Oklahoma
Why are Devon, Expand Energy both moving to Houston? OKC company moves, explained.
Devon Energy to move headquarters from Oklahoma City to Houston
Devon Energy announces headquarters relocation to Houston following Coterra Energy merger, maintaining presence in Oklahoma City.
After both Expand Energy and Devon Energy recently announced relocations to Houston, Texas, one question arises: What makes the Texas city so attractive to Oklahoma City businesses?
The two moves stem from different circumstances — Devon through its merger with Houston-based Coterra and Expand through leadership shakeups — but together they’ve generated concern in Oklahoma City’s energy sector.
But Devon and Expand are not the first businesses to move to Houston from OKC. Here a look at what the companies have said about the shift.
Devon Energy announces move to Houston in merger
Devon Energy announced Feb. 2 that it plans move its headquarters from Oklahoma City and merge with Houston-based Coterra Energy.
Devon Energy spokesperson Michelle Hindermarch said in a call with investors that the headquarters relocation was a part of the merger.
“This wasn’t an easy decision, but it was required for the success of the transaction and is the right one for a company of our scale to compete most effectively,” Hindmarch said.
As for Houston itself, Hindmarch noted that the city “provides greater access to commercial counterparties, many of our peers, and other industry resources.”
Hindermarch did not provide any information about how the move to Houston would impact employment numbers in Oklahoma City, only that the company will continue to have a significant presence.
As of Tuesday, Feb. 10, it is known that CEO Clay Gaspar and other executive positions will make the move to Houston.
Expand makes move to Houston
On Feb. 9, Expand Energy, previously known as Chesapeake Energy, announced it would follow Devon Energy in moving its headquarters to Houston.
The company said the 500-employee workforce behind Expand Energy will remain in Oklahoma City, and the relocation will primarily involve the executive team to strengthen Expand Energy’s relationships with key industry and commercial partners.
In an email to employees, Chairman of the Board Michael Wichterich said Expand Energy’s move to Houston will be completed by mid-2026 but promised the Oklahoma City workforce will be unaffected by the relocation. Wichterich said he was set to visit the Oklahoma City campus on Feb. 9 to meet with employees.
Regarding the decision to move, Wichterich said the move will “allow us to capitalize on Houston’s leading role as a gateway to the global natural gas market.
“Houston offers unmatched proximity and connectivity to the global energy ecosystem. Establishing our headquarters in the Houston area is a natural evolution of our growing marketing and commercial focus and places leadership at the heart of this ecosystem,” Wichterich said.
History of Oklahoma energy companies moving to Houston
Several homegrown energy companies have moved to Houston over the years.
Conoco got its start in 1913 when it was spun off as an independent company from Standard Oil. The company then moved its headquarters to Ponca City when it merged with Marland Oil in 1929. The company moved its headquarters to Houston in 1950.
Phillips 66 was started in 1927 by oilman Frank Phillips; it was acquired by Houston-based Conoco in 2002. The company retains a presence in Bartlesville with its 440-acre Phillips 66 Research Center. Another oil and gas company, Citgo, was headquartered in Tulsa starting in 1968 and then relocated to Houston in 2004.
Petroleum Alliance of Oklahoma President Brook A. Simmons predicted the state will continue to see small oil and gas operators grow into major employers.
“Oklahoma has long been fertile ground for independent oil and natural gas companies with big ideas and a willingness to take risks,” Simmons said. “Many of today’s industry giants got their start here as homegrown operations. Expand Energy (formerly Chesapeake Energy) began with two men and 20 wells outside Lindsay. Continental Resources was founded by an Enid wildcatter. Devon Energy itself started with just five employees and a handful of wells.”
Contributing: Steve Lackmeyer, The Oklahoman
Oklahoma
Oklahoma Ford Sports Blitz: Mar. 1, 2026
Steve McGehee reports live from Paycom Center with the latest on SGA’s return after missing nine games, the Thunder’s push to hold the top spot in the Western Conference, and what getting healthy means for OKC’s title hopes.
Oklahoma
How Oklahoma GM Jim Nagy ‘Put More Around’ John Mateer During Offseason
Oklahoma general manager Jim Nagy experienced great success during his first year in Norman.
Nagy, who joined OU’s staff in February 2025, oversaw the Sooners’ scouting staff as Oklahoma reached the College Football Playoff for the first time since 2019. He also helped OU sign a top-15 2026 recruiting class and land several key transfer portal players after the 2025 season.
Though the wins outweighed the losses in Nagy’s first year, the Sooners’ general manager knew that there was much to fortify during the offseason.
Oklahoma’s offense sputtered late in the season, as the Sooners scored fewer than 25 points in each of their last four games.
For Nagy, a major focus was surrounding OU quarterback John Mateer with quality talent.
“(We wanted to) just really put more around John Mateer,” Nagy said on The Dari Nowkhah Show on KREF on Friday.
Nagy and his scouting team added plenty of pieces from the portal that should elevate Oklahoma’s offense.
The Sooners signed three portal wideouts — Trell Harris (Virginia), Parker Livingstone (Texas) and Mackenzie Alleyne (Washington State) — after the 2025 season to join returning receivers Isaiah Sategna, Jer’Michael Carter and Jacob Jordan.
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Sategna, who transferred to OU from Arkansas after the 2024 season, served as Mateer’s safety net in 2025. The receiver finished the year with 965 yards and eight touchdowns on 67 catches.
Harris and Livingstone are both proven producers at the Power Four level, and Nagy believes that those two will make OU’s receiving corps stronger in 2026.
“Those two, we’re very excited about both of those guys,” Nagy said.
Nagy also did plenty of work to ensure that OU’s run game improves in 2026.
The Sooners added three tight ends — Hayden Hansen (Florida), Rocky Beers (Colorado State) and Jack Van Dorselaer (Tennessee) — from the portal. They also added three transfer offensive linemen: Caleb Nitta (Western Kentucky), E’Marion Harris (Arkansas) and Peyton Joseph (Georgia Tech).
OU will have its two top running backs from the 2025 squad, Xavier Robinson and Tory Blaylock, back in 2026.
For those two to reach their full potential, the Sooners’ blockers will have to regularly open up running lanes — and Nagy is confident that they will.
“We have to run the ball better, there’s no way around that,” Nagy said. “Our job is to create more competition in every room in the offseason. I feel like we’ve done that.”
On the show, Nagy revealed that the Sooners added nearly 9,000 collegiate snaps to their roster during the offseason.
The general manager believes that both sides of the ball will be stronger as a result of his scouting team’s offseason efforts and their collaboration with OU’s coaching staff.
“I’ve tried to be really intentional with our communication,” Nagy said. “There’s a common goal: We’re trying to win a national championship. This is a true partnership, and we all have the same goal in mind. It’s going to continue to evolve and get better.”
Oklahoma will open its 2026 season against UTEP on Sept. 5.
Oklahoma
Elgin’s Ritson Meyer becomes four-time Oklahoma high school wrestling state champion
Elgin’s Ritson Meyer becomes four-time OSSAA wrestling state champion
Elgin’s Ritson Meyer beat Coweta’s Aiven Robbins 8-7 in the Oklahoma high school wrestling Class 5A 215-pound finals on Saturday, Feb. 28, becoming a four-time state champion.
The loss was on Ritson Meyer’s mind all week as he prepared for his final state wrestling tournament.
A senior 215-pounder at Elgin, Meyer isn’t used to getting beaten, but he got a wake-up call when he lost against Coweta senior Aiven Robbins by five points in their regional championship match.
For Meyer, it set in that winning his fourth state championship wouldn’t be an easy task.
“I lost to him last week and I’m not a loser, so it was eating on me all week in practice,” Meyer said. “So (in) practice, I really leveled up everything. Everything about it.”
Meyer and Robbins met again on Saturday, this time with the Class 5A state championship on the line.
Intensely focused from the start, Meyer came out aggressive. And although it was another great match, Meyer did just enough to etch his name in the state history books.
Meyer held on to beat Robbins in an 8-7 decision in the new OG&E Coliseum as he claimed his fourth state championship, while Coweta won the team title.
An Abilene Christian football signee, Meyer’s wrestling days are over, but he leaves the sport with satisfaction.
“I came out here — even though it hurt, even though I was tired — I got it done,” Meyer said. “I’m so happy. I got to celebrate with my parents, my family, my friends. It’s a crazy feeling.”
A standout running back and linebacker on the gridiron, Meyer helped his team win the Class 4A state title in football as a junior before Elgin lost to Tuttle 23-20 in the 2025 championship game in December.
It’s a different sport, but that loss fueled Meyer’s wrestling season in a way.
“I like to tell people that wrestling is like offseason football,” Meyer said. “I can’t go out, lose. Everybody wanted me to win this. I won it for the whole entire community. First four-timer at Elgin. And that football (loss) really did eat me alive. It didn’t feel good at all, and I didn’t want that same feeling again.”
Meyer had a great start against Robbins on Saturday and never trailed, but Robbins battled to set up a great finish and both were gassed when it was over.
“I just gave it my all,” Meyer said, “and I got it done.”
This article will be updated.
Nick Sardis covers high school sports for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Nick? He can be reached at nsardis@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at@nicksardis. Sign up forThe Varsity Club newsletter to access more high school coverage. Support Nick’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing adigital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
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