The company believes that operating on the low-cost and prospective drilling locations in the Permian Basin will help generate high cashflow for shareholders. (Read more Pioneer Natural to Dispose Entire Raton Stake: Here's Why ) Price Performance The following table shows the price movement of some the major oil and gas players over the past week and during the last 6 months. Reflecting the negative oil market sentiment, the Energy Select Sector SPDR – a popular way to track energy companies – generated a -2.9% return last week. The worst performer was independent oil refiner and marketer Marathon Petroleum Corporation (NYSE: MPC ) whose stock fell 6.9%. But longer-term, over six months, the sector tracker is up 8%. Another downstream operator, Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE: VLO ) is far and away the major gainer during this period, experiencing a 32.3% price appreciation.