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The Land Department

The Land Department

Written by: Dudley Land Company
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 The Land Department shares the state of land and energy as we see it. We cover topics like region and basin-specific challenges and solutions, tactics for producing the best work, opportunities in the industry, and stories from experts in the field.Dudley Land Company Economics Management Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • 056 - Why Field Landmen Deserve Better Than $500 a Day with Kyle Reynolds

    056 - Why Field Landmen Deserve Better Than $500 a Day with Kyle Reynolds
    Jan 22 2026
    AAPL President Kyle Reynolds sheds light on the landman compensation crisis that's threatening the industry's future. While attorney salaries jumped 76% since 2000, field landmen still earn the same $400-500 day rates they have for the past 25 years. That puts them below the living wage in most markets. Reynolds shares AAPL's strategic plan to address the talent shortage before 40-50% of field landmen retire, plus insights on recruiting across oil, gas, and renewables.What You’ll LearnWhy field landman day rates haven't increased since 2000, despite doubled costsThe real numbers behind the landman talent shortage and aging workforceHow AAPL is tackling compensation conversations without price-fixingWhy field experience matters more than ever for career advancementSmart strategies for justifying higher contractor rates to operatorsTime Stamps00:42 - Episode & Guest Intro00:54 - Kyle's Journey as AAPL President02:15 - The Evolving Role of Landmen02:45 - Impact of Media and Education on Landmen04:31 - Recruitment and Training Challenges07:44 - Field vs. In-House Landmen11:37 - The Importance of Mentorship17:51 - Economic Realities and Compensation26:46 - The Future of Landmen and Technology35:11 - Understanding Brokerage Fees and Costs36:10 - The Importance of Skilled Labor in Drilling Projects37:54 - The Value of Investing in Quality Landmen38:49 - Challenges and Strategies in Land Management47:18 - The Debate on Licensing for Landmen51:35 - Innovative Approaches to Land ManagementSnippets from the Episode"Field landman day rates have been pretty stagnant, $400 to $500 a day in 2000, and that's still what they're making today. In 2000, a field landman made more than the average attorney. Fast forward 25 years, attorneys are up 50-something percent versus five." - Kyle Reynolds"If you just look at inflation, $400 in 2000 is $770 today. You took what was a really high-paying job and now you're scraping." - Kyle Reynolds"Texas is the only place that our field landmen are making money above the living wage standard. You could make more money working at Buc-ee's than doing this work on an hourly basis." - Kyle Reynolds"The forward face of your company is not your VP of land, it's the landman who actually took the lease and said, 'We're going to take care of you, Mr. Jones.'" - Kyle Reynolds"About 40-50% of our members are nearing retirement age. Most of those are the ones out in the field, brokers, independent landmen. That's where there really is this age gap." - Kyle ReynoldsKey TakeawaysField landmen earn below living wage in most US marketsDay rates flat since 2000 while attorney pay increased 76%40-50% of field landmen approaching retirement creates talent crisisCOPAS billing rates up 350% while landman rates stayed flatField experience essential for in-house career advancementTechnology requires mentorship can't replace human expertiseQuality contractors justify premium rates through measurable resultsHelp us improve our podcast! Share your thoughts in our quick survey.⁠⁠ResourcesNeed Help With A Project? ⁠⁠⁠Meet With Dudley⁠⁠⁠Need Help with Staffing? Connect with ⁠⁠⁠Dudley Staffing ⁠⁠⁠Streamline Your Title Process with ⁠⁠⁠Dudley Select Title⁠⁠⁠Watch On ⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠Follow Dudley Land Co. On ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠Subscribe To Our Newsletter, The Land Dept. MonthlyHave Questions? ⁠⁠⁠Email us⁠⁠⁠More from Our GuestKyle Reynolds - President - American Association of Professional LandmenConnect with Kyle on LinkedinMore from Our HostsConnect with ⁠⁠⁠Brent⁠⁠⁠ on LinkedInConnect with ⁠⁠⁠Khalil⁠⁠⁠ on LinkedIn
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • 055 - Christmas Cocktail Hour 2025

    055 - Christmas Cocktail Hour 2025
    Dec 19 2025

    Dudley Land executives review their record-breaking 2025 performance, hitting a 10-year high in business activity, while addressing the critical field landman workforce shortage through strategic rate increases and aggressive hiring plans. Get the inside perspective on leadership transitions, technology development, and 2026 expansion into right-of-way acquisition.


    What You’ll Learn

    • How Dudley achieved record 2025 performance across oil, gas, and renewables
    • Why landman rate increases are finally happening industry-wide
    • Leadership development strategies for scaling land management operations
    • Technology solutions addressing field landman workforce challenges
    • 2026 expansion plans for right-of-way and new energy projects


    Time Stamps

    00:00 - TLD 055 - Christmas Cocktail Hour 2025

    00:59 - Reflecting on a Busy Year

    03:35 - Northeast Operations Update

    05:13 - Gas Prices and Gadgets

    12:03 - Landman Workforce Challenges

    21:41 - Growth & Standardization Initiatives

    24:33 - Exciting Developments for 2026

    28:00 - Leadership Challenges and Reflections

    35:54 - Looking Ahead: Future Plans and Personal Insights


    Snippets from the Episode

    • "It's been something that has needed to happen, and we've tried to stick our neck out there a little bit just to try to tell the story and kind of tell the reality of it."- Brent Broussard on landman rate increases
    • "We're seeing an aging workforce and the field landman is a crucial part of this business... The majority of the workforce is forties and older. So we've got to figure out a way to get those younger landmen in here."- Brandon Ward on workforce development
    • "The biggest transition for me has been being able to let go of operations and finding my way to be not as involved in the day-to-day."- Brent Broussard on executive leadership evolution


    Key Takeaways

    • Record 2025 Performance Across All Energy Sectors
    • Strategic Leadership Pipeline Development & Internal Promotions
    • Industry-Wide Landman Rate Increases Finally Happening
    • AAPL Engagement in Field Landman Workforce Solutions
    • Kudu Land Management System Ready for Market Launch
    • Dudley Staffing Achieving 95% Operational Efficiency
    • 2026 Right-of-Way Business Expansion Strategy


    Help us improve our podcast! Share your thoughts in our quick survey.⁠


    Resources

    • Need Help With A Project? ⁠⁠Meet With Dudley⁠⁠
    • Need Help with Staffing? Connect with ⁠⁠Dudley Staffing ⁠⁠
    • Streamline Your Title Process with ⁠⁠Dudley Select Title⁠⁠
    • Watch On ⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠
    • Follow Dudley Land Co. On ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠
    • Subscribe To Our Newsletter, The Land Dept. Monthly
    • Have Questions? ⁠⁠Email us⁠⁠


    More from Our Hosts

    • Connect with ⁠⁠Brent⁠⁠ on LinkedIn
    • Connect with ⁠⁠Brandon⁠⁠ on LinkedIn
    • Connect with ⁠⁠Steve⁠⁠ on LinkedIn
    • Connect with ⁠⁠Khalil⁠⁠ on LinkedIn
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    48 mins
  • 054 - Inside Due Diligence: The Real Work Behind Energy Deals with Kyle Dubiel & Bryce Winters

    054 - Inside Due Diligence: The Real Work Behind Energy Deals with Kyle Dubiel & Bryce Winters
    Oct 30 2025
    Two industry experts break down the complete oil and gas M&A due diligence process from both buyer and broker perspectives. Kyle Dubiel from Eagle Mountain and Bryce Winters from Dudley Land Company walk through everything from pre-bid VDR evaluation to post-close integration, sharing real-world insights on team mobilization, defect identification, and timeline management.What You’ll LearnHow to structure and scope due diligence teams for maximum efficiencyThe critical importance of allocated value schedules in PSA negotiationsWhy most defects come from material contracts, not title issuesBest practices for VDR organization and early deal evaluationHow to balance diligence speed with thoroughness under tight deadlinesTime Stamps00:55 - Episode Intro02:23 - The Phases of Due Diligence04:15 - Understanding the Due Diligence Process09:10 - Evaluating Assets and Marketed Deals31:21 - Budgeting and Diligence Timeline31:46 - Allocation of Value in Bidding34:49 - Financing and Bank Allocated Value Schedules36:45 - Organizing Due Diligence Workflow40:58 - Handling Title Defects and Material Contracts42:44 - Defect Thresholds and Deductibles47:10 - Importance of Consents and Preferences49:53 - Due Diligence Workbooks and Team Structure59:44 - Post-Close Organizational Efforts01:03:40 - Final Thoughts and Best PracticesSnippets from the Episode“Due diligence is the Taco Bell of land work. It's great when you go into it, but by the time you're done, you say you'll never do that again."— Brent Broussard"The bulk of our defects are found in consents and contracts. That's where almost everything comes from."— Bryce Winters"You're trying to do something in 30 days that it took a company years to put together."— Brent Broussard"Communication is key. If you can do that with whoever you're working with, you're gonna set yourself up for success."— Kyle Dubiel"The greatest thing about giving your team a heads up is that they think for free—you're not paying 'em on the clock."— Brent BroussardKey TakeawaysEarly Communication Prevents Timeline DisastersMaterial Contracts Drive Most Modern Title DefectsAllocated Value Schedules Determine Team StructureVDR Quality Signals Asset Management CompetencyDefect Thresholds Require Strategic Portfolio ThinkingPost-Close Organization Maximizes Diligence InvestmentClear Objectives Lists Keep Teams FocusedHelp us improve our podcast! Share your thoughts in our quick survey.⁠⁠ResourcesNeed Help With A Project? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Meet With Dudley⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Need Help with Staffing? Connect with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dudley Staffing ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Streamline Your Title Process with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dudley Select Title⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Watch On ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Dudley Land Co. On⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Have Questions? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email us⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠More From Our GuestsKyle Dubiel - Vice President of BD, Land & Legal at Eagle Mountain Energy PartnersEagle Mountain Energy Partners websiteConnect with Kyle on LinkedInBryce Winters - Land Director - Western US, Dudley Land CompanyConnect with Bryce on LinkedInMore from Our HostsConnect with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Brent⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on LinkedInConnect with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Khalil ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on LinkedInConnect With UsReady to protect your land projects with integrated legal and title support? Our Dudley Select Title division works seamlessly with experienced oil and gas counsel to keep your deals on track and defensible. Contact us to learn how our complete energy partnership approach includes the legal expertise that matters when stakes are high.
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    1 hr and 8 mins
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