Summer NAPE is a promenade. If the Winter NAPE Expo is a frenzy of folks on a determined hunt for the next new play, Summer NAPE is a relationship-building, convivial jaunt through the industry’s neighborhoods.

While Houston sweltered in near-record heat outside, inside the George R. Brown conference center some 5,500 people enjoyed close and comfortable looks at the most engaging plays the industry has to offer.

In the six months since Winter NAPE, the shift to oil has become a scramble. The industry is still limited by access to ...