The Crude Truth

We have taken The Crude Truth on the road to the PBIOS Permian Basin International Oil Show. (https://pbioilshow.org/) 

In this special episode of "The Crude Truth", Host RT Treviño III interviews two influential Texas mayors that live and breath West Texas: Mayor Lori Blong of Midland and Mayor Cal Hendrick of Odessa. These cities share their collaboration successes.

"We lead the nation and set the example for the entire world!"

Midland is thriving! The largest Costco in Texas is in Midland if that is an indication of a thriving city. It's a important piece. 

The discussion covers the historical significance of oil in Texas, the ongoing importance of the energy industry, and the challenges and opportunities facing West Texas communities. 

The mayors discuss city growth, infrastructure needs, collaboration between Midland and Odessa, and the future of energy, including water management and attracting new industries. 

The conversation highlights the spirit of innovation, community, and partnership that drives the Permian Basin, with both mayors expressing pride in their cities and optimism for continued growth and prosperity.

Highlights of the Podcast

00:01 - Introduction

01:23 - The Mayors of Midland and Odessa 

02:34 - Midland’s Growth and Innovation

03:30 - Challenges and Responsibilities of Running Odessa

06:00 - Collaboration Between Midland and Odessa

07:28 - The Power of Unity in the Permian Basin

08:35 - The Reality of Public Service

12:31 - Reinvesting in Infrastructure and Community Growth

15:55 - Preparing for the Future: Data Centers and AI

20:01 - Attracting Business and Building a Stronger Economy

21:41 - Ensuring ROI and Responsible Economic Development

23:00 - Mutual Respect and Support Between Mayors

24:59 - Commending Odessa’s Leadership and Progress

26:00 - The Strength of Collaboration

27:34 - Building the Future of the Permian Basin

30:22 - Mayor Blong on Leadership, Innovation, and Responsibility

33:08 - Closing Remarks

The government shutdown is hitting home — and Texas Congresswoman Beth Van Duyne returns to The Crude Truth to call it like she sees it.

???? In this episode, Rey Treviño III and Congresswoman Van Duyne dive into the real impact of the “Schumer Shutdown” — from families struggling with halted paychecks to the political gridlock keeping America closed for business.

Takeaways:

Why Democrats admit they’re using the shutdown as “leverage” — and who’s paying the price.

The truth about the $1.5 trillion spending demand and how it affects small businesses and the middle class.

Van Duyne’s new bill protecting America’s highways from unqualified commercial drivers.

How Texas leads with jobs, energy, and common sense — including her record-breaking North Texas job fair.

The role of energy independence, tariffs, and trade in restoring American strength.

The ceasefire abroad and how peace through strength is reshaping U.S. leadership.

????️ “We can’t cave to childish and dangerous demands,” says Van Duyne. “The American people deserve adults in the room.”

Rey closes the show reminding listeners that energy — and leadership — still power this great nation.

Highlights of the Podcast

00:01 - The Schumer Shutdown and Its Impact

01:57 - Democrats Using Shutdown as Leverage

03:47 - Budget Battles and Conservative Policies

05:11 - The Human Cost of Political Games

14:38 - Finding Common Ground Across the Aisle

16:08 - Energy Prices and American Production

17:21 - Restoring the Strategic Petroleum Reserve

26:10 - Clarifying Misconceptions About Congress

27:27 - Closing Remarks and Call to Action

Sponsored by:

LFS Chemistry | NAEP Expo | Air Compressor Solutions | Sandstone Group | Exec Crew | Texas Star Alliance | Pecos Country Operating | Real News Communications Network

???? Watch the full episode: The Crude Truth with Rey Treviño III

???? Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and everywhere you get your podcasts.

How Trucking Keeps America Moving | Tracy Dhamers on The Crude Truth

Transportation and trucking expert Tracy Dhamers joins The Crude Truth to reveal how the trucking industry literally fuels America’s economy — and why this West Texas business owner believes oil, grit, and entrepreneurship keep the country running. ????????????

Tracy, owner of North Country Oil, shares her incredible journey from earning a PhD to becoming one of the only women in the oil trucking industry — learning the ropes from the ground up as a “swamper.” From buying a truck on her honeymoon to managing a fleet of 50 oil trucks, Tracy’s story is pure determination and Texas toughness.

https://www.northcountryoil.com

Episode Highlights:

1:45 – Why the trucking industry is getting leaner, meaner, and more efficient

2:36 – West Texas–owned: North Country Oil with Tracy Dhamers

3:13 – How Tracy built an oil trucking company without formal business training

3:50 – A true family-owned operation

4:00 – Running 50 oil trucks strong

4:30 – Are we in a downturn? How Tracy keeps her employees working

5:00 – From PhD to “swamper” — learning from the bottom up

6:50 – The dramatic shift from medical examiner to oilfield operator

8:00 – “My honeymoon was buying a truck!”

8:30 – The power of family in the business

9:00 – Moving a super load with a police escort

12:00 – How the trucking industry is adapting in Texas and North Dakota

14:55 – Why trucking isn’t going anywhere — doing more with less

???? The Crude Truth with Rey “RT” Treviño— real conversations about energy, entrepreneurship, and the people who keep America running.

#TheCrudeTruth #OilAndGas #TruckingIndustry #WomenInEnergy #Transportation #TexasOil #Entrepreneurship #EnergyNews #ReyTrevino #TracyDhamers #AmericanEnergy

Building a business isn’t easy, and few people know that better than Clayton Carmack. On this episode of The Crude Truth, Clayton shares his journey from growing up in the oil and gas world to building a multimillion-dollar company, facing major setbacks, and eventually shifting his focus to helping other business owners succeed.

He talks about the lessons he’s learned on scaling a business, avoiding common financial traps, and finding smarter ways to support employees like bringing affordable health insurance to small companies. Clayton also opens up about how his faith shaped his outlook and gave him a new sense of purpose. It’s an honest, down-to-earth conversation about business, resilience, and serving others.

Highlights of the Podcast

00:00 - Introduction

01:37 - Guest Introduction

04:35 - Background Story

05:00 - Clayton became an entrepreneur and never looked back, starting with $35K to $10M

07:34 - Business Growth Lessons with Heartache and Pitfalls, Clayton learned the hard way

09:55 - Sometimes the original company employees may not remain on reaching the next level of company success, Companies that get stuck in the past

10:45 - Surviving a company stuck in the past and making changes as quickly as possible

11:03 - Mentorship and Coaching

14:06 - Corporate Credit & Financing

16:48 - Health Insurance Solutions

23:21 - Diversification & Balance

28:16 - Faith Journey

33:25 - Biblical Foundation

37:41 - Living to Serve

40:53 - Closing Reflections

From Washington politics to Main Street impacts, this episode dives deep into the truth behind the headlines — and what America can expect if the government shutdown drags on

Guest: Congressman Pat Harrigan (North Carolina’s 10th District)

Topic: Could This Be a Long Government Shutdown? What Happens Next for the American Economy? ????????

In this episode of The Crude Truth, host Rey Treviño interviews Congressman Pat Harrigan, a former Green Beret, two-time Bronze Star recipient, and now U.S. Representative North Carolina’s 10th District. Together, they unpack the realities behind the ongoing government shutdown, its impact on American workers, and what’s happening behind closed doors in Washington.

Episode Highlights:

(1:45) Rey voices concern for everyday Americans impacted by the shutdown, from federal employees to the strain on healthcare and immigration systems.

(3:00) Congressman Harrigan shares his perspective on serving during a shutdown, his expectations coming into Congress, and how the stalemate is stalling pro-business progress.

(3:55) Rey spotlights Harrigan’s decorated military background and transition from soldier to lawmaker.

(5:40) Is there really a “radical left”? Harrigan says yes—and describes the growing influence of the new generation of liberal Democrats.

(7:00) The hosts discuss what Rey calls the “Schumer Shutdown,” debating whether Senate Democrats are to blame for the current crisis.

(10:00) Rey and Pat dissect the fear factor in politics, the fading of “Blue Dog Democrats,” and partisan gridlock in the Senate.

(12:00) They highlight how the shutdown ripples across America—750,000 to 1.5 million federal employees furloughed, national parks closed, and local economies strained.

(16:30) Rey presses on the issue of healthcare access for illegal immigrants, asking if it’s truly being added to the federal package.

(18:34) Congressman Harrigan closes with insights on how Republicans are staying united, returning to their districts to keep serving their constituents despite the D.C. stalemate.

(21:00) Is North Carolina a swing state? Congressman Harrigan’s hot take

(23:00) Taxes are too high according to Congressman Harrigan

(24:00) Is our energy at risk due to bad policy?

(26:00) Switching gears, what is going on in Indiana, Chicago and Portland? Is there a real threat where these cities need military support

???? The Takeaway:

From Washington politics to Main Street impacts, this episode dives deep into the truth behind the headlines — and what America can expect if the government shutdown drags on.

In this episode, host Rey Treviño III welcomes back Keri Laine, founder of KLES and a trusted advocate for executives navigating the evolving HR landscape. Rey opens the show by sharing updates on his own family business growth plan and why “human resources is more than HR.” https://kerilaine.com/team

Let’s talk about HR and the C-Suite: Leading People, Driving Profit

Keri dives into why she left corporate America to launch KLES, building a firm focused on helping leaders drive profit by leading people. Rey and Keri also explore how HR issues have recently hit the headlines—including the Coldplay scandal—and how these stories reveal deeper challenges around trust and leadership.

Keri expands on her recent LinkedIn article reflecting on the hard work professionals invest to reach the C-Suite and why strategic relationships matter more than ever. Follow Keri Laine on Linked In (Keri Laine) https://www.linkedin.com/company/kerilaineexecutivesolutions

She breaks down the two types of HR professionals—the “bottom line” driven versus the “employee-friendly”—and offers a strategic framework for balancing both perspectives to support employees and leadership alike.

Looking back decade by decade, Keri shares how global and economic factors have shaped employee behavior and workplace dynamics, highlighting a major HR transition over the past 20 years. Today, HR has evolved into thought leadership, shaping not only culture but also business performance at the highest level.

Highlights of the Podcast

00:00 - Rey introduces human resources as the theme

01:31 - Rey explains growth planning and reintroduces guest Keri Laine

03:17 - Keri shares her background and the mission of KLES

04:39 - HR scandals in the news and their impact on credibility

06:05 - Three types of HR leaders: employee-focused, leadership-focused, and strategic neutral

07:34 - Historical evolution of HR across decades

10:06 - HR Pillars of Success framework explained

15:46 - KSAs (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities) explained with cake analogy

17:10 - Scaling challenges: financial plans, org charts, recruiting

20:18 - Reactions when KLES enters organizations

22:02 - Biggest surprise in entrepreneurship—people often overlooked

23:10 - Case study: Warehouse startup failure due to poor HR consideration

25:41 - Compensation planning challenges during scaling

27:04 - Return on relationships as a business ROI framework

30:21 - Keri introduces her book 100 Year ROI

32:55 - Book insights and quick-read design for executives

33:55 - Closing: How to connect with Keri via LinkedIn and KLES

35:37 - Sponsors and episode wrap-up

In this episode of The Crude Truth, host Rey Treviño sits down with Tim Paton and Allison Kelley from Superior QC — a company that’s literally applying NASA rocket science to drilling. From Blackhawk helicopters in the Army to cutting-edge algorithms that optimize horizontal wells, Tim and Allison share how technology is transforming production, safety, and efficiency in today’s oilfields.

We will lower costs for consumers by utilizing technology. Taking the well data from the rig to the cloud, and back for decisions. This helps understand the best position of the wellbore and extract the maximum amount of oil and gas from the hole. That maximizes investor returns.

We cover everything from:

• Why Superior QC is changing the game for drilling accuracy
• How physics and aerospace engineering are being applied underground
• The reality of women in oil & gas and breaking stereotypes
• Why operators — from majors to mom-and-pops — can’t afford to drill without survey accuracy
• The future of autonomous rigs and safer drilling
• If you’ve ever wondered what “rocket science” has to do with drilling, this episode will open your eyes.

Connect with The Crude Truth

Subscribe for more insights on oil & gas, energy, and entrepreneurship.

Follow Rey Treviño on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/oil_income/

Highlights of the Podcast

0:12 - Teaser: Host Rey Treviño III says you don't need a physics or aerodynamics degree to be succesful in oil and gas...but it sure helps! Our super smart guest coming up!

0:57 – Intro: The Crude Truth Intro

1:34 – Oil and Gas Industry update: prices, drilling, and production outlook.

2:04 – Guest intro: Tim Paton & Allison Kelley of Superior QC from West Texas and the Houston area.. boots on the ground!

2:43 – We meet Tim Paton with Superior QC: game-changing software for drilling efficiency. Horizontal wells are mentioned

3:24 – Dallas vs. Houston heat, which is more unbearable?

3:49 – Tim Paton’s background & Superior QC role, Houston based

4:31 – Tim was in the army, he was a stay at home dad for a bit, and now is a oil & gas professional

5:50 – Are Blackhawk helicopters loud or quiet?

7:22 – Tim shares military teamwork lessons applied to drilling, Iraq deployment, Host Rey shares family ties to military

8:14 – Superior QC’s NASA connection: rocket science meets oilfields

9:17 - "It's literally rocket science what we do!"

9:24 – Allison Kelley’s marketing background & business development role in oil & gas

11:03 – Allison shares what has surprises her about oil and gas. Breaking stereotypes: women in oil & gas

13:22 – Who is Superior QC & their role within Patterson UTI "from bit to barrel"

15:04 – Cloud-based machine learning for drilling accuracy

16:29 – Survey data, downhole navigation & wellbore placement

18:15 – Improving production: oil +8%, gas +15%

20:14 – Rig count, drilling efficiency, and tech adoption

21:47 – The future: autonomous rigs & safety improvements

22:22 – What makes Superior QC different (FITTER vs. old methods)

25:04 – Eliminating human error in survey management

26:52 – Serving majors and mom-and-pop operators alike

27:43 – Why smaller operators need protection & peace of mind

29:01 – Superior QC as insurance for well success

30:29 – Passion for innovation at Patterson UTI

30:47 – How to connect with Superior QC (LinkedIn & website)

32:00 – Why every operator should care about well accuracy

34:13 – Closing thoughts & call for Part 2

35:11 – Sponsors + Outro (RNCN, podcast production services)

In this episode of The Crude Truth, host Rey Treviño is joined by co-host Michael Tanner and special guest Wasif Latif, President & CIO of Sarmaya Partners. Together, they dive deep into the concept of the “Return to Tangibles” a powerful shift back to commodities as the foundation of global growth.

From the rise of the commodity supercycle to the future of oil, natural gas, uranium, gold, and copper, this conversation explores how energy, finance, and geopolitics are shaping investment strategies today. Wasif shares insights on thematic investing, inflation, fiscal risks, and why commodities remain critical despite the push for alternative energy.

Whether you’re an energy professional, investor, or simply curious about the forces driving markets, this episode delivers valuable perspective on navigating cycles and identifying opportunities in a changing world.

Highlights of the Podcast

00:00 - Introduction

02:28 - Guests Introduction

04:47 - Founding Sarmaya

07:24 - Return to Tangibles

09:18 - Thematic Investing

11:29 - Top-Down Macro View

14:46 - Nuclear Renaissance

19:15 - Energy Demand Reality

22:42 - Supply & Price Pressures

26:00 - Gold & Silver Focus

29:56 - Central Banks Buying Gold

33:59 - Inflation, Geopolitical & Fiscal Risk

35:35 - ETF Introduction

37:15 - Closing Thoughts

Join The Crude Truth as we break down the most impactful oil and gas legislation from the latest Texas legislative session and what it means for operators across the state — and beyond. From inactive well plugging requirements to waste management rules, we explore the changes shaping the industry’s future. We’ll also cover how Texas policies often set the standard for other states and federal regulations, plus the latest updates on methane rule rollbacks and upcoming events for industry leaders.

Whether you’re an operator, investor, or simply passionate about energy, this episode offers insider insights straight from the frontlines of advocacy and policy.

Karr highlights the new updates to the inactive well legislation and what that means to Texans. The key difference between inactive, orphaned, and abandoned wells is a huge differentiator between the oil and gas industry and the wind and solar industry. He was focused on the key deliverables for oil and gas operators to keep the costs down while taking care of the environment. This is a huge impact both financially and on the environment.

The Texas legislature has a good grip on the oil and gas industry, and it will be interesting to see how the wind and solar industry plays out.

The Texas Alliance is a great resource for all Texans, and we recommend you follow their efforts here: https://www.texasalliance.org/

Highlights of the Podcast

00:00 – Introduction

02:56 – On-the-Ground Advocacy

06:22 – The Inactive Well Bill

12:04 – Compliance Timelines & Exceptions

20:13 – Why Texas Sets the Standard

20:41 – Role of the Texas Alliance

27:36 – Railroad Commission’s Waste Management Rule

36:24 – Federal Regulations: CO₂ & Methane

46:47 – Methane Rule Stand Down

49:18 – Texas Alliance Annual Conference

52:23 – How to Connect with the Alliance

Taxes don’t have to be overwhelming or expensive. In this episode of The Crude Truth, host Rey Treviño III sits down with tax strategist Barbara Schreihans to break down practical, legal strategies for reducing your tax bill and keeping more of what you earn.

From paying your kids and spouse through your business, to maximizing deductions, to leveraging oil & gas investments for significant tax benefits, Barbara explains how to think ahead, not just look back at last year’s returns. She also shares insights on the recently passed “One Big Beautiful Bill,” tax credits vs. deductions, and how to turn everyday expenses into legitimate business write-offs.

Whether you’re a business owner, investor, or high-income earner looking for smarter tax moves, this conversation is full of actionable takeaways you can apply right away.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why the tax code is written for business owners
• The “Tax-Free Family” strategy for paying kids and spouses
• Board meetings, travel, and vehicle deductions—done right
• How oil & gas investments create massive first-year tax savings
• Key tax changes from the “One Big Beautiful Bill”
• The difference between tax credits and deductions
• Recordkeeping tips to stay audit-ready

Connect with Barbara:

Website: https://yourtaxcoach.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/yourtaxcoach

Highlights of the Podcast

00:00 – Intro & Context

01:38 – Meet Barbara Schreihans

04:27 – Tax Code Written for Business Owners

06:10 – The “Tax-Free Family” Strategy

09:26 – Board Meetings & Travel Deductions

10:26 – Vehicle Write-Offs vs. Cash-Flow Investments

13:52 – Audit Rates

14:28 – Paying Kids – Any Age

16:53 – Oil & Gas Tax Benefits

19:47 – “One Big Beautiful Bill” – Key Tax Changes

23:12 – Tax Credits vs. Deductions

26:20 – Meals, Alcohol & Entertainment Write-Offs

30:58 – Recordkeeping Best Practices

33:55 – Working with Barbara’s Team

36:58 – Closing & Contact Info