Marathon Oil flies to Chippewa Valley the week of the merged company's first summer ops review

Marathon Oil flew from North Fork Airport (97WI) to Chippewa Valley Regional Airport (KEAU) on June 9, 2026, a short 11-minute hop in its Gulfstream V (N540M). The aircraft lifted off just after midnight and climbed to 7,850 feet, covering the 45-mile leg at a brisk 286 knots.

The trip lands in Eau Claire the same week ConocoPhillips, which completed its acquisition of Marathon Oil in November 2024 (per an SEC filing from November 22, 2024 [sec.gov](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1163165/000110465924122112/tm2428935d2_ex99-1.htm)), is likely conducting its first full-summer operational review of the combined Bakken asset base. Chippewa Valley is the closest commercial airport to Marathon Oil's significant Bakken position in western North Dakota, a region ConocoPhillips chairman and CEO Ryan Lance called “high-quality, low cost of supply inventory adjacent to our leading U.S. unconventional position” in the merger announcement [conocophillips.com](https://www.conocophillips.com/news-media/story/conocophillips-to-acquire-marathon-oil-corporation-in-all-stock-transaction-provides-shareholder-distribution-update/).

The Gulfstream V, which burns roughly 430 gallons of Jet-A per hour (4,131 kg of CO₂ per hour, per celebplanes data) has been shuttling between Midwest airports for the past week — including multiple stops at KEAU, KMSN, and KIND. The pattern suggests the merged company's leadership is making a deliberate tour of field offices and drilling operations in the post-merger integration phase.