Rodney L. Black, CPL

Rodney Black, CPL, is a second-generation landman who found his calling once he began landwork. Raised in Magnolia, Arkansas, he earned a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from Southern Arkansas University in 2000 and soon after began working as a field landman in East Texas for JIMAR Resources. 

In 2002, he began his career as an in-house landman with XTO Energy Inc. in 2002 and was quickly put to the test chasing rigs in East Texas at a time when XTO was experiencing rapid growth in the basin. After a fast-paced decade, Black moved on to work the Permian Basin as a division landman at the onset of the Wolfcamp revolution. A few years later, he was promoted to regional land manager in the Appalachia Basin managing a significant joint venture in Ohio and ultimately assumed land responsibilities for West Virginia as well. Following the completion of the joint venture, he found himself back in the Permian Basin managing a freshly acquired 230,000-acre Delaware Basin position. 

In January 2018 Black began a new chapter in his career as the senior vice president of land with CH4 Energy Six LLC, a private-equity company backed by NGP Energy Capital. Through its subsidiary Uinta Wax LLC, the company currently owns 230,000 net acres in the Uinta Basin in eastern Utah. He is still as enthusiastic about land and working the deal as ever. 

Encouraged by his father, Black has been an active member of AAPL since his first days in the business. Leading by example, Doug Black, who worked as a landman for 40 years, served on numerous AAPL committees throughout his career, including the Executive Committee in 2004-05. Following in his dad’s footsteps, Black served on many AAPL committees and also chaired the Education Committee in 2013-14, Ethics Committee in 2017-18, Membership Committee in 2020-21. He currently serves on the Certification Committee. In addition, he served his local Fort Worth Association of Professional Landmen as president at the height of the Barnett Shale boom in 2007.

He and wife Debbie have two children: daughter Sloane, 11, and son Hayden, 9. When the kids are not playing sports, the family spends their spare time on Possum Kingdom Lake enjoying water sports. Black currently holds the family title of champion wake surfer, having completed the 360 before Hayden. He also is a passionate outdoorsman and golfer. He enjoys spending time with Hayden at the deer lease in West Texas or the duck camp in South Arkansas when his wife allows.