Accessing Capital in a Contracting Market

Much has been made about shrinking capital opportunities in the traditional oil and gas sector. Today’s capital environment faces continued ESG pressure and an increased desire for scale and relevancy. So where do today’s small and mid-capital companies turn for growth capital? This panel discussion will answer those questions and more, including:

• Can smaller companies access public equity for growth and/or consolidation?
• Does the public equity market care? Does it want or need more IPOs?
• Will a secondary market fill the void for banks leaving or shrinking their capital availability?
• Is the pendulum swinging back toward traditional oil and gas companies?

MODERATOR:
Stephen Trauber,  Managing Director, Moelis & Company

Special Address: An Insider's Perspective on the 2024 Presidential Election  

Listen in as Karl Rove shares his unique insight into the upcoming presidential election and its effect on global energy issues. From 2000 to 2007 Rove served as Senior Advisor to former President George W. Bush, and from 2004 to 2007 as Deputy Chief of Staff. Known as “The Architect” of President Bush’s 2000 and 2004 campaigns, Rove now is a frequent contributor to Fox News, writes a weekly op-ed for The Wall Street Journal and is a New York Times bestselling author. 

SPEAKER:
Karl Rove,  Former Senior Advisor to President George W. Bush

Networking Luncheon

Private Equity Spotlight

Private equity leaders in the energy sector have found success in a diverse portfolio of investments. Many that are in the for the long haul have realized the value in investing in not only traditional oil and gas producers, but also in the energy transition and decarbonization sectors. Simply put, realized investments can be found in nearly every sector of energy production and decarbonization. In this spotlight session, a private equity leader will discuss:

• The importance of a diverse portfolio amid the energy transition
• How to access capital amid a shrinking market
• Why traditional energy is still a smart investment
• The outlook for private equity in the short and long term 

SPEAKER:
Ajay Khurana, Co-president, Quantum Energy Capital

Kimmeridge: Doubling Down on Oil & Gas

Ben Dell, Kimmeridge co-founder and managing partner, helped bring the energy sector into the modern age as a private equity manager with an activist strategy. In the years leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic, Kimmeridge and others led the industry's push toward capital discipline and investor returns to make the oil and gas sector more viable for longer.  As other investors have shied away, Kimmeridge doubled down on oil and gas with its Fund VI. Kimmeridge also is pushing more into LNG with its bigger stake in the Commonwealth LNG project and in nature-based CCS with Chestnut Carbon. In this session, Dell will discuss the evolution toward discipline, including the mergers that led to Civitas, Ovintiv and others, and what the future holds and where the dollars will come from. 

SPEAKER:
Ben Dell, Managing Partner, Kimmeridge 

Operators' Perspectives: The Path to Accessing Capital 

With past industry performance and ESG pressures pushing traditional lenders out of the sector, operators are looking for the right path to accessing capital. Private equity is still in play, family offices are becoming a bigger player, and banks still play a role. In this session, you’ll hear from the decision makers in the C-suite as they discuss:

• Considerations on production plans as they pursue capital
• What types of returns are expected, and how to achieve them
• Insight into identifying and accessing capital
• Emerging trends to keep an eye on capital allocation 

SPEAKER:
Gordon Huddleston,  President and Partner, Aethon Energy  

Networking Break

Private Secondaries Market - Continuation Vehicles for Energy Companies 

Private secondaries markets have traditionally consisted of selling individual limited partner interests in funds to other investors. In recent years, the secondaries market has shifted to become a broader capital source for the exchange of private fund interests and investments, with both general partners and limited partners actively using the secondary market today. In this panel discussion, you’ll hear more about:

• What’s fueling the emergence of secondaries markets
• Who are the players, and what is their outlook
• The role of a portfolio company’s management team in secondaries transactions
• How secondaries transactions could broaden capital sources

MODERATOR:
Russell Weinberg, Founder and Managing Director, Energy Capital Solutions

SPEAKER:
Jonathan Costello, Managing Partner, Devon Park Advisors
Jonathan Regan, Partner, Quantum Capital Group

Direct Lending and the Role of Banks in Energy Financing

Amid mounting ESG and climate-related pressures, major banks are looking elsewhere to invest. But mid-sized and regional banks are still active in financing E&Ps in traditional operating sectors. So direct lending capital is still available—if you know where to look. This session will cover:

• Which banks are still active in direct lending, and how to access their capital
• Insight into recent direct lending deals and how they got done
• Details around financing structures and operational performance
• Operational practices that appeal most to direct lenders

SPEAKER:
Nicholas Fersen,  Co-Founder, Energy Opportunities Capital Partners

Asset-backed Securitization: Showing flexibility and Promise 

Since their introduction, asset-backed securitizations have caused some head scratching among E&Ps. Now, as the number of ABS transactions has grown, E&Ps are now learning of their true benefit. The ABS market continues to grow, and so has investor confidence. In this session, you’ll learn more about:

• What are asset-backed securitizations, and how do they work?
• Details of announced ABS transactions and the results of those deals
• What sectors make the most sense for ABS deals
• What can ABS financing be used for?

Conference Adjourns