Cortez Resources is a privately-held Dallas, Texas-based company specializing in the evaluation and acquisition of minerals, royalties, and land prospective for unconventional sources of oil and gas. Cortez was started in 2008 by Patrick Collins (CEO) and Michael Catrino (COO), who both previously worked for other E&Ps and were active in a number of the original unconventional basins, like the Fayetteville, Barnett, and Marcellus Shales.

Since inception, the company has acquired working or royalty and mineral interests in over 700,000 acres across the United States and has an interest in, or under, over a thousand wells. After inception, Cortez was an early entrant into both the Eagle Ford Shale and the Wolfcamp Shale play in the Permian Basin. The company has continued to find and participate in a number of early stage plays and continues to be a first mover, whether from a leasehold or mineral and royalty perspective, in many new areas and basins.