Occidental Petroleum flies to Midland as CEO succession nears

Occidental Petroleum flew from Houston to Midland, Texas, on May 18, landing at Midland International Air and Space Port after a one-hour, 18-minute flight aboard its Embraer ERJ-175, tail number N170XY. The trip comes as the company navigates a leadership transition: Vicki Hollub is set to retire as president and chief executive officer on June 1, with chief operating officer Richard Jackson succeeding her, per a May 1 announcement from Occidental.

The timing of the flight is no coincidence. Midland sits at the heart of the Permian Basin, Occidental Petroleum's most prolific production region, where the company averaged 1.426 million barrels of oil equivalent per day in the first quarter of 2026, as reported in its May 5 earnings release. The visit likely involves operational briefings or a final leadership tour ahead of the June 1 handover, especially given the company's focus on organic improvement and cost efficiency under Jackson's forthcoming tenure.

Occidental Petroleum's fleet activity shows a steady pattern of Permian Basin trips: the ERJ-175 made multiple hops between Houston and Midland-area airports in the days prior, including a May 14 flight from Houston to Midland and a May 13 return to Houston. The May 18 flight continues that rhythm, underscoring the basin's central role in the company's strategy as it transitions to new leadership.