Our History
The Quintana organization and Cullen/Robertson family have been deeply involved in energy and natural resources for over 100 years, as well as in numerous other non-energy related ventures and philanthropic / civic causes.
- 2025
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Quintana Energy Services IPOs [2018]
Quintana Energy Services, Inc. goes public on the NYSE and shares begin trading under the ticker symbol “QES”.
- 2018
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Quintana Shipping Acquired [2017]
Quintana Shipping Ltd. sells the 14 dry bulk ships it owns and operates to Nasdaq-listed Golden Ocean Group Ltd.
- 2017
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Quintana refocuses on metals and mining [2014]
After 2 years of extensive analysis of the sector, Quintana Minerals Corporation forms a “Quintana Resources” named group of companies and assembles a best-in-class team of mining-industry professionals to execute on a strategy of identifying and financing high quality metals and mining companies and assets, closing on several transactions to date.
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Quintana Energy Services is formed [2014]
Quintana Energy Services was formed via the combination of Consolidated Oil Well Services and the Directional Drilling Company, and has since acquired other companies and filed for an IPO.
- 2014
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NRP & Robertsons acquire Trona Project [2013]
Natural Resources Partners L.P. (NRP) and a Robertson-led group make a $310 mm acquisition of Anadarko Petroleum Corporation’s (NYSE: APC) interest in the OCI Wyoming group of companies, which own and operate the world’s fifth-largest producer of trona/soda ash (in Green River, Wyoming).
- 2013
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LKCM Headwater Investments formed [2012]
Corbin J. Robertson III and J. Bryan King, a principal of Luther King Capital Management, form LKCM Headwater Investments, a private equity firm that today has two funds and ~$1 billion directly and indirectly under management.
- 2012
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Quintana re-enters into shipping [2011]
A Quintana-led group with Riverstone Holdings as a partner forms Quintana Shipping Ltd. for trying to replicate Quintana’s prior successful dry-bulk shipping company.
- 2011
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Quintana Infrastructure & Development is formed [2010]
William K. Robertson forms Quintana Infrastructure & Development LLC as a vehicle for developing and acquiring infrastructure-related assets – for example, has owned and operated 464 MWs of power plants in PJM and oil marketing, trucking, rail terminal and pipeline companies servicing the Bakken Shale Play in North Dakota.
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NRP-International Paper JV [2010]
BRP LLC is formed as the joint venture between Natural Resource Partners L.P. and International Paper Co., where NRP is the managing and controlling (51% ownership) partner of BRP, which owns and manages the current leases as well as the further development of the more than 7 million acres of minerals and other natural resources previously held by International Paper.
- 2010
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Genesis Energy transaction [2009]
Quintana Energy Partners and a Robertson family-led group acquire the controlling General Partner of Genesis Energy Partners LP (NYSE: GEP) from Denbury Resources Inc. (NYSE: DNR) and take control of the board of directors.
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Quintana Energy Partners raises Fund II [2009]
Quintana Energy Partners raises $350 mm of capital commitments for Fund II in the midst of the financial crisis.
- 2009
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Quintana Maritime Sold [2008]
Quintana Maritime Ltd. and its 37 dry bulk ships are sold to Excel Maritime Carriers Ltd. at the peak of the market in April 2008.
- 2008
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Quintana enter into Private Equity [2006]
The Robertson Family forms Quintana Energy Partners and raise $650 mm in capital commitments for Fund I.
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Quintana re-enters into Argentina [2006]
Quintana WellPro, an oil and gas drilling contractor, is formed in Argentina in 2006 and has grown to over 20 high horsepower rigs since then, and it was followed by the formation of Quintana Argentina E&P, a oil and gas production company, in 2010
- 2006
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William K. Robertson joins Quintana [2005]
William K. Robertson formally joins the Quintana Minerals Corporation group of companies.
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Quintana Maritime IPOs [2005]
Robertson family members form Quintana Maritime Limited, take on partners in First Reserve Corporation and America Metals & Coal International, and complete successful IPO on NASDAQ (“QMAR”), growing it over the next 3 years to 37 owned and operated dry bulk vessels.
- 2005
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Natural Resource Partners IPOs [2002]
Corbin J. Robertson, Jr. packages several coal assets, including the fee coal holdings simultaneously purchased from Arch Coal, Inc., into Natural Resource Partners LP for a successful IPO as a Master Limited Partnership on the NYSE.
- 2002
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Corbin J. Robertson III joins Quintana [2000]
Corbin J. Robertson III formally joins the Quintana Minerals Corporation group of companies.
- 2000
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Corbin J. Robertson, Jr. acquires Burlington Railroad coal assets [1992]
Corbin J. Robertson, Jr. forms Great Northern Properties LP to acquire all of the coal-related assets of Burlington Northern Railroad.
- 1992
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Quintana enters into Argentina [1991]
Quintana Minerals Corporation, with Spanish-Argentine oil company Repsol-YPF, Argentina’s CGC, Sud Electra as partners, acquires and begins to operate the Santa Cruz block in Argentina, which peaked at ~30,000 barrels per day and over 100 million cubic feet of natural gas per day. Quintana sold its operating interest in the block to Perez Companc S.A in 2000 for multiples of invested capital.
- 1991
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Corbin J. Robertson, Jr. acquires CSX’ non-core assets [1986]
Corbin J. Robertson, Jr. forms Western Pocahantas Properties LP to acquire all of the coal, timber and surface rights of CSX Corporation and marks the commencement of Robertson-controlled entities long-term strategy of acquiring coal reserves, resulting in the group today being the largest private owner of coal reserves in the US.
- 1986
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Corbin J. Robertson, Jr. buys Quintana Minerals [1985]
Corbin J. Robertson, Jr. acquires Quintana Minerals Corporation from other members of the Cullen family.
- 1985
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Quintana develops and operates the Copper Flat Porphyry Mine [1982]
Quintana Minerals Corporation developed the Copper Flat Porphyry Mine in the historic Hillsboro mining district of New Mexico, USA over the course of several years and in 1982 it successfully achieved commercial production of 15,000 tons per day with a waste ore ratio of 1.8:1.
- 1982
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Quintana Petroleum winds down [1980]
Quintana Petroleum Corporation and the Cullen/Robertson family begins a multi-year, orderly process of selling assets and distributing proceeds to its family shareholders.
- 1980
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Corbin J. Robertson, Jr. heads Quintana Minerals [1978]
After almost 10 years of close involvement with the division, Corbin J. Robertson, Jr. formally becomes President & CEO of Quintana Minerals Corporation and its global mining business.
- 1978
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Frost & Cullen Banks merge and IPO [1977]
Frost Bank Corp. and Cullen Bankers Inc. merged forming Cullen/Frost Bankers Inc. and listed on the NASDAQ (today NYSE: CFR) – today still one of the largest Texas-based banks.
- 1977
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Corbin J. Robertson, Jr. joins Quintana [1969]
Corbin J. Robertson, Jr. formally joins the Quintana group of companies and commences successful career in energy and natural resources.
- 1969
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Quintana enters into banking [1968]
Cullen Center Bank & Trust was formed by the Cullen/Robertson family, becoming the country’s 9th largest bank by 1974, the same year Cullen Bankers Inc. was formed to serve as its parent company.
- 1968
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Kalamazoo Copper Porphyry discovered [1965]
Quintana Minerals Corporation, with David Lowell as its lead exploration geologist, discovers the Kalamazoo porphyry ore body in Arizona’s San Manuel District (the “other half” of Newmont’s/Magma’s San Manuel Copper Mine), proving for the first time Lowell’s “Halo Affect” theory. The property was subsequently sold to Newmont in 1968 for multiples of invested capital.
- 1965
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Quintana Minerals is formed [1963]
Quintana Minerals Corporation was formed as the group’s mining division, and for almost 25 years went on to very actively explore, develop and operate precious and base metals and industrial mineral mining projects throughout the Americas.
- 1963
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Cullen Center construction begins [1959]
The Cullen/Robertson Family begins constructing the Cullen Center, a multi-skyscraper complex built on a 5 ½ city block area of downtown Houston named the Cullen District
- 1959
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Hugh Roy Cullen passes away [1957]
Hugh Roy Cullen passes away at age 76, and Corbin J. Robertson Sr. takes a more principal role at Quintana Petroleum Corporation and its group of companies.
- 1957
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Cullen Foundation was formed [1947]
Cullen Foundation was formed via $160 mm gift, one of the largest individual endowments ever funded in the US at the time.
- 1947
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Texas Medical Center vision realized [1943]
Through the vision and efforts of Hugh Roy Cullen and a few other civic minded citizens, the Texas Medical Center, today the largest medical center in the world, was formed in Houston. In 1947, the Center’s first building, the Roy and Lillie Cullen Building, was constructed to house the Baylor University College of Medicine, still its present home.
- 1943
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1 billion bbl Tom O’Connor Oil Field discovered [1934]
Quintana Petroleum Corporation discovers the 1 billion barrel Tom O’Connor Oil Field in southeast Texas, which produced until 1991 by Exxon Corp.
- 1934
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Quintana Petroleum is formed [1932]
Quintana Petroleum Corporation, founded by Hugh Roy Cullen, went on to find and produce oil and natural gas projects in excess of 1.5 billion barrels of oil equivalent.
- 1932
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First Big Oil Discovery [1921]
Hugh Roy Cullen discovers first significant oil producing field.
- 1921
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Start in Oil Business [1918]
Hugh Roy Cullen (Corbin J. Robertson Jr.’s grandfather) enters into the oil business.
- 1917