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Verdun Oil Company
Verdun Oil Company was founded in 1984 by Jack Hightower, an industry operator who later led HighMount Exploration & Production, a Loews Corporation...
Verdun Oil Company
Verdun Oil Company was founded in 1984 by Jack Hightower, an industry operator who later led HighMount Exploration & Production, a Loews Corporation subsidiary. The firm's wealth originates in the upstream oil and gas sector, specifically in domestic onshore development, and it continues to deploy capital primarily into energy-related opportunities. Verdun deploys capital across the energy value chain, maintaining a concentrated portfolio of direct equity positions in exploration and production companies, midstream infrastructure, and energy transition ventures. The firm participates exclusively in direct deals and co-investments alongside operating partners, avoiding fund commitments. Its geographic focus centers on Texas, the Permian Basin, and the Gulf Coast, with select exposure to Rocky Mountain assets. Known positions have included HighPeak Energy and various non-operated working interests across the Midland Basin. The firm operates with a lean team of industry specialists out of Houston, reflecting an owner-operator model rather than a diversified institutional platform. Hightower's personal capital and the family's legacy mineral holdings sit alongside the firm's development-stage equity, with overlapping governance and a minimal external LP presence. Verdun's structure is defined by its tight coupling of family ownership with active operational leadership — Hightower serves simultaneously as family principal and, through HighPeak Energy, as a public-company CEO, creating a rare alignment vehicle where the family office co-invests directly alongside the public entity's drilling programs.
General information
Firm type
Single Family Office
Year founded
1984
AUM
$1B - $5B (Altss estimate)
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Houston
Corporate office
Houston, TX, United States
Principals
Jack Hightower
Chairman
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who makes investment decisions at Verdun Oil Company?
Jack Hightower, the founder and chairman, leads all investment decisions. His operational background includes serving as CEO of HighMount Exploration & Production and, currently, as CEO of HighPeak Energy, a publicly traded independent E&P company. The investment team is compact, relying on Hightower's direct industry relationships and technical evaluation skills rather than a large institutional investment committee.
How is Verdun Oil Company related to HighPeak Energy?
Jack Hightower founded both entities and serves as CEO of HighPeak Energy, a NASDAQ-listed independent oil and gas company focused on the Midland Basin. Verdun Oil Company functions as the family's private investment arm, often co-investing alongside or holding parallel positions to HighPeak's operated developments. This creates a structure where family capital and public-market capital are aligned in the same drilling programs.
Does Verdun Oil Company invest in funds or only direct deals?
Verdun participates exclusively in direct deals, primarily equity investments in energy companies and direct working interests in oil and gas assets. The firm does not commit to third-party private equity funds or energy hedge funds, preferring to leverage Hightower's operational expertise and network to originate proprietary opportunities.
What is Verdun Oil Company's approach to energy transition investing?
While Verdun's core portfolio remains in traditional upstream and midstream assets, the firm has selectively evaluated energy transition opportunities, particularly those adjacent to its operational footprint in Texas. These include natural gas infrastructure plays that support the shift away from coal and investments in carbon capture technologies germane to the Permian Basin's enhanced oil recovery operations.
Where does Verdun Oil Company's capital come from?
The family's wealth originates from decades of domestic onshore oil and gas exploration and production, including the sale of HighMount Exploration & Production's assets and the public listing of HighPeak Energy. Hightower's personal capital, legacy mineral interests, and realized proceeds from prior energy ventures form the capital base, with no known external limited partners.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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