Shale Energy & M&A Reporter — Exclusive Coverage

Crain Communications; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Hart Energy in Houston, TX is seeking an experienced journalist to cover the U.S. shale industry and M&A activity shaping North America's upstream oil and gas sector.

The role demands breaking news, enterprise reporting, and data-driven analysis on exploration and production companies, private equity-backed operators, asset transactions, drilling activity, and the capital markets that move the industry. You will cultivate sources, interpret SEC filings, and deliver timely reporting to Hart

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in journalism or related field or equivalent professional experience.
• Five or more years of reporting experience, preferably covering energy, business, finance, or M&A.
• Demonstrated ability to break news, cultivate sources, and produce exclusive journalism.
• Strong understanding of financial statements, corporate transactions, capital markets, and business strategy.
• Ability to interpret and report on SEC filings, investor presentations, earnings reports, and operational data.
• Excellent writing, interviewing, and analytical skills.
• Ability to manage multiple stories and deadlines in a fast-moving digital newsroom.
• Experience using analytics, research databases, and AI-assisted reporting tools to support enterprise journalism.

Responsibilities

• Break news and develop exclusive reporting on upstream oil and gas companies, acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, and capital markets activity.
• Cover major shale basins and the operators, investors, and service providers active within them.
• Track E&P company strategies, drilling programs, production trends, reserve growth, and operational performance.
• Monitor SEC filings, investor presentations, earnings calls, regulatory filings, and transaction announcements for story opportunities.
• Develop and maintain a robust network of sources among executives, dealmakers, investors, analysts, private equity firms, bankers, attorneys, and industry consultants.
• Produce timely breaking news, analytical features, and data-driven enterprise reporting.
• Identify emerging trends in consolidation, private capital deployment, infrastructure investment, and technological innovation.

Skills

News reporting

Industry analysis

Source development

Data interpretation

Writing skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in journalism or related field

Tools

Analytics tools

AI-assisted reporting tools

Research databases

Job description

Hart Energy in Houston, TX is seeking an experienced journalist to cover the U.S. shale industry and M&A activity shaping North America's upstream oil and gas sector.

The role demands breaking news, enterprise reporting, and data-driven analysis on exploration and production companies, private equity-backed operators, asset transactions, drilling activity, and the capital markets that move the industry. You will cultivate sources, interpret SEC filings, and deliver timely reporting to Hart