PDS Energy
PDS Energy Information is a private Austin-based software company that operates cloud-based data exchange platforms for the upstream oil and gas industry, automating drilling, production, gas balancing, frac schedule, and field ticket data sharing between operators and working-interest partners.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1991
- HeadquartersAustin, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What PDS Energy does
PDS Energy Information, Inc. is a privately held, Austin-headquartered software company founded in 1991 that operates a portfolio of secure, cloud-based data exchange platforms serving the upstream U.S. oil and gas industry. The company automates the distribution of drilling files, daily and monthly production volumes, gas balancing statements, frac completion schedules, field tickets, and produced water data between operators and their working-interest partners, eliminating manual partner data sharing and paper-based run ticket workflows. Its core products are the Well Data Exchange (WDX), Production Data Exchange (PDSX), Gas Balancing Exchange, Frac Interference Exchange (FracX), E-Ticket Exchange, and AquaTrade, supported by the proprietary CODE (Crude Oil Data Exchange) standard originally established in 1978 through PIDX. The platform architecture is built on EDI, FTP, web services, and API integrations and includes a GIS-fed frac schedule importer; AquaTrade additionally deploys market-clearing algorithms adapted from power-market trading systems, developed under the U.S. Department of Energy's Project PARETO and commercialized by PDS.
PDS runs a primarily enterprise, direct-sales go-to-market motion targeting major E&P companies, augmented by an integration channel with QV21, ShaleApps, Trimble, and PDS Field Ticket Pro. Pricing is dominantly subscription-based and not publicly disclosed; FracX and basic Gas Balancing features are offered as freemium to drive network density, while complementary document conversion and custom development services are billed as professional services. The exchange platforms are used by 400+ operators, including 95% of Fortune 500 energy companies, with named enterprise logos spanning Chevron, BP, ConocoPhillips, Devon, EOG Resources, Occidental Petroleum, Hess, Matador, Permian Resources, Antero Resources, XTO, Apache, Civitas, Coterra, Diamondback, EQT, and University Lands, alongside mid-market operators across the Permian, Delaware, Eagle Ford, DJ Basin, Anadarko, Uinta, Powder River, Marcellus, and Appalachian basins.
The company remains founder-controlled under president Barry Barksdale since inception and has expanded its physical footprint by adding a Midland, Texas regional office in September 2025 alongside the AquaTrade launch. No institutional investors, parent companies, or funding rounds are disclosed in the source material. Across more than 30 years the platform has scaled to track 873K wells and serve 32K interest owners and users, with 1,000+ users collaborating on the free Frac Interference Exchange.
PDS Energy firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- PDS Energy
- Legal name
- PDS Energy Information, Inc.
- Website
- https://pdsenergy.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1991
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- PDS Energy Information is a private Austin-based software company that operates cloud-based data exchange platforms for the upstream oil and gas industry, automating drilling, production, gas balancing, frac schedule, and field ticket data sharing between operators and working-interest partners.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
PDS Energy industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Energy Data Exchange Software
- NAICS
- Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (51821)
- SIC
- Oil & Gas Field Services, Nec (1389)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Natural Gas Risk Management, Analytics & Back-Office (ETRM/CTRM) (EUAGAGAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Gas Pipeline & Midstream Asset Management (EUAEAMAF)
Keywords
Where PDS Energy is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Austin
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
PDS Energy business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Exchange Solutions Subscription: PDS provides secure data exchange platforms (WDX, PDSX, Gas Balancing Exchange, FracX, E-Ticket Exchange) to oil and gas operators and working interest owners. Companies pay for access to exchange networks that automate the distribution and sharing of well data, production volumes, field tickets, and frac schedules. The company serves 95% of Fortune 500 energy companies and over 400 operators on its platforms.
- Data Management and Processing Services: Document conversion and data processing services including expert conversion of physical well files into standard digital formats, and keying data in desired formats for production accounting systems.
- Custom Solutions Development: Custom solutions development including field ticket management, regulatory form filing, and field data capture systems for pumpers and production reporting.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Other | Frac Interference Exchange - Free |
| Freemium | Other | Gas Balancing Exchange - Basic Service |
| Subscription | Other | Exchange Solutions - Contact for Pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
PDS Energy product offering
Product offeringCore offering
PDS Energy Information operates a suite of cloud-based data exchange platforms that automate the distribution of well files, daily and monthly production volumes, gas balancing statements, completion schedules, and field tickets between oil and gas operators and their working interest partners. The company serves as the dominant data exchange network for the U.S. upstream oil and gas industry, with 95% of Fortune 500 energy companies and over 400 operators participating across its exchanges. It also operates AquaTrade, a produced water trading marketplace developed by the U.S. Department of Energy and commercialized by PDS.
Product overview
PDS Energy Information operates a suite of six interconnected exchange solutions for the oil and gas industry. The core offerings include the Well Data Exchange (WDX) for drilling and well document sharing, the Production Data Exchange (PDSX) for daily and monthly volume exchange, the Gas Balancing Exchange for natural gas imbalance statements, the Frac Interference Exchange (FracX) for completion schedule collaboration to prevent frac hits, the E-Ticket Exchange for field ticket digitization, and AquaTrade for produced water trading. Supporting these are CODE (Crude Oil Data Exchange) as the industry standard for crude transaction data, along with proprietary tools Field Ticket Pro and Ticket Adder. The exchanges serve as digital pipelines connecting operators, partners, and service providers, enabling automated data flow through secure cloud-based platforms with EDI integration capabilities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Well Data Exchange (WDX): A first-of-its-kind data sharing network for operators to securely automate distribution of documents to working interest owners.
- Production Data Exchange (PDSX)
- Gas Balancing Exchange
- Frac Interference Exchange (FracX)
- E-Ticket Exchange
- AquaTrade
- Crude Oil Data Exchange (CODE)
- Field Ticket Pro
- Ticket Adder
Products and services
- Well Data Exchange (WDX) A first-of-its-kind data sharing network that helps operators securely automate the distribution of drilling files, completion reports, and well documents to working interest owners, eliminating manual partner data sharing processes. It is used by 95% of Fortune 500 energy companies and over 400 operators to track 873K wells.
- Production Data Exchange (PDSX) A secure cloud-based platform enabling operators to automatically exchange daily and monthly production volumes, with seamless integration to most production accounting systems and EDI distribution to authorized partners and working interest owners.
- Gas Balancing Exchange A platform automating the exchange of gas balancing statements between operators and non-op partners, with customizable features for enhanced monitoring of imbalances and high-level reporting, supported by a secure cloud data network with nightly synchronization.
- Frac Interference Exchange (FracX) A reciprocal data-sharing platform exclusively for operators designed to promote collaboration between producers and minimize adverse effects from nearby wells (frac hits). Enables oil and gas producers to pinpoint areas at risk of frac hits and swiftly take action to temporarily shut in active wells. Used by more than 1,000 users and offered free of charge to the industry.
- E-Ticket Exchange A digital field ticket exchange that empowers crude oil and water haulers to electronically submit run tickets, reducing day sales outstanding time and improving spend visibility. Covers crude oil or product run tickets, lease tickets, point of sale run statements, and tank strapping increment tables, with integration support for QV21, ShaleApps, Trimble, and PDS Field Ticket Pro.
- AquaTrade A produced water management solution developed by the U.S. Department of Energy and commercialized by PDS, adapted from advanced power-market trading algorithms to optimize the matching of produced water supply, demand, and transportation, transforming produced water into a tradable commodity for the Permian Basin and other major U.S. plays.
- Crude Oil Data Exchange (CODE) The industry standard format for electronically transmitting crude oil run ticket information between companies, standardizing transaction and run ticket data exchange after capture and enabling interoperability between different companies, systems, and accounting platforms.
- Data Management and Processing Services Professional services including expert conversion of physical well files into standard digital formats and keying data into desired formats for production accounting systems, complementing the WDX and PDSX exchange platforms.
- Custom Solutions Development Custom development services including field ticket management, regulatory form filing, and field data capture systems for pumpers and production reporting, offered alongside PDS's exchange platforms.
Quantifiable outcome
- 95% of Fortune 500 energy companies use PDS exchanges
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use PDS Energy
Customer profileNamed customers29 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
PDS Energy technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
Feature8 records
PDS Energy partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.
- U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) / Project PARETOflagshipPDS assumed commercial operation of the DOE's AquaTrade produced water exchange system as part of Project PARETO (Produced Water Application for Beneficial Reuse, Environmental Impact and Treatment Optimization). DOE built optimization tools and approached PDS to commercialize the platform leveraging PDS's existing operator network of 400+ operators and exchange infrastructure.
- University LandscoreUniversity Lands, the Texas agency managing 2.1 million acres for the Permanent University Fund (benefiting UT and Texas A&M systems), selected PDS Well Data Exchange to streamline collection of drilling, completion, and production data from lessees. PDS enables University Lands to aggregate and normalize data from operators already on the PDS network.
- QV21coreE-Ticket Exchange integrates with QV21 commercial field ticketing software, allowing QV21 users to seamlessly submit run tickets through the PDS exchange network.
- ShaleAppscoreE-Ticket Exchange integrates with ShaleApps mobile field ticketing platform, enabling seamless data flow from field operations through the PDS exchange.
- TrimblecoreE-Ticket Exchange integrates with Trimble field ticketing technology, allowing Trimble users to participate in the digital ticket exchange ecosystem.
- PDS Field Ticket ProcorePDS's proprietary field ticket software that integrates directly with the E-Ticket Exchange for recording and submitting run ticket data.
- Midstream Logistics ProviderscorePDS works with midstream logistics providers to directly integrate their digital ticketing data into the exchange, supporting the complete ecosystem of commercial field ticketing software solutions and apps.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
PDS Energy competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Rystad Energy: Rystad is an upstream-focused energy research and analytics provider serving many of the same E&P and financial customers as PDS, with overlap in production and well-level data assets.
- S&P Global Commodity Insights: S&P Global Commodity Insights (formerly Platts / IHS Markit energy) is a large diversified energy and commodity data incumbent that competes in oil & gas benchmarks, production analytics, and partner data sharing at the enterprise tier.
- Wood Mackenzie: Wood Mackenzie (a Verisk business) is a long-established energy research and data provider serving the same upstream operators; it competes in subsurface and production analytics but as part of a broader research portfolio.
Others
- Argus Media: Argus is a commodity price reporting and energy data provider adjacent to PDS; not a direct exchange competitor, but a complementary data source serving many of the same operator customers.
- Kpler: Kpler provides commodity flow and trading analytics across oil, gas, and water; relevant to PDS as an adjacent data/analytics vendor in the broader energy intelligence stack.
Emerging players
- Welligence: Welligence provides upstream asset intelligence and deals data for E&Ps and investors, overlapping with PDS's interest-owner and basin-level datasets among a more financial-oriented buyer.
- Novi Labs: Novi Labs applies predictive analytics to oil & gas production forecasting and type-curve analysis; an emerging SaaS focused on a specific use case (production analytics) that intersects with PDSX.
Direct peers
- Quorum Software: Quorum (formed from the merger of Aucerna and P2 Energy Solutions) provides oil & gas accounting, production, and partner-data software to operators — competing head-to-head with PDSX and WDX among midstream and upstream customers.
- TGS: TGS provides well data, seismic, and production data products to the O&G industry; its 4cast and well-data libraries overlap with PDS's WDX and PDSX offerings.
- Enverus: Enverus is the largest SaaS data and analytics platform for the upstream oil & gas industry. It directly overlaps PDS in well, production, and partner-data workflows and serves the same Fortune-500 E&P customer base.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
PDS Energy social profiles
Digital presencePDS Energy financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
PDS Energy leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
PDS Energy funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
PDS Energy M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about PDS Energy
What does PDS Energy do?
PDS Energy Information operates a suite of cloud-based data exchange platforms that automate the distribution of well files, daily and monthly production volumes, gas balancing statements, completion schedules, and field tickets between oil and gas operators and their working interest partners. The company serves as the dominant data exchange network for the U.S. upstream oil and gas industry, with 95% of Fortune 500 energy companies and over 400 operators participating across its exchanges. It also operates AquaTrade, a produced water trading marketplace developed by the U.S. Department of Energy and commercialized by PDS.
Is PDS Energy a public or private company?
PDS Energy is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was PDS Energy founded?
PDS Energy was founded in 1991. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is PDS Energy based?
PDS Energy is headquartered in Austin, United States, in the North America region.
How does PDS Energy make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Exchange Solutions Subscription is the primary driver. The others are data Management and Processing Services and custom Solutions Development.
Who are PDS Energy's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Rystad Energy, S&P Global Commodity Insights and Wood Mackenzie. Others are Argus Media and Kpler. Emerging players are Welligence and Novi Labs. Direct peers are Quorum Software, TGS and Enverus.
Does PDS Energy have an API?
Yes. PDS offers web service and FTP data transfer integrations for companies with proprietary custom-built solutions. E-Ticket Exchange aggregates data from commercial software products and mobile apps. PDS supports automated EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) delivery for production data and daily estimates. No public API documentation or developer portal is explicitly referenced.
What industry is PDS Energy in?
PDS Energy's product category is Energy Data Exchange Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAGAGAJ, Natural Gas Risk Management, Analytics & Back-Office (ETRM/CTRM), with a secondary code of EUAEAMAF, Gas Pipeline & Midstream Asset Management. Its NAICS code is 51821 and its SIC code is 1389.