Want to know what's happening in the world's most active and prolific oil and gas production area, the Permian Basin? Here you go.

In this episode of The Energy Question, David Blackmon interviews Ben Shepperd, President of the Permian Basin Petroleum Association. Created in the early 1960s, PBPA represents the interests of the oil and gas industry in the huge region, which spans most of West Texas and a big swath of Southeastern New Mexico.

During the course of this interview, Ben discusses how reforms being made to the Texas power grid are impacting his members, New Mexico's ongoing irrational assault on an industry that funds 40% of its state budget, operational challenges currently happening in the Oil Patch, and an array of other topics.

It's a fast-paced and informative half-hour with one of the real leaders in the Texas oil business.