 36:10 - Google vs Bing Comparison 40:10 - Impact of COVID-19 45:58 - The AI Hype Cycle 49:15 - Choosing the Right Tools 51:00 - Importance of Quality Data 52:32 - MCP Server Overview 56:25 - gRPC Technology 57:49 - MCP Server Functionality 1:00:32 - The Magic Layer Concept 1:06:08 - Memory of Things 1:12:30 - Speed Round 1:15:57 - Contacting the PandoScape Team 1:16:40 - Making a Good Mimosa 1:17:22 - Making a Good Margarita 1:17:33 - How to Drink Tequila 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

Rudy Lacovara is on a mission to untangle the messy data spaghetti that runs through oil and gas. He built PetroBricks to be the “Zapier for energy”, a way to connect clunky systems, automate the repetitive stuff, and make workflows actually make sense. We got into the pain points everyone in the industry knows too well: outdated data standards, SCADA headaches, and the constant struggle to automate without breaking things. Rudy shared how his aerospace background shaped the way he approaches energy tech, why MQTT matters, and how low-code platforms could finally change the game for operators. If you’ve ever wished your data systems would just talk to each other, this one’s for you. Click here to watch a video of this episode. 00:00 - Intro 00:44 - Houston Energy and Climate Week 02:56 - PetroBricks Overview 06:36 - What is PetroBricks? 09:58 - PetroBricks Location 12:45 - Sparkplug B Overview 14:07 - Common Integrations 17:02 - Data Acquisition from Service Companies 19:12 - Journey into Tech 24:34 - Inspiration for PetroBricks 28:05 - Entry into Oil and Gas 31:15 - Issues with Frac Data 34:55 - PetroBricks Insights 38:58 - Tools Used by Matt 41:18 - Akka Framework 43:58 - AI Coding Tools Overview 46:04 - PetroBricks Technology Stack 48:49 - Understanding Containers 51:01 - Benefits of Containers 54:33 - Speed Round 59:30 - Favorite Vacation Destination 59:35 - Preferred LLM for Problem Solving 01:01:09 - Houston Insights 01:01:29 - Book Recommendation 01:03:54 - How to Connect with Rudy 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

AI is shaking things up in oil and gas, and Hussam Rahman is right in the middle of it. He’s the founder of AAI Agency and the brains behind tools like Petri, a copilot built for engineers, and the Business Toolkit that helps companies cut through messy workflows. We got into how AI is solving everyday headaches, think bad data management, clunky reporting, and inefficient processes, while opening the door to automation and smarter decision-making. Hussam’s mix of industry experience and forward-thinking tech makes for a conversation that’s equal parts practical advice and big-picture strategy on where AI is taking the energy world next.  Click here to watch a video of this episode. 00:00 - Intro 04:56 - What does AAI stand for 05:05 - Do You Really Need AI? 11:00 - AI in the Oil & Gas Industry 12:22 - Importance of Quality Data 13:38 - Data Engineering in Machine Learning 15:04 - AI as a Tool in Industry 16:25 - Use Cases for Large Language Models 19:29 - Explainability in AI 23:18 - LLMs: Answers vs. Correct Answers 24:30 - Petrie Overview 25:30 - Context in Data Analysis 30:59 - Data Storage Solutions 34:59 - Career Path Insights 39:34 - Petri Excel Add-In Features 43:24 - Career Progression from Hess 48:30 - Prototyping Importance 50:15 - Rapid Prototyping with AI 52:53 - Solopreneurship Opportunities 53:00 - Tools in Your Tech Stack 58:35 - Arc Overview 01:01:06 - Speed Round 01:02:54 - Things to Do in Qatar 01:02:30 - Best Coffee Shops in Houston 01:02:55 - Language Model Preferences 01:04:45 - Current Reading List 01:06:24 - Contacting Hussam 01:06:40 - Outro 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

AI is no longer just a buzzword in oil and gas, it’s reshaping how the entire industry works. Steven Barrow grew up as a fourth-generation oilfield guy, but instead of sticking with tradition, he’s pushing things forward with Patronus Energy. We got into everything from using computer vision to spot safety issues, to drones inspecting sites, to automating the headache of P&IDs. Steven’s story ties it all together: a blend of family legacy, startup grit, and some seriously cool applications of AI that are cutting through inefficiencies and making oilfield operations smarter. It’s equal parts tech talk and real-world problem solving, with a few glimpses into where energy might be headed next. 00:00 - Intros 01:58 - Patronus Energy Overview 04:02 - Founding Patronus Energy 11:04 - Field Experience Insights 14:07 - Effective Learning Methods 15:46 - Software Development Background 18:14 - Coding Journey 19:06 - Smart Pigging Technology 20:00 - Software Development for E&Ps 22:53 - MLOps in Energy Sector 25:57 - Product Development Inflection Point 27:54 - Project Preferences 30:36 - Computer Vision Innovations 36:00 - Impact of Ukraine War on Process Safety 39:30 - AI Applications in Process Safety 41:40 - Drone Survey Usage 44:53 - Drone Lighting Solutions 46:43 - Technology Stack Overview 49:50 - Underrated Tools and Frameworks 51:44 - Future of Work in Energy 55:12 - Prototyping Techniques 56:06 - Scripting to Production 1:00:34 - Dining Recommendations in Bentonville 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

AI isn’t just creeping into oil and gas, it’s blowing the doors open. Scott Casso from Casso Land & Imaging Services walked us through how his team is dragging decades of dusty, “dark” data into the digital age. Think land title work, document digitization, and the kind of workflow cleanup that makes mergers and acquisitions a whole lot smoother. Instead of drowning in paper, companies can now actually use their data, cut inefficiencies, and make faster, smarter decisions. It’s a mix of old-school industry grit and next-gen AI muscle and it shows how tech can unlock value hiding in plain sight. Click here to watch a video of this episode. 00:00 - Introductions 01:18 - Casso Land and Imaging Services 05:45 - Importance of Digitizing Data 09:19 - QR Codes in Data Management 12:27 - Meaning of Digitizing 15:12 - Digitization in Mergers & Acquisitions 17:49 - Pre-Sale Data Digitization 21:56 - Key Documents for Data Extraction 27:50 - Value of Searchable Data Today 30:30 - Relationships in Data Analysis 35:09 - Data Engineering and LLMs 38:04 - External Support in Oil & Gas 43:38 - Scott's Journey into the Industry 50:25 - Speed Round Questions 53:02 - Influential Books 57:30 - Favorite Outdoor Activities in Oklahoma 01:01:03 - Where to Find Scott 01:01:53 - Wrapping 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

Mathias has a knack for shaking up an industry that doesn’t exactly love change, and he’s doing it from the inside. As CEO of Whitson, he’s bringing petroleum engineering software into the cloud era, building tools that work in real time instead of waiting on clunky desktop updates. We talked about what it takes to get a traditional industry to embrace modern platforms, why seamless data integration is the real game-changer, and how Whitson Plus is helping make it happen. Somewhere along the way, we compared life in Norway to Houston, swapped taco recommendations, and even found a few similarities between fjords and tech. It’s a mix of innovation, culture, and just enough humor to remind you that oil and gas tech can actually be fun. Click here to watch a video of this episode. 00:00 - Intro 01:05 - Norway Geography Overview 04:26 - Understanding WITSML Standards 05:55 - Introduction to WITS Protocol 12:45 - Data Sovereignty Explained 17:15 - SOC 2 Compliance for Software 17:37 - International Market Entry Advice 19:58 - Software Portability Across Clouds 22:06 - Strategies for Reducing Cloud Costs 23:20 - COVID-19 Impact on Cloud Adoption 24:10 - Cloud Provider Flexibility 25:15 - Whitson Product Overview 27:28 - Whitson PBT Features 29:10 - Whitson Spacing Solutions 34:51 - Well-by-Well Analysis 39:21 - Watson Plus Overview 43:37 - Data Integration Strategies 47:10 - Future of WITSML and RESQML 52:40 - Importance of Software Integrations 54:09 - Leveraging APIs for Growth 55:30 - Snowflake Data Solutions 59:23 - Speed Round Q&A 1:06:00 - Contacting Whitson 1:07:45 - Closing Remarks 1:09:33 - Unique Aspects of Collide Energy 1:13:14 - Outro 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

AI and GIS might not sound like the flashiest combo, until you hear what Bunting Labs is cooking up. Michael Egan breaks it down with John and Bobby: how they’re turning old-school geologic maps into clean, digital datasets, baking large language models into QGIS, and giving non-technical folks the power to ask spatial questions like pros. From landmen to transportation planners, this episode explores how tools like Mundi are cutting down analysis time and opening up the GIS world to way more people. It’s all about smarter maps, faster workflows, and making geospatial data way less intimidating. Click here to watch a video of this episode. 00:00 - Intro 01:25 - Michael Egan, Bunting Labs Co-Founder 03:51 - Billion Dollar Idea in Tech 05:52 - Fencing Solutions in GIS 07:41 - Overview of Bunting Labs 09:44 - Understanding GIS Technology 12:41 - Mundi and Spatial Data Interaction 15:42 - Comparing Mundi and Bunting Labs 19:20 - Target Audience for Mundi 21:34 - Energy Use Cases in GIS 23:16 - Plat Digitizer Overview 24:51 - Primary Use Cases of Mundi 27:58 - Embedding Mundi in Applications 30:33 - Base Map Compatibility in GIS 33:00 - Maximizing QGIS Utilization 34:08 - Computer Vision and LLM Integration 37:30 - Future of WebGIS Technology 39:48 - Advancements in Computer Vision 43:20 - Self-Hosting Solutions Explained 46:20 - Dataset Iteration Techniques 48:27 - Cursor in Oil and Gas Industry 53:36 - Cursor Applications in GIS Industry 01:00:03 - Exploring the Tech Stack 01:02:42 - Choosing a Cloud Provider 01:03:41 - Non-OpenAI Model Preferences 01:04:16 - Favorite Vacation Destinations 01:04:45 - YC Company Highlights 01:06:44 - Where to Find Michael Egan 01:07:50 - Outro 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

AI isn’t just showing up in oil and gas, it’s kicking the door down. We hung out with Bella Kelada-Khalil from Midnight Marketing, who’s diving headfirst into petroleum engineering and AI after starting in sales and events. She’s asking the smart, unfiltered questions you wish you could, and we’re here for it. We swap stories on how AI is automating the boring stuff, making data wrangling less painful, and helping teams actually trust what they’re looking at. From LangChain setups to sketchy data rooms, it’s all on the table. This one’s for anyone wondering how tech and tradition can play nice in the field. 00:00 - Intro 01:40 - Flipping the Table 07:00 - Journey to AI Adoption 13:34 - Understanding AI, ML, and LLM 15:37 - AI vs Machine Learning vs LLMs Explained 17:23 - The Power of LLMs 20:55 - Starting Platforms for AI 22:24 - Free vs Paid AI Models 28:15 - Starting Points in Petroleum Engineering 30:06 - Essential Learning Before AI 31:42 - Building a Data Foundation 34:40 - LinkedIn's Data Insights 37:25 - AI-Generated Video Content 41:10 - Authenticity in AI Creations 44:35 - AI in Due Diligence Processes 49:00 - Training Duration for AI Models 51:15 - Optimal Efficiency in AI 54:51 - Successful AI Use Cases in Production 58:50 - Tech Stack Essentials 1:03:04 - Data Accessibility Challenges 1:08:24 - Barriers to AI Adoption in Oil & Gas 1:12:15 - LLMs vs Other Tech Hypes 1:17:46 - Outro https://www.instagram.com/digitalwildcatters https://www.tiktok.com/@digitalwildcatters https://www.facebook.com/digitalwildcatters https://www.linkedin.com/company/digitalwildcatters https://twitter.com/DWildcatters https://www.youtube.com/@digitalwildcatters

Tired of clunky geoscience software that feels like it was built in the '90s? Same. That’s why we brought on Cameron Snow from Danomics to talk about how his team is shaking things up. He’s built a platform that actually makes life easier for geologists and engineers, no more wrestling with legacy tools just to run a few thousand wells. We got into how Danomics uses AI (without going full robot overlord), how the cloud isn’t just buzzword fluff, and why data management doesn’t have to suck. If you’ve ever cursed at reservoir modeling software, you’ll want to hear this one. 00:00 - Intro 01:00 - EOG Acquires INNO 03:39 - Understanding Danomics 07:18 - Importance of Cloud for Danomics 10:38 - Cloud First Strategy 14:17 - Data Residency Explained 15:42 - Founding Danomics 17:34 - Coding Journey 22:54 - Programming Languages Overview 25:14 - Managing Complex Equations 29:05 - Handling Customer Requests 32:54 - Significance of UI/UX Design 36:40 - Meeting User Expectations 38:54 - Software Integration with Applications 43:25 - Data Management and Organization 50:07 - Coding for Geoscientists and Engineers 59:48 - AI's Impact on Oil and Gas Industry 01:00:02 - AI's Limitations in Oil and Gas 01:05:25 - Speed Round 01:09:10 - Contacting Cam 01:10:00 - Outro https://www.instagram.com/digitalwildcatters https://www.tiktok.com/@digitalwildcatters https://www.facebook.com/digitalwildcatters https://www.linkedin.com/company/digitalwildcatters https://twitter.com/DWildcatters https://www.youtube.com/@digitalwildcatters

If you've ever wrestled with messy datasets, legacy code, or trying to get executives to actually *use* data, you’ll get a kick out of this one. We sat down with Jeff Krimmel from Krimmel Strategy Group to talk shop about how he’s helping energy companies turn their mountain of data into real-world strategy. We hit everything from making peace with Fortran (yep, still kicking) to getting smart about tools like Snowflake and Databricks, and even why asking better questions matters more than the data itself. Jeff’s got a sharp eye for cutting through the noise—and a knack for blending cold, hard numbers with human behavior. Whether you geek out on AI trends or just want your data dashboards to make more sense, this convo's got something for you. Click here to watch a video of this episode.  00:00 - Intro 04:05 - Snowflake Summit Insights 06:22 - Data Utilization by Jeff 11:28 - Over-engineering in Decision Making 14:08 - Effective Forecasting Techniques 15:21 - Understanding Variable Importance 16:18 - Confidence in Decision-Making Processes 19:20 - Engineering vs Energy Industry Decisions 21:20 - The Role of Assumptions in Analysis 22:50 - Proof of Work Explained 23:30 - Managing Risk and Uncertainty in Energy 27:17 - Overview of Crudele Strategy Group 27:31 - Typical Project Workflow 27:37 - Tools Used by Matt 31:17 - Foundations of Energy Sector 32:56 - Value of Third-Party Perspectives 34:40 - Data Abundance in Energy Sector 35:55 - Jeff's Data Acquisition Methods 38:30 - Understanding OData 41:40 - Challenges with APIs 43:20 - Google Sheets Scripting Techniques 46:40 - Integrating DuckDB with Google Sheets 48:37 - Chart Visualization Insights 50:49 - Cost of DIY Solutions 52:47 - Trusting AI in Decision Making 58:18 - Speed Round Discussion 58:20 - Jacob’s Startup in Energy 58:29 - Would You Rather: C++ vs Fortran 59:10 - Favorite Houston Restaurant Recommendations 1:00:08 - Favorite Scripting Language Choices 1:04:36 - Cancun Travel Insights 1:07:21 - How to Connect with Jeff 1:08:03 - Collide Platform Overview 1:09:39 - Building a Community: The Grind 1:10:27 - Growth Strategies for Collide 1:11:09 - The Endless Journey in Software Development 1:11:35 - Conclusion on Software Development Challenges 1:11:50 - The Ongoing Nature of Development 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

SmartChain is on a mission to kill off the chaos of clunky contracts in oil and gas and they might actually be pulling it off. We caught up with their co-founder Cameron Sinclair, who’s turning heads with a platform that automates the mess out of invoicing, closes those dreaded “leakage” gaps, and makes cash flow way less of a guessing game. From aligning incentives between operators and vendors to building smarter, data-driven performance contracts, Cameron breaks down how SmartChain is flipping the script on old-school processes and dragging them into the digital age. If you've ever dealt with contract nightmares (or just want your ops to run smoother), this one’s worth a listen. Click here to watch a video of this episode.  00:00 - Guest Intro 01:15 - Cam’s Background 07:28 - Starting SmartChain 10:36 - Origin of SmartChain 13:18 - Overview of SmartChain 17:47 - Challenges in Digitizing Field Tickets 23:00 - Impact on Cash Flow 24:40 - Understanding DSO and Its Importance 26:42 - Average DSO & DIR Analysis 28:44 - Case Study 1: Offshore Drilling Insights 30:49 - Case Study 2: Performance Contract Overview 32:40 - Strategies for Creating Better Contracts 39:37 - Addressing Pushback and Objections 41:15 - Mutual Benefits for Operators and Service Companies 46:15 - Charging Models Explained 48:42 - Successful Oil and Gas Startups 50:35 - Role of Blockchain in Energy 57:17 - Closing Thoughts 57:58 - Favorite Rugby Team 58:10 - Book Recommendations 58:54 - Favorite Speculative Crypto 01:00:34 - Favorite Vacation Spot 01:01:31 - Connecting with Cameron 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