CULTURE AT THE CORE
CULTURE AT
Bryan Wilborn, Founder and CEO of Paloma Pressure Control, discusses the company’s key role in the provision of best-inclass oilfield services for North America’s oil and gas industry and how it has cultivated a culture of entrepreneurship, innovation, and most importantly, care
Writer: Lily Sawyer | Project Manager: Lauren Robinson
Following years of volatility caused by a fluctuating economy and cyclical price points, the North American oil and gas industry has begun to stabilize.
Having spent his entire career working in the sector, Bryan Wilborn, Founder and CEO of leading oilfield equipment supplier Paloma Pressure Control (Paloma), reflects on current market conditions.
“Today’s atmosphere is different to what we’ve experienced in the
past; I would describe it as stable,” he introduces.
Thanks to the advent of new technologies across the industry, Wilborn has witnessed evolution occur at breakneck speed, with the upstream sector, which has historically been slower in adopting and implementing new innovations, keeping pace. All these advancements have led to improved operational efficiency.
“At Paloma, we’re thrilled to
play a small role as the industry continues to gain momentum – it’s an incredibly exciting time to work in our space,” he adds.
Delivering specialized pressure control products and services to oilfield operators throughout the US and Canada, Paloma understands that operational efficiency is key to rapid production, and its flagship products support customers in this effort.
THE CORE
Headquartered in the Permian Basin, the US’ highest-producing oilfield, and with a large and expanding presence across Alberta, one of the richest oil provinces in Canada, the company is well-placed for continued success.
POISED FOR EXPANSION
As a long-standing company that specializes in providing premium oilfield services for a wide range of exploration and production companies, Paloma has maintained
an acute awareness of both market conditions and the needs of its customers.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, a mandate was brought forward by the company’s investors and its customers outlining how oil and gas companies should focus on free cash flow and responsible, sustainable growth – as opposed to the boomand-bust mentality of the past.
“While sustainable expansion has always been a key focus of Paloma’s managerial team, we stayed
disciplined during the pandemic and made two strategic acquisitions in 2021, increasing our asset base by approximately 35 percent,” Wilborn prides.
The successful completion of these acquisitions has allowed the company to continue growing within the Permian and Canadian markets, as well as expanding geographically into the Midcontinent (MidCon), Eagle Ford, and Haynesville Shale Basins.
“Since the pandemic, we’ve been much more strategic in terms of our
A BRIEF HISTORY
Paloma’s expertise was first established in the Permian Basin in late 2016. The company began as a team of pressure control experts working under the wellknown brand, Butch’s Rat Hole & Anchor Service (Butch’s).
Commencing service in early 2017 with an acute focus on exceptional quality, the team quickly earned a reputation for success in the field that initiated an unparalleled level of growth year-on-year.
However, just as the oil and gas industry reached a peak of rapid expansion, it was faced with economic difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the face of such adversity and with a sense of devotion to the partnerships it had cultivated, the company endured this period of turbulence and emerged from it stronger than ever. As such, Paloma earned widespread respect for its most defining characteristic – its culture.
Considering the opportunities ahead and with a new-found appreciation for the industry, Paloma was brought to life as a new company with the same brand of quality and service that Butch’s was originally built upon.
Today, the company operates primarily in North America’s Permian Basin, with substantial excess capacity in place to secure continued growth.
growth and where we’re allocating capital,” he explains.
Today, Paloma’s core products include its MF frac valve line and Rapid Run frac line for remote and extended fracking applications, weldless missiles such as the Paloma Single Barrel (PSB), a semi-automatic disconnect system, and Birdseye View (BEV) automation system.
“In all applications, our field services team is available to support with rig-up and rig-down, torque and test requirements, and field maintenance and operations,” Wilborn assures.
MAKING IT HAPPEN
Born out of three guiding principles, Paloma differentiates itself from the rest by seeking to take care of and develop its employees and customers while working harder and smarter than its competitors.
This has allowed the company to develop a dedicated, knowledgeable, and skilled workforce with an unrivaled culture of customer focus.
“Fostering a ‘make it happen’ culture and taking care of people both inside and outside of Paloma is incredibly important to us,” Wilborn acknowledges.
Much more than just words, the company’s three guiding principles set standards for its workforce to live by.
In line with its culture, Paloma is always seeking opportunities to improve the efficiency of its processes, develop its people, and enhance its product offering to solve challenges, alongside advancing customer operations as a top priority.
As such, corporate social responsibility (CSR) is extremely important to the company as it strongly believes it should support and care for the communities in which it operates.
Paloma therefore sponsors various educational and family-focused events throughout the year, including a ‘toys for tots’ donation drive in which
“FOSTERING A ‘MAKE IT HAPPEN’ CULTURE AND TAKING CARE OF PEOPLE BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF PALOMA IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO US”
– BRYAN WILBORN,
FOUNDER
AND CEO, PALOMA PRESSURE CONTROL
Paloma matches the number of gifts and toys brought in by employees for local children.
“We also host a back-to-school drive where we collect backpacks and supplies for students in the area, hosted at a local park. It’s a familyfriendly day with hot dog stands,
VALUE-ADDED SOLUTIONS
One of Paloma’s key priorities is to listen to its customers’ challenges from the field and provide value-added solutions.
“With so much new technology being deployed, we’re working to intertwine our innovative products and
For example, the Rapid Run frac line helps maximize efficiencies to achieve first production faster. With a reach of 5,000 feet and counting Paloma’s Rapid Run extended flowline system enables complex remote, multi-pad, or simultaneous frac rig-ups without the bird’s nest of iron and hoses
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“AT PALOMA, WE’RE THRILLED TO PLAY A SMALL ROLE AS THE INDUSTRY CONTINUES TO GAIN MOMENTUM – IT’S AN INCREDIBLY EXCITING TIME TO WORK IN OUR SPACE”
–
BRYAN
WILBORN, FOUNDER AND CEO,
PALOMA
Elsewhere, Paloma is focused on improving its real-time pressure monitoring, predictive maintenance, and automation processes to optimize operations.
“Specifically, we’ve been working on expanding our BEV system to
provide enhanced visibility into wellsite operations while integrating additional pressure monitoring capabilities for better data-driven decision-making,” he reveals.
The advanced BEV system provides a real-time view of critical
pressure control equipment and systems for optimal wellsite performance and management. With such advancements, larger projects are now more feasible for Paloma.
“While artificial intelligence (AI) could play a role in the future, our current focus is on refining and deploying proven automation technologies that align with our operational needs,” Wilborn confirms.
SAFEGUARDING A CULTURE OF INTEGRITY
As it continues to cultivate strong relationships with suppliers, Paloma
PREMIUM OILFIELD SOLUTIONS
• FRAC VALVES – Paloma’s frac valves are engineered and built for purpose with a robust design. The company’s biggest differentiator in this field is its repair process.
• FLOWBACK – Paloma’s Flowback Department is available for toe preps, frac, plug and perf, coiled tubing drill outs, fishing jobs, and well clean-ups.
• PRESSURE FLOW LINE (PFL) – PFL enables customers to take full advantage of the benefits of the company’s modern zipper frac manifold stems. With the PFL setup, customers have the option to run both simultaneous and remote fracking operations. Paloma also offers one of the largest inventories of PFL iron.
• PSB – The PSB missile is the most improved frac missile available today, offering a significant decrease in vibration harmonics. In most cases, when coupled with the PFL zipper system, it decreases the need for flow iron by 90 percent.
feels a deep sense of loyalty toward those who have helped it grow over the years.
“Our suppliers are our partners in every sense of the word. We’re proud of our supplier relationships and have benefited from their exceptional quality, service, and commitment to doing what’s right and never taking shortcuts,” Wilborn pronounces.
Given its growth since the two acquisitions made in 2021, Paloma has a distinct idea of what it seeks to achieve going forward.
As such, employee development is a key priority for the business, having worked hard to maintain a culture of integrity.
“As companies grow, it’s hard to maintain the type of culture we’ve developed, and we’re very protective of it. We always want to be a company that our customers can rely upon when trying to solve a problem,” he shares.
Celebrating its entrepreneurial and innovative thinkers, problemsolvers, and solution-minded team members, Paloma is a proudly people-centric organization.
“We’re on a constant mission to improve our operations – that starts with the folks we hire and the culture within,” Wilborn passionately concludes.
