Driving Business at MCDOC. Interview with Cory Durham

Click here to learn more about the mid-continent digital oilfield conference.

Mark: Hey, folks let’s learn something new about the oil and gas industry.

All right. Today, is Black Friday, but Cory and I didn’t want to leave because we’re so both stuffed with Thanksgiving food, so we decided to do this via Skype.

We have Cory Durham. How are you doing today, Cory?

Cory: I’m doing good. I’m doing good. Just recovering from all that turkey.

Mark: Yeah, me too.

And so, Cory is the chairman of MCDOC. And people may go, what the heck is MCDOC? What is that, Cory?

Cory: That is the Midcontinent Digital Oilfield Conference presented by SOER which is Sustaining Oklahoma Energy Resources.

Mark: And so, when is this conference?

Cory: The conference is going to be January 25 and 26, 2017.

Mark: Okay. And it’s where?

Cory: In Tulsa, Oklahoma at the Renaissance Tulsa Hotel and Conference Center.

Mark: Now, here’s the cool thing. Digital Oilfield Conference, those words usually don’t go together. So, you’re bringing a bunch of technology which is the future of our industry in a place where a bunch of people in oil and gas can learn about that?

Cory: Absolutely. Absolutely.  That’s the – the idea is to bring the technology that the major oil companies are using out to explore and produce and exhibit it in a way that your smaller and independent producers can show up and realize that, hey, we can apply the same technology on a smaller scale on our operations. And that’s really the goal, to show them that that is possible.

Mark: And what’s cool about that is – is you may not know this, but here in the US most of the oil and gas that we produce is produced by the smaller operators. And so, for you to – to put together a conference so the smaller operators can understand how to do the same thing with technology that bigger operators are, that’s huge.

Cory: It really is. It really is. And from something as small as an act that communicates data from the field to the office back home to completely new innovative drilling techniques, you know it all comes together to help people be more competitive and cut cost. And that’s really what we got to do right now, you know it’s been a tough couple of years. We’re still I the middle of it and I think these technologies are really helping people get by.

Mark: Well, they are. So, we’re hip-deep in that. So, with the right technology, you’re able to actually decrease cost and increase production at the same time and in this low crude price environment it’s vital. Now, here’s the thing that’s cool. The price is starting to creep back up and we think it will continue to creep back up. So, if I was a technology vendor and I’m looking for more oil and gas customers especially upstream, your conference is like the place to be to put your technology in front of all these potential buyers, right?

Cory: Yeah. We’re really excited. You know we’re catching the industry at a time when it’s got some good momentum. We’re going to get past this Holiday Season and then hope that that’s the – one of the first shows that the exhibitors will show up to in 2017.

And I think you’re right, it’s the perfect time to implement those technologies now to kind of catch that upside on the crude oil price.

Mark: Yes. So, I’m telling you, I’m going to be at the conference. We’re bringing the podcast crew to the conference. If you’re a vendor out there and you want more customers, go, right? Go to the conference.

And, here’s a perk for you. If you go and buy an exhibition spot at Cory’s conference, hit me up on Twitter, I will give you some free consulting just as a thank you for actually going to the conference.

So, Cory, if people want to learn more about your conference, where should they go?

Cory: Yeah. The website is www.digitaloilconference.com. And that has everything you need to know, tips about getting around Tulsa. Any of the new exhibitors that we have, we’re going to get them up on the website as they come in and pretty much anything you need to know is right there at DigitalOilConference.com.

Mark: Yeah. And so, folks we’ll put a link in the show notes so you don’t have to be writing anything down.

So, Cory, thank you and thanks to your wife to let you actually do this on a Friday. This is good.

Cory: Yeah. Yeah. It took a little negotiating, but, hey, I’m a marketing guy, so we got it done.

Mark: Yeah. Good stuff. So, folks I hope this helped. We will see you next time.

Related reading & references

• Oil & gas AI visibility strategy
• Selling to oil & gas: lead vs. prospect
• the DIG framework
• External reference: Harvard Business School faculty research