Occidental Petroleum flies to Midland the week of a CEO transition

Occidental Petroleum flew from Houston Bush Intercontinental to Midland International Air and Space Port on May 12, a 65-minute hop aboard its ERJ-175 shuttle. The aircraft, tail N170XY, touched down at 1:10 p.m. Central Time, arriving in the heart of the Permian Basin where the company operates extensive oil and gas assets.

The same week, Occidental Petroleum is navigating a leadership transition. Vicki Hollub will retire as president and CEO on June 1, with COO Richard Jackson succeeding her, per a company announcement on May 1 [globenewswire.com](https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/05/01/3285910/0/en/Occidental-Announces-CEO-Succession.html). Jackson, who joined Occidental in 2003 and previously served as president of U.S. onshore oil and gas, has deep ties to the Permian Delaware Basin operations based in Midland.

The flight follows a pattern of frequent shuttling between Houston and Midland — the aircraft made the same trip on May 7 and May 11. With Jackson's promotion taking effect in three weeks, the visit likely involves transition briefings with field leadership, ensuring continuity at a time when the company is also reporting strong Q1 results and advancing debt reduction goals.