History Timeline
Chester Congdon and associates acquired 17,800 acres is St. Mary Parish, LA for $11,000.
The property remains today and is mainly marsh land located near the Gulf of Mexico and is bounded on the west by East Cote Blanche Bay and on the south by Atchafalaya Bay.
The property remains today and is mainly marsh land located near the Gulf of Mexico and is bounded on the west by East Cote Blanche Bay and on the south by Atchafalaya Bay.
St. Mary Parish Land Company was founded and certified as a Minnesota corporation on April 15, 1908.
The investor group acquired the land in hopes of success in a variety of potential opportunities, such as salt mining, oil production, agriculture, livestock grazing, and trapping.
The investor group acquired the land in hopes of success in a variety of potential opportunities, such as salt mining, oil production, agriculture, livestock grazing, and trapping.
St. Mary Parish Land Company dissolved the Minnesota corporation and incorporated as a Delaware corporation in early 1915 to provide more flexibility to the corporate structure.
After a positive report was issued to the company from well known geologist Alexander Deussen, St. Mary began granting exploration rights and options to lease portions of the acreage. Pure Oil leased just over 7,500 acres and drilled a test well near Horseshoe Bayou to a depth of 5,900 feet. The well was abandoned as a dry hole leading to eventual lease expiration.
St. Mary Parish Land Company consolidated with Tidal Wave Land Company, thereby increasing the company's land holdings by an additional 7,200 acres. Tidal Wave was owned by Chester Congdon and David Adams, two of the original investorsin St. Mary Parish Land Company.
St. Mary leased acreage to Texaco in Horseshoe Bayou. Texaco completed the first successful oil find at a depth of 9,910 feet and 335 barrels / day. This established St. Mary's entrance into the oil and gas exploration business.
The Atlantic Company leased just under 4,000 acres on the Bayou Sale portion of St. Mary's acreage and subsequently drilled a successful well at a depth of 10,310 feet. Continued success on the early wells launched St. Mary into continued leasing and exploration efforts across the company's acreage identifying economic returns in fields such as Belle Isle, Wax Lake and Goat Island
St. Mary leased acreage to Sun Oil Company. Sun Oil Company drilled a successful test well on company lands in February of 1955.
Oryx Oil Company obtained four leases in Belle Isle, and after drilling a successful test well, stated in its company publication in 1961, "...oil and gas accumulations have been proven in multiple, complexly-faulted sand reservoirs from 3,000 feet to below 17,000 feet to make Belle Isle one of the major hydrocarbon reserves in the Gulf Coast."
St. Mary moved their offices from Duluth, Minnesota to Denver, Colorado, where the company headquarters resides today.
Tom Congdon, grandson to the original founder, Chester Congdon, was elected President of the Company.
Tom Congdon, grandson to the original founder, Chester Congdon, was elected President of the Company.
St. Mary made an entrance into the Anadarko Basin of Oklahoma with the company's investment into the Anderman/Smith Operating Company.
St. Mary made an entrance into the Willistan Basin through a partnership with Nance Petroleum.
The company changed its name to St. Mary Land & Exploration Company on October 13, 1992 and then shortly thereafter, went public on the NASDAQ exchange with the ticker symbol MARY.
Also, the company opened its first regional office in Shreveport, LA after acquiring the oil and gas division of T.L. James
Also, the company opened its first regional office in Shreveport, LA after acquiring the oil and gas division of T.L. James
St. Mary purchased just over 30,000 acres in the Permian Basin and made its entrance into the Ward Estes field of West Texas.
Mark Hellerstein succeeds Tom Congdon as CEO in May of 1995. Mr. Congdon continued as chairman of the board until 2002. The company also opened a regional office in Tulsa, Oklahoma after acquiring the remaining portion of the Anderman/Smith investment initiated in 1978 and continues to manage company assets in plays such as Haynesville and Woodford.
The company opened a regional office in Billings, Montana after completing the acquisition of Nance Petroleum.
St. Mary transfered its public listing from the NASDAQ to the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker SM.
The Company opened a regional office in Houston, Texas.
Tony Best Succeeds Mark Hellerstein as CEO and joins the board of Directors.
The Company opened a regional office in Midland, Texas to manage the Midland Basin properties acquired in 2006.
The Company opened a regional office in Midland, Texas to manage the Midland Basin properties acquired in 2006.
St. Mary executed multiple acquisitions, resulting in the Company's entrance into the Maverick Basin. This acquisition exposed the Company to the Eagle Ford play providing a platform for significant company growth.
The company changed its name to SM Energy Company, which is the name the company operates under today.
After joining the board of directors in 2014, Jay Ottoson succeeds Tony Best as CEO.
The company closed its regional office in Tulsa, Oklahoma in July.
In October, SM Energy opened a field office in Williston, North Dakota.
The company closed its regional office in Tulsa, Oklahoma in July.
In October, SM Energy opened a field office in Williston, North Dakota.
SM Energy executed acquisitions in the Permian Basin and sold assets in the Bakken.
The company closed its regional office in Billings, Montana in November.
The company closed its regional office in Billings, Montana in November.
The Company created significant value by continuing its shift in focus to the Midland Basin, growing production from those assets by 165%.
SM Energy sold third party operated assets in the Eagle Ford.
SM Energy sold third party operated assets in the Eagle Ford.
Herb Vogel succeeds Jay Ottoson as CEO.
Successful exploration and delineation of the Austin Chalk leads to an estimated 400 high-return drilling locations at the Company's South Texas asset.
Successful exploration and delineation of the Austin Chalk leads to an estimated 400 high-return drilling locations at the Company's South Texas asset.
