Two‑Track Growth: High‑Graded Prospects + Strategic Acquisitions

When capital returns to the patch, the temptation is to choose: drill what you know, or buy what you can grow. The better answer is often both, managed with discipline so neither track dilutes focus.

Why two tracks win

• Resilience. Organic projects deliver known fit barrels; acquisitions deliver step changes.

• Optionality. If cycle time slips on one track, the other keeps the engine warm.

• Shared infrastructure. Integration lets teams reuse systems, vendors, and standards across both lanes.

Guardrails that keep growth healthy

1. One operating model. Same data spine, same approval cadence, same KPIs—regardless of asset origin.

2. Cultural due diligence. Don’t just buy wells; evaluate the habits that ran them.

3. First 100 days playbook. Stabilize HSE, align vendors, normalize data, and publish the new scoreboards.

Score it like an owner

• Barrels per employee. Growth that outpaces headcount is disciplined growth.

• Time to integration. How fast until the new asset speaks your data language?

• Variance to plan. Keep both tracks honest against the forecast.

Bottom line:

Build what fits, buy what scales—and run them on one backbone so speed doesn’t fracture your standards.

Get the strategic backstory in our conversation with Robert Wichert on the Wisdom at the Wellhead YouTube channel.