Recorded January 6, 2026 and September 9, 2025
Episode 148 of the PetroNerds podcast is a 2026 New Year showstopper. Trisha Curtis, CEO of PetroNerds and host of the PetroNerds podcast, is joined on stage at the Houston Producers Forum by Ron Gusek, CEO of Liberty Energy, Andrew Novotny, CEO of Calpine, and Sheldon Burleson, CEO of Rockcliff Energy. Trisha moderates this star studded panel conversation covering everything from oil and gas prices and power demand to natural gas production and artificial intelligence. But before this esteemed panel discussion, Trisha gets PetroNerdy with a fresh and thorough market recap on oil prices, oil production, and events in Venezuela.
This panel discussion took place on September 9th, 2025 in Houston at the Houston Producers Forum. Ron Gusek covers everything from the oil and gas market to power solutions. He describes frac expertise and knowledge being translated into power generation. Ron talks about the behind the meter power solutions Liberty is working on, the oil and natural gas market, and the US not ceding market share to the Middle East. He also talks about peak shale and how the US can maintain 13.5 mbd with relative ease. He discusses the role of higher oil prices, the efficiency of the industry, and the ability to increase output in the US and Canada for both oil and natural gas. Andrew Novotny talks about AI power demand, hyperscalers, and the actual amount of natural gas demand for power from AI. He talks about grid connected power and the abundance of electricity, most of the time, but the problems when there is scarcity and lack of power availability in the specific window of hours where cost is incredibly high. “We have a ton of power outside of 200 hours.” He also talks about power companies being behind and unable to connect folks in the oil and gas field to the grid. He speaks to the lack of energy density in wind and solar power and wind and solar requiring greater transmission which drives the cost of this intermittent power up. Sheldon Burleson discusses the excitement around natural gas and investment in natural gas, especially in private equity. He talks about the areas with the lowest breakevens and the shift in thinking about drilling and completion costs. Companies are rethinking DUCs and are now building drilled and completed wells (DACs) and then waiting to bring these wells online and into production. Sheldon talks about the change from growth to capital discipline in the context of “peak shale.” The audience asks fantastic questions ranging from power in the field from flares and changes in the fuel powering frac fleets. The panelsist knocked Trisha’s questions and the audience’s questions out of the park.
PetroNerds cannot thank these gentlemen enough for their intel, insight, and candid remarks. This is an incredible PetroNerds podcast you are going to want to listen to and watch, more than once, and share with your colleagues and friends.
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