Continental Resources had its initial public offering in May of 2007 and its stock price has more than tripled since then. Continental's engineers have been using high-end extraction techniques for nearly a decade, giving them an established knowledge of the intricacies of technologies like horizontal drilling - a boon in a market where record-high oil prices have made such expensive techniques cost-efficient. The majority of its reserves - around 77% - are filled with oil^[1], giving the company more exposure to oil prices than to natural gas prices, which have also trended upwards, but to a much lesser degree. These reserves, located primarily in the Rocky Mountains, are also mostly unconventional, meaning they can produce well but are dependent on high-cost drilling techniques - risky to hold in the event that oil prices drop, as the company's margins, which have been over 50% for the last three years, would collapse. Continental competes with other onshore E&P companies like Cabot Oil & Gas, XTO Energy, Unit, Forest Oil, Equitable Resources, and Cimarex Energy Co.

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