Occidental Petroleum lands in Phoenix the week of Vicki Hollub's retirement

Occidental Petroleum flew from its Eberly Ranch airfield in West Texas to a location near Phoenix, Arizona, in the early hours of May 21, 2026, aboard its Gulfstream G280, tail N280XY. The two-hour flight from the Permian Basin arrived at coordinates 33.429, -112.013 — likely Phoenix Sky Harbor or a nearby general aviation field — just after 4:00 AM UTC.

The same week, Vicki Hollub retired as president and CEO of Occidental Petroleum, effective June 1, after more than 40 years with the company, per a company announcement covered by Bloomberg and Reuters. She handed the reins to chief operating officer Richard Jackson. Hollub, one of the few women to lead a major U.S. oil producer, oversaw the transformative $38 billion Anadarko acquisition in 2019 and the $10.8 billion CrownRock purchase in 2024. The trip to Phoenix may relate to personal transition, board meetings, or ongoing director duties — Hollub remains on Occidental's board.

Recent flights from the company's fleet show repeated shuttles between Houston and the Permian Basin, typical for a firm drilling in West Texas and operating enhanced oil recovery fields. This week's stop in Phoenix is a departure from that pattern, suggesting either Hollub's post-retirement relocation or a private agenda following the leadership handoff.