Edwards' company honored in Austin

May 23—Odessa's Latigo Petroleum Corp. was named the world's 20th fastest-growing company among 100 owned by University of Texas graduates at a recent banquet in Austin.

Latigo President Kirk Edwards said Tuesday that he had known his company would be recognized, but he hadn't known how highly it would place till the award was announced during the UT Ex-Students Association's first annual Longhorn 100 Gala May 18.

Formed in 2013 when Edwards bought a subsidiary of the Houston-based Plains Petroleum Corp., Latigo has 10 employees in Odessa and 50 in Canadian and elsewhere in the Texas Panhandle, he said. It operates 2,000 natural gas wells in the Panhandle and Western Oklahoma.

"It was truly a surprise and an honor," said Edwards, a 1977 graduate of Permian High School and a 1981 UT chemical engineering graduate.

"All the credit goes to my team in Odessa and our wonderful board of directors, associates and partners in the Panhandle who make this company roll," he said. "They are all working hard today on our 240-stage frac job and they're keeping our environmental and safety records at the top of our peers wherever we operate."

Edwards referred to Latigo's project in Roberts County near Miami, 77 miles east-northeast of Amarillo, that has six well pads with 40 stages per well. "Latigo" is a Spanish word for the wide leather strap on a saddle that's used to tighten the cinch around a horse.

"Today and every day, I am very proud to be running such a fine company and team and I look forward to leading them into the future ahead," Edwards said. "Additionally, I'm appreciative to be a Texas Longhorn and be mentioned with the other 99 incredible Longhorn-run companies that were honored that night."