Founding members of MKM & Associates Inc. (MKM) were Mark Miller, Lana Romero, and Dirk Kellogg. Together, they began a successful pattern of nominating and bidding on Louisiana State Oil and Gas leases as a silent entity for several oil companies, including Anadarko Petroleum Corp., Diamond Shamrock Company, Apache Corporation, and Pennzoil Corporation.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, bidding for these leases required a high degree of research and planning to counter competition. Moving forward, MKM assembled a large wildcat prospect, 21,000 feet (Tiger Pass) in Plaquemines Parish with Bruce Wallis; and won bids from the State of Louisiana, Plaquemines Parish Government and Plaquemines Parish School Board on a sixteenth section—all, on the same day!

In 1997, MKM was engaged to work with Pennzoil and Geco-Prakla (now Schlumberger) for the required land permitting in 3-D shoots. As is sometimes typical for small companies, working for Schlumberger necessitated rapid growth. The newer technology and rapid growth almost sent MKM into receivership. Fortunately, MKM was in a position to avoid financial failure and moved forward. MKM helped assemble twelve major seismic shoots in South Louisiana. The effort was under the guise of Edwin J. Kyle, a pivotal force in securing 3-D seismic permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This endeavor has provided positive growth for MKM. In fact, the experience and opportunity led to the eventual 3-D projects created by MKM and some of its working interest partners.