Arlen Edgar

1934-2021

Arlen Edgar was a respected senior Midland oil and gas community member, a successful independent oil & gas investor, and an experienced petroleum engineer and executive.

He was born on March 30, 1934, in Stephenville, Texas, to Zeddie and Ruby Edgar. After graduating from Stephenville High School, Arlen attended Tarleton State University from 1952-1953, where he also served in the Army ROTC. He then attended the University of Texas at Austin, graduating with a degree in Petroleum Engineering in 1956.

In 1967, Mr. Edgar joined Robert M. Leibrock’s new company, Tipperary Land and Exploration, which was involved in farming, cattle, shrimp fishing, and hard minerals. While working for Tipperary, he explored the mineral geology of Australia, discovering a major bauxite deposit. After four years with Tipperary, Arlen joined Western States Producing Company for two years as general manager of the San Antonio-based oil & gas company’s Midland office.

In 1973, Arlen branched off on his own. He started out as a petroleum engineering consultant, which lead to participating in drilling deals as an investor and progressed to buying oil interests in new wells, production royalties, and oil & gas mineral rights. Over time, he amassed a sizeable portfolio of working interests, mineral interests, and land partnerships, primarily in the Permian Basin but also in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Ohio.

Edgar was recognized as a distinguished alumnus of Tarleton State University and a Distinguished Engineering Graduate of UT Austin’s Cockrell School of Engineering.

He was a member several prestigious industry organizations such as the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), where he served as president in 1981; the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers (AIME); the Society of Petroleum Evaluation Engineers (SPEE); and the Society of Independent Professional Earth Scientists (SIPES).

He also received numerous other recognitions and awards for his professional achievements. Among these were the 2004 Top Hand Award from the Permian Basin Petroleum Association, the 2008 Hearst Energy Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Midland Reporter-Telegram, the 2012 SPE Permian Basin Section Presidential Scholarship in his name. Perhaps his proudest achievement was induction into the Permian Basin Petroleum Museum Hall of Fame in 2019.

In addition to his professional activities and service, Arlen actively supported the Midland Community Theatre, serving in various roles on the Board and participating in the world-renowned Summer Mummers theatre production, even appearing on stage a time or two. Arlen was a long-standing member of Grace Lutheran Community Church, serving in several volunteer roles, including President (three terms), Vice President of the Congregation, Chairman of the Endowments Committee, and a member of the Stewardship Board.

Arlen married Betty Gale Knudson in Austin, Texas, on November 9, 1957. Betty passed away on December 30, 2010. Arlen passed away on June 14, 2021.

They had two children, Mark and Brad, born and raised in Midland, and four grandchildren living in Texas and California.

Over the years, Arlen offered his sons one piece of simple and often repeated advice: “Never sell the minerals.”

Egypt with the Society of Petroleum Engineers - 1978

The Arlen Edgar Family in Austin, TX - 2008