The financial complexity is real
Running an oil and gas company in Oklahoma is not like running most businesses. Revenue swings with commodity prices. Capital expenditure decisions happen under uncertainty. Banking relationships require constant management. JIB accounting is its own discipline. And the window between a good year and a cash crisis can be short.
Most companies in this space are too small to justify a full-time CFO at $180,000 a year, but complex enough that running without senior financial leadership is genuinely risky. That is the gap a fractional CFO fills.
What fractional CFO work looks like in energy
Commodity price hedging strategy and analysis. Cash flow modeling that accounts for production decline and price variability. Bank covenant monitoring and lender communication during downturns. Capital allocation decisions between drilling, maintenance, and debt service. JIB dispute resolution and working interest accounting. Preparing the business for a sale or a capital event.
These are not generic financial tasks. They require someone who understands how energy companies work, how Oklahoma banks underwrite oil and gas loans, and how to communicate financial reality to both ownership and lenders when times are tight.
The volatility argument for fractional
The case for fractional in oil and gas is actually stronger than in most industries. When prices are down and cash is tight, you do not want to be paying a $200,000 salary to a CFO who has nothing to deploy capital on. When prices run and you need to make fast capital decisions, you need someone at the table immediately.
A fractional CFO scales with the business. The engagement can increase during active drilling programs and capital raises, and reduce during maintenance mode. That flexibility is worth something in a cyclical industry.
Who this fits
Oklahoma upstream and midstream operators in the $3M to $25M revenue range are the sweet spot. Companies that have outgrown their bookkeeper and CPA but are not ready to add a full-time executive. Companies preparing for a sale, a capital raise, or a banking conversation. Companies that hit a tough year and need someone in the room who has navigated that before.
Scissortail has worked with operators in this range. If you want to talk about what your situation looks like, the conversation is free.