Occidental Petroleum lands in Des Moines during Iowa carbon-capture summit

Occidental Petroleum flew from David Wayne Hooks Memorial Airport in Houston to Des Moines International Airport on May 28, a 1-hour-35-minute hop aboard its Gulfstream G280 (tail N280XY). The flight arrived just after 9 a.m. local time, a routine business departure for a company that keeps a three-aircraft fleet for executive travel.

The same week, Des Moines is hosting the Iowa Energy Summit, a conference focused on carbon capture and sustainable aviation fuel — two areas where Occidental Petroleum has placed major bets. Per a Des Moines Register report published Tuesday, CEO Vicki Hollub is scheduled to deliver a keynote on the company’s Stratos direct-air-capture project. The summit draws policymakers and energy executives, making it a logical stop for a Houston-based independent producer with growing Midwest interests.

Occidental Petroleum’s recent flight log shows heavy activity between Houston and the Permian Basin, plus a transatlantic leg from Glasgow last week. The Des Moines visit breaks from that pattern, underscoring the company’s push into carbon-management deals that require face time with agricultural-state stakeholders and potential partners.