Occidental Petroleum flies to Midland the same week as the Permian Basin energy conference

Occidental Petroleum flew from David Wayne Hooks Memorial Airport in Houston to Midland International Air and Space Port on May 28, a 1-hour-10-minute hop aboard its Gulfstream G280, tail N280XY. The short flight from the company's Houston-area base to the heart of the Permian Basin suggests a focused business purpose.

The same week, the Permian Basin International Oil Show is taking place in Odessa, just 20 miles from Midland, per the event's official schedule. Occidental Petroleum, a dominant operator in the Permian, typically sends senior executives to the biennial conference, which draws thousands of industry leaders and features technical sessions on drilling and completions. CEO Vicki Hollub has been a featured speaker at past editions.

The trip fits a pattern: Occidental Petroleum's aircraft have shuttled between Houston and the Midland-Odessa area repeatedly over the past two days, with multiple round trips logged on May 27 and 28. The Gulfstream G280 is the company's midsize jet, well-suited for the 400-nautical-mile hop to the company's core operating region, where it manages the largest acreage position of any U.S. independent producer.