Colorado’s natural gas and oil industry has faced pressure from all sides in recent years, reviled by landowners and litigated by environmental groups, but Gov. Jared Polis has shown he can compromise, PDC Energy Inc. executives said last week.

CEO Bart Brookman discussed second quarter results in a wide ranging conference call that hit on the operating results, while applauding recent comments by the Democratic governor.  Brookman shared a microphone with outgoing CFO R. Scott Meyers and Executive Vice President Lance Lauck, who runs Corporate Development and Strategy.

About two weeks ago Polis wrote an editorial piece published in the political and public policy news journal, Colorado Politics. He noted that in recent years the conflicts between the energy industry,...