From Courtside to Wellsite: Should America’s Energy Champions Get a White House Invite Too?

After a 5-mile milestone, America should take notice of the championship work being done for the environment, independence and humanity.

In the electric aftermath of Sunday night’s NBA Championship, confetti rained down from the rafters as the Oklahoma City Thunder celebrated their historic first title. Fans rejoiced. Politicians tweeted their congratulations. Sports anchors filled the airwaves with commentary about grit, teamwork, and Oklahoma pride. No doubt, a White House invitation is imminent for the Thunder—as it has been for nearly every major American championship team since the tradition began.

But while the nation cheers from the bleachers, another team—this one working beneath the soil of West Virginia—has been setting records of its own. And unlike a basketball game, the stakes in this competition weren’t trophies or television ratings.

The team at Expand Energy, headquartered in Oklahoma City, along with their cadre of service providers, drilled a Marcellus Shale well that shattered U.S. records across the board. More than five miles long. The longest lateral in U.S. land drilling history. A record-breaking bit run. Longest 24-hour and 48-hour footage.

A marvel of engineering, logistics, and operational execution.

And yet, they won't be getting a White House invitation.

During a podcast recording with Joe Sinnott, CEO, Witting Partners and host of the Energy Detox Podcast (… and former petroleum engineer), we discussed this rhetorical question into a potential reality.

After some organic conversation about the truly amazing environmental innovations involved, the energy efficiency applied and the overall impact of these broken records deserve more than a press release and news blip.

In fact, Sinnott believes President Donald Trump should have the Expand Energy crew construct a rig right on the White House front lawn. While that may seem a bit energetic and ambitious at first, it did spark a real time compromise of conversation into this - “Should Expand Energy and their team get an invitation to the White House for an Energy Championship Award?”

The History of Sports at the White House

The tradition of inviting championship teams to the White House began in earnest during the Reagan Administration, though earlier visits can be traced back to when President Calvin Coolidge hosted the Washington Senators in 1924. In the decades since, these ceremonial visits have become a rite of passage for title-winning athletes in professional and collegiate sports.

It’s a photo op, sure, but also a symbolic nod to American excellence, hard work, and unity. From Super Bowl champions to NCAA winners, athletes gather in the Rose Garden or East Room to meet the Commander-in-Chief, exchange a jersey, and give the nation a moment of feel-good recognition.

And no doubt, these teams work hard. They inspire. They entertain. They represent their cities and states on the biggest stages.

But if the purpose of the White House visit is to celebrate American achievement that has real-world impact, maybe it's time we widen the lens.

Enter the Drilling Team: America's Unsung Champions

The men and women of Expand Energy didn’t train in stadiums. They trained on rigs. Their game clock wasn’t 48 minutes, but 24-hour shifts. Their jerseys were flame-retardant coveralls and steel-toed boots. And their arena? The rugged shale formations deep beneath the Appalachian Basin.

Their recent well in West Virginia wasn’t just another job. It was a masterclass in horizontal drilling, precision engineering, and logistical prowess. The lateral extended more than five miles—over 26,000 feet—cutting through rock with a surgical accuracy that most Americans would never see but benefit from daily.

And this wasn’t just about pushing technical boundaries. It was about proving what American energy can do when innovation meets execution.

Environmental Footprint and Innovation

The record-setting well was drilled with a hyper-focused environmental philosophy. By achieving such reach from a single pad, Expand Energy minimized surface disturbance, reducing the land footprint by 80% compared to traditional vertical wells.

Fewer roads. Fewer pads. Less trucking. Less impact.

Water use was optimized with recycled flowback systems. Emissions were reduced using natural gas-powered generators on-site, displacing diesel usage. Smart telemetry and real-time geosteering software ensured every foot of the lateral hit productive pay zones, eliminating unnecessary drilling and preserving valuable resources.

It’s energy development with a conscience. And it’s not just the environment that wins—the American people do.

Energy Independence and National Security

While the Thunder were chasing fast breaks and rebounds, the Expand Energy team was chasing down energy independence. And make no mistake: one of these has a more tangible impact on your daily life.

That record-setting Marcellus well contributes to:

• Lower natural gas prices for heating homes and fueling industries.

• A reduced need for foreign imports from hostile or unstable regions.

• Domestic supply chain strength that keeps factories humming and fertilizer plants running.

Every foot of that well is a step away from geopolitical dependence and a step toward sovereign energy security. In the modern age, energy is power. And expanding our domestic capacity is how we retain it.

Supply Chain Strength: Teamwork Beyond as the Drillbit

This wasn’t just a win for Expand Energy. It was a symphony of collaboration across service companies, directional drillers, bit manufacturers, telemetry experts, mud engineers, completions crews, logistics coordinators, and safety officers.

From steel mills in Ohio to telemetry hubs in Houston, every cog in the machine represented a piece of American manufacturing and ingenuity. And every successful stage pumped millions of dollars into local economies—jobs that aren’t outsourced, because you are not fracking the Marcellus from Shanghai.

A White House Moment?

So here we are: America is celebrating a team from Oklahoma for a big win on hardwood. That’s historic and fantastic. Let’s celebrate them and not try to take anything away from their accomplishments.

But let’s expand our minds and consider inviting another team from the OKC. Their West Virginia road trip of energy development and community building just unlocked enough natural gas to power a million homes.

Shouldn’t the engineers, rig hands, and safety techs who pulled off the longest bit run in U.S. land drilling history get the same handshake in the Rose Garden?

There are many who think so. Joe Sinnott and I certainly do.

If the White House is a place to honor American greatness—be it in sports, science, or service—why exclude the energy champions who are arguably doing more to secure our future than any jump shot ever could?

The Politics of Perception

It’s no secret that energy workers have often been cast as political pawns. Where some see dirty jobs, others see gritty resilience. Where some see emissions, others see progress.

But this isn’t about politics. It’s about priorities. The energy industry is the backbone of everything else—transportation, technology, manufacturing, even the very arena where the Thunder played their championship games.

Without energy, there is no modern economy.

And while the optics of drilling might not be as sleek as a championship parade, the output is essential.

A New Kind of Hero

It’s time to expand our definition of heroism. It’s time to acknowledge that championships don’t only happen under bright lights and national anthems.

They happen in the mud. In remote shale pads. In data trailers humming with seismic telemetry. In the silence of a control room where one wrong move could cost a fortune—or worse, a life.

The Expand Energy team, and those like them across the country, are the unsung MVPs of the American economy. They’re not just drilling holes. They’re securing freedom, insulating us from energy shocks, and driving innovation that few will ever see but everyone will feel.

Closing Thoughts: A Shared Spotlight

Let’s applaud the Oklahoma Thunder. Let’s enjoy the victory. But let’s also ask a bigger question: In an America that depends on domestic energy for security, affordability, and environmental leadership, when will we recognize those who keep the lights on?

The next White House invitation shouldn’t just go to athletes with championship rings.

It should go to the drilling teams with five-mile laterals, impressive safety records, and a well log that reads like a Hall of Fame resume.

Because in the energy arena, they didn’t just win the game.

They changed it.

Jason Spiess is an multi-award-winning journalist, entrepreneur, producer and content consultant. Spiess, who began working in the media at age 10, has over 35 years of media experience in broadcasting, journalism, reporting and principal ownership in media companies. Spiess is currently the host of several newsmagazine programs that air across a 22 radio stations and podcasts worldwide through podcast platforms, as well as a social media audience of over 400K followers.

PRESS RELEASE May 30, 2025 - The SW App Drilling team recently celebrated achieving several records on the BW Edge MSH 210H, which the crew referred to as a ‘postcard well’ for its near picture-perfect status. Most notably, this well featured the U.S.’s longest lateral to date at more than five miles.

Rig EDC 41: A Record-Breaking Well

• Longest lateral in U.S. Land (27,657 feet)

• Longest well in U.S. Land (34,507 feet)

• Longest single bit/BHA run in U.S. Land (30,368 feet)

• 48-hr footage world record (21,314 feet)

• Expand Energy 24-hr footage record (12,370 feet)

• Expand Energy footage per day record (2,774 feet/day)

Ultra-long laterals enable Expand Energy to access significantly more subsurface acreage from fewer surface locations, minimizing the environmental footprint and operational impact. This is particularly valuable in regions like Appalachia, where surface access is limited. By reaching premium reservoir targets from a distance, we not only optimize resource recovery but also enhance capital efficiency and well economics — both of which are vital in today’s market conditions.

“Breaking records is the outcome of relentless preparation, innovation and collaboration,” said Sebastian Ziaja, SW App Senior Drilling Engineer. “With support from leadership, our Drilling and Asset teams work months in advance to engineer optimal well designs. Once execution begins, seamless coordination among our Drilling team, rig crews and service providers drives top-tier performance. It’s a collective effort rooted in trust, expertise and a shared commitment to excellence.”

Operational records are typically maintained and managed by drilling service providers and industry partners. These groups verify records achieved across the U.S., offering third-party confirmation to maintain transparency and consistency for benchmarking.

Ziaja added, “Ultimately, record-setting performance reflects Expand Energy’s commitment to operational excellence and long-term value creation.”

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