I t's 7:45 a.m., April 16, 2012. Sheraton New York Hotel, Times Square. The IPAA's 18th annual OGIS New York investment symposium has begun with an investor networking breakfast. More than 90 E&P companies are booked for on- and offsite meetings with investors and analysts around presentations they will make to some of the more than 1,700 registered attendees in the three-day event.

Among them, Jim Palm, Gulfport Energy Corp. chief executive officer, and team have a full schedule, with six investor meetings today and plans to ring the closing ...