“Thinking about this from a capability standpoint, the compute cowboys are unlocking new power markets for data centers and thinking about the future of industrial manufacturing. It’s all in its infancy,” Powell said. For many in the oil and gas industry, like Powell, whose family is also in the business, the mid-century energy explorers have risen to semi-mythological status. They’re a bit like the gauchos of the South American pampas, only that the wildcatters’ business built the modern world, Powell said.