On December 31, 2017, the company had 680 million barrels of oil equivalent (4.2×109 GJ) of estimated proved reserves, of which over 99% was in the United States and 1% was in the South China Sea.

Through investments by Charles Duncan, Jr., the University of Texas at Austin endowment funds and the founding employees, the company was capitalized with $9 million.

[5] In 2001, it acquired Lariat Petroleum in a $333 million transaction, establishing a new focus area in the Anadarko Basin of Oklahoma.

[9] In 2007, Newfield announced the $575 million acquisition of exploration and development areas in the Rocky Mountains from Stone Energy.

[17] In early 2012, Newfield discovered potential violations of the Clean Water Act relating to possible unpermitted discharges of fill materials into certain wetlands and drainages in the Uinta Basin.