Before getting started on your own E&P company, Jim Parkman, co-founder of investment-banking firm Parkman Whaling LLC, Houston, suggests speaking to individuals who've done it before, successfully. Some of the E&P start-up veterans on his short list are as follows. The list is not exhaustive: -- Randy Breitenbach, BreitBurn, BrietBurn Energy Partners MLP; -- Jon Brumley, Crosstimbers, Encore Acquisitions, Encore MLP; -- Ted Collins, American Quasar, C&W, Rubicon, C&Y, Chief, T‐Rex, Crown, Others; -- Tom Edelman, Snyder Oil, Patina, Range Resources; -- Bill Gayden, Merit Energy; -- Jim Flores, Flores & Rucks (Ocean Energy Inc.), Plains E&P; -- Joe Foster, Newfield Exploration Co.; -- Trevor Rees-Jones, Chief Oil & Gas; -- Glenn Hart, Laredo Energy I, II, III and IV; -- Mike Harvey, Gulfstar, Gryphon Exploration, Stonegate; -- Tim Leach, Concho Resources; -- Aubrey McClendon, Chesapeake Energy Corp.; -- Raymond Plank, Apache Corp.; -- John Walker, EnerVest Management Partners, EV Energy Partners MLP; -- Steve Webster, Carrizo Oil & Gas, Others; -- Graham Whaling, Laredo Energy I, II and III; -- Floyd Wilson, Hugoton, 3Tec, Petrohawk Energy Corp.; -- Don Wolf, General Atlantic, Westport Resources, Quantum Resources; and -- Tom Ward, Chesapeake Energy, SandRidge. Parkman, who was a co-founder of I-banking firm Petrie Parkman & Co., which was sold in 2006 to Merrill Lynch, was among speakers at Oil and Gas Investor's inaugural "Energy Capital--The Workshop: Starting and Building an E&P Company" June 9 in Houston. Additional go-to start-up veterans are Maurice Storm, Crow Creek I and II; George Baldwin, Ensight I, II and III; Bob Cavnar, Mission Resources and Milagro Exploration; and Alan Smith, Chalker Energy I, II and III. Each also spoke at the Workshop. Many of Storm's comments are available at Start-Up Advice From A Pro — Maurice Storm. A DVD of the Workshop program is available from kdaugherty@hartenergy.com. The DVD includes access to presentations listed at https://www.hartenergyconferences.com/UserFiles/File/Energy_Capital_Forum/ECW_Presentations.html and a copy of the tutorial, "Starting and Building an E&P Company 101" released by Oil and Gas Investor at the Workshop and being distributed with the July issue of the magazine. –Nissa Darbonne, Executive Editor, Oil and Gas Investor, A&D Watch, www.OilandGasInvestor.com; ndarbonne@hartenergy.com