Talk:XTO Energy

Draft for expanded article

Hello to any editors who might be watching this page. I'm posting because I have written a new draft for this article and I'm looking for editors to review it. I've prepared the draft on behalf of XTO Energy, so I'd like to have impartial editors review for any issues with promotional language or neutrality. If everything seems to meet Wikipedia's guidelines, I'd also like for another editor to move the draft to the live article.

I wrote an entirely new draft because the current article includes only a History section and introduction. My new draft expands on the company's history and also includes a Corporate overview section that details what the company does and the assets it holds, as well as a section on the company's donations.

My goal was to provide a better overall summary of the company and its activities. There are some controversial items included in the History section that I'd like to point out. I believe I remained neutral and found appropriate sourcing for each, but I ask that editors look them over carefully:

• EPA fines in 2013 due to a November 2010 water spill
• Criminal charges brought by the Pennsylvania Attorney General related to the same incident
• Civil penalty in October 2013 related to withholding data about a federal lease

If any editors have time to review the draft, it can be found in my userspace here: User:Heatherer/XTO_Energy

I'm happy to address any questions or feedback on the draft. Please make edits or ask me to make changes to make it ready to take live. Thanks! Heatherer (talk) 15:07, 20 March 2015 (UTC)

Hello, thank you for working on the draft and posting a {{request edit}}. From my initial, quick read-through, Heatherer, it appears to be well-written, with an encyclopedic tone and seems to be a balanced portrayal of the organization. I'll work on a more in-depth review of sources and other content in the news, books, etc. and post comments on the draft at User talk:Heatherer/XTO_Energy --CaroleHenson (talk) 06:51, 21 March 2015 (UTC)

Updated draft. It was very well written, paraphrased, and cited. There are a couple of minor questions on the talk page about revenue figures and the change I made from "Donations" to "Charitable contributions", and it might be nice to add a little more to the introduction. Overall, a great job!--CaroleHenson (talk) 17:25, 21 March 2015 (UTC)

Thank you very much, CaroleHenson. I really appreciate you looking through the article and for the constructive feedback. I—again—have to apologize for the slow response. I've responded to your comments here. I agree with all of your changes, but I did struggle with the question of revenue. I'm having trouble locating an updated number. As for adding to the introduction, what are your thoughts on adding in how many oil and natural gas sites the company owns? Is there other information you think belongs there? I can work on writing up another sentence or two. Thanks! Heatherer (talk) 20:00, 25 March 2015 (UTC)

Heatherer, Regarding the revenue numbers, your comments help. I don't have an opinion one way or the other about whether to return the numbers (2008, I think), add a note that the revenue numbers are now rolled up with Exxon's figures, or another option. Perhaps someone else might have a thought about that - and until now leave it as it is.

As far as the intro, yes it might be nice to add a summary statement about the oil and natural gas sites it owns. Some other thoughts are (not intended to be suggested wording):

• That Exxon's acquisition of XTO Energy in 2010 made it the largest producer of natural gas in the U.S.
• XTO helped Exxon broker a deal with the Russian oil company Rosneft and expand its oil and gas operations into the Russian Artic
• XTO 2011 and 2014 acquisitions
• Summary of the fine/requested hearing regarding the November 2010 water spill at a Pennsylvania water recycling operation.

Thanks for your effort on this!--CaroleHenson (talk) 20:21, 25 March 2015 (UTC)

All of that makes sense to me. I'll draft some new language for the introduction and post it here soon for you to review. Thank you for all your suggestions and help, CaroleHenson. Heatherer (talk) 20:33, 25 March 2015 (UTC)

My pleasure. Sounds good.--CaroleHenson (talk) 20:52, 25 March 2015 (UTC)

Hi CaroleHenson. After reviewing your suggestions, I've rewritten the introduction:

XTO Energy Inc. is an American energy company specializing in the drilling of unconventional oil and natural gas assets, typically from shale rock through a process known as hydraulic fracturing. It is a subsidiary of Exxon Mobil Corporation.

The acquisition of XTO in 2010 made Exxon the largest producer of natural gas in the U.S. Since then, XTO's resource portfolio has tripled through several acquisitions. The company owns interests in approximately 40,000 active oil and natural gas sites across North America.

I left out specifics when it came to acquisitions and left out the case with the Pennsylvania Attorney General in consideration of WP:RECENT. My thought was that erring on the side of less is more here might save the introduction from becoming quickly outdated, does that sound ok to you? Heatherer (talk) 21:04, 31 March 2015 (UTC)

Yep, that works. I made the update.--CaroleHenson (talk) 02:15, 1 April 2015 (UTC)

Looks good. Thanks! Heatherer (talk) 17:29, 1 April 2015 (UTC)

Article improvements

Hello, I am an employee of XTO Energy – my role is a media advisor for government and public affairs. I would like to suggest a series of edits to help improve the content and accuracy of the page. I am familiar with Wikipedia’s policies but definitely do not claim to be an expert! Therefore, I am hoping the community can help maintain NPOV by objectively reviewing my suggestions and/or offering counsel on additional ways to improve the page.

The aim of my proposed edits will be threefold: (1) eliminate redundant information by consolidating facts where appropriate, (2) improve accuracy with new valid, third-party references and (3) reflect a neutral point of view with additional, validated information.

In the coming days I will post edits here on the Discussion board for review and input by the Wikipedia community. Thanks in advance for your attention and help.XTOPGA (talk) 22:10, 20 November 2015 (UTC)

Request edit

Edit #1

Wikipedia editors, please make note that XTO Energy no longer operates in Alaska. This should be updated in the table under “Number of locations” and within the second paragraph of the “Corporate overview” section by removing mention of Alaska.

Here are two sources to validate the change:

• Alaska Dispatch News
• Alaska Journal

In addition, I’d like to suggest that the official name of the company (XTO Energy, not XTO) and its parent company (ExxonMobil, not Exxon) be used throughout for accuracy and consistency. Lastly, within the table, the company’s current president can be added and mention of founder Bob R. Simpson can be linked to his respective Wikipedia page.

Please let me know if these edits can be made, and thank you in advance for your help! XTOPGA (talk) 16:33, 24 November 2015 (UTC)

Edit #2

Hello again. I also wanted to point out that details regarding the company’s Permian Basin acquisition are currently outdated under the “History” sub-section. Following is new proposed copy which includes the latest agreement and aims to help consolidate the information:

In August 2015, Exxon Mobil Corporation signed two agreements to drill on 48,000 acres in the core of the Midland Basin to be operated by XTO Energy. XTO operates 11 horizontal and four vertical rigs across 1.5 million net acres in Texas’ Permian Basin.

New sources:

• Fuel Fix
• Reuters

XTOPGA (talk) 17:11, 3 December 2015 (UTC)

Edit #3

In addition, information regarding the Texas Railroad Commission hearing under the “History” section is outdated. The final ruling came in November 2015. Please consider this addition:

In November 2015, the final decision by the Texas Railroad Commission unanimously agreed with hearing examiners that there was not enough evidence to support findings that the wells contributed to seismic activity and that XTO should be able to maintain its permit for the wells.

News sources:

• Fort Worth Star-Telegram
• Texas Tribune
• Fuel Fix Blog

Related to this, I also would like to get Wikipedia editor’s views on pulling this information into a new header called “Environmental affairs,” along with the EPA fine and pending Kansas civic penalty which are currently under the company “History” section. It seems this information is less about company operational milestones as part of its history, and more about external events related to environmental affairs. Please let me know your thoughts on this new section. Below is how this section would look with the existing copy plus the timely update mentioned above:

Regulatory issues In July 2013, XTO agreed with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to pay a $100,000 fine for a November 2010 water spill at a Pennsylvania water recycling operation. In September 2013, the Pennsylvania Attorney General filed criminal charges against XTO, stemming from this incident.

In October 2013, the federal Office of Natural Resources Revenue issued a $648,000 civil penalty against XTO for not providing data regarding a federal lease in Kansas. XTO has stated that it did provide the required records, but that the process was time consuming. As of February 2015, an appeal of XTO’s Kansas penalty is still pending Petro Global News.

In April 2015, a study published by researchers at Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas allegedly connected two XTO-operated wastewater disposal wells with a series of earthquakes in Azle, Texas, occurring in 2013 Nature. In August 2015, preliminary findings by investigators with the Texas Railroad Commission found a disposal well operated near Azle by XTO Energy was unlikely to have caused the seismic activity, which contradicted the SMU study. Dallas Morning News. In November 2015, the final decision by the Texas Railroad Commission unanimously agreed with hearing examiners that there was not enough evidence to support findings that the wells contributed to seismic activity and that XTO should be able to maintain its permit for the wells. Fort Worth Star-Telegram Texas Tribune Fuel Fix Blog.

XTOPGA (talk) 20:33, 9 December 2015 (UTC)

Edit #4

I’d like to propose an addition to “Charitable contributions.” XTO Energy is the largest contributor to North Dakota’s Housing Incentive Fund. Following is proposed copy for consideration by the Wikipedia Community:

In 2015, XTO contributed $5 million to the North Dakota Housing Incentive Fund, supporting the construction of low-cost apartments for teachers and emergency personnel. The donation was the largest since the fund was established in 2011.

New source:

• Reuters

XTOPGA (talk) 15:34, 17 December 2015 (UTC)

Edit #5

Lastly, I would like to suggest a few minor edit improvements to the page for consideration. Please see below. Thank you in advance for your help!

• Within the first sentence of the first paragraph, rather than stating “XTO Energy Inc. is an American energy company,” which implies it operates solely in America, it is more accurate to state “XTO Energy Inc. is an energy company, principally operating in the United States.”
• Under Corporate overview, second sentence, remove “and reserves” as natural gas resources and reserves are two separate things within the industry, and the source does not valid this.
• Under the History section, 2011-present, the word the is missing before mention of the fields here: “In exchange for the acreage, Denbury Onshore received $1.6 billion in cash and operating interests in the Hartzog Draw Field in Wyoming and the Webster Field in Texas.”
• Under History, ExxonMobil purchase, the current sources do not validate this sentence: “At the time of the acquisition, ExxonMobil was the world’s largest publicly traded oil company and XTO was the largest natural gas producer in the United States, with more than 3,000 employees and revenue of $7.9 billion in the previous year.” I’m having a trouble finding a valid third-party source, and am hoping the community could point to one or consider removing.

XTOPGA (talk) 19:59, 21 December 2015 (UTC)

 Done Looks like requester made changes after receiving no response here. Looks good! Thank you for your contributions! Ajpolino (talk) 02:22, 20 November 2016 (UTC)

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