Arena Energy
Managing Directors:
Michael J. Minarovic
Managing Director
Petroleum Engineer
As a co-founder of Arena Energy, Michael Minarovic leads the company’s
business operations and is responsible for raising more than $375
million of debt and equity financing. He also works on reservoir
engineering, risk management, and opportunity-generation for Arena.
After starting his career in Lafayette, Louisiana as a petroleum
engineer with Conoco Inc., Mr. Minarovic was a petroleum engineer at
Newfield Exploration Company, where he became a key member of the
offshore acquisition team and played an important role in the start-up
of the company’s first onshore effort in southern Louisiana. He earned
his B.S. in petroleum engineering from the University of Texas at
Austin in 1987.
Todd L. Stone
Managing Director
Geologist
Since co-founding Arena Energy in 1999, Todd Stone has served as
managing director and geologist, focusing on opportunity generation as
well as the management of Arena’s opportunity-generating staff and
systems. He is also responsible for maintaining, managing, and
high-grading the company’s robust prospect inventory. In keeping with
Arena’s mission to access opportunities through farm-in, acquisition,
and lease-sale efforts, Mr. Stone has centered his career on the
pursuit of exploitation- and exploration-drilling potential on the Gulf
of Mexico shelf. At Arena he has been part of a three-man geological
group that has drilled over 150 wells. Before co-founding Arena, Mr.
Stone was a key member of Newfield Exploration’s offshore acquisition
and development team where he became proficient in 3D, seismic-based,
detailed field studies, and the recognition of remaining commercial
drilling potential within Gulf of Mexico properties. After beginning
his career with Tenneco Oil Company, Mr. Stone also served as a
geological engineer for Amerada Hess Corporation. Mr. Stone earned his
B.S. in geological engineering from Michigan Technological University
in 1985.
Geology:
Don A. Metz
Chief Geologist
Don Metz joined Arena Energy in 2002. As Arena’s chief geologist, he
works to create opportunities for exploration and development,
identifies and evaluates acquisition opportunities, and assesses
third-party prospects in the Gulf of Mexico. In addition, Mr. Metz
works closely with the drilling department to design wells that
optimally develop potential reserves, and with production and reservoir
engineers to produce the reserves efficiently. Mr. Metz has served on a
team of geologists and reservoir engineers that has successfully
identified and evaluated many potential drilling targets. Those targets
have resulted in the drilling of over 150 wells to date, with a success
rate above ninety percent. Mr. Metz honed his skills at Newfield
Exploration Company, Delmar Operating, and Westland Oil Development
Corporation. With over 30 years of experience as a geologist, he has
been responsible for drilling numerous wells onshore in southern
Louisiana, the upper-Texas Gulf Coast, East Texas, West Texas, and, for
the last 15 years, in the Gulf of Mexico. Mr. Metz received a
B.S. in geology from Louisiana Tech University in 1979.
Steve S. Robertson
Geophysicist
Steve Robertson joined Arena Energy in 2008. As a geophysicist,
he uses amplitude-versus-offset (AVO) techniques for de-risking Arena
prospects. Mr. Robertson also works to generate exploration and
development prospects. From 2004 to 2008 Mr. Robertson worked for
Bois d’Arc Energy, where he was an AVO specialist and prospect
generator. He was also a prospect generator for Newfield Exploration,
from 1997 to 2004, working on the Central Shelf Gulf of Mexico.
He worked for Shell Oil Company from 1981 to 1997 as a seismic
processor and interpreter in the Rocky Mountain region and the Gulf of
Mexico, and succeeding in leading a special projects team to correct
long-wavelength statics problems related to acquisition in rugged
terrain, and in remapping Bullwinkle field for a successful
redevelopment program. Mr. Robertson earned his
B.S. in planetary science from Christian Heritage College in 1976, and
his master’s degree in physics in 1978 from the University of Texas at
El Paso. He completed doctoral studies at the University of Southern
California and U.C. Santa Barbara.
Robert M. Black
Geophysicist
Robert Black came to Arena Energy in 2009. He is responsible for
exploration and development opportunities throughout the Gulf of Mexico
Shelf, as well as evaluating potential acquisitions and working
interests in a variety of opportunities. Mr. Black was a geophysicist
with Energy Partners from 2005 to 2009. Prior to joining Energy
Partners, he worked for Vastar and later BP from 2000 to 2005,
performing in a wide range of roles, from field studies and development
work to deep gas exploration, mostly on the Gulf of Mexico Shelf.
He has extensive experience with the Gulf Coast and Gulf of Mexico
basin. Mr. Black received a B.S. in geophysical engineering from
the Colorado School of Mines in 1999.
Reservoir Engineering:
Christopher A. Capsimalis
Reservoir Engineering Manager
Christopher Capsimalis has been a petroleum engineer at Arena Energy
since 2001. As part of an integrated engineering and geosciences
team, he is responsible for opportunity generation through field
analysis. His career-long focus on mature producing basins has resulted
in a track record of success in identifying and capturing
opportunities. Mr. Capsimalis’s other responsibilities include the
management and optimization of Arena’s existing producing-asset
base. Previously, Mr. Capsimalis was employed by BP, Vastar, and
ARCO as a reservoir engineer. He has over twenty years of
experience in reservoir engineering in the Gulf of Mexico and other
onshore U.S. basins. Mr. Capsimalis earned a Master of Business
Administration degree in 1996, an M.S. in 1989, and a B.S. in petroleum
engineering in 1987 from the University of Texas at Austin.
Michael R. Ferfon
Petroleum Engineer
Michael Ferfon came to Arena Energy in 2008. His responsibilities
include evaluating potential acquisitions and internally-generated
projects as well as asset optimization. Prior to joining Arena, Mr.
Ferfon worked for Anadarko Petroleum as a deepwater reservoir engineer,
managing the Nansen/NW Nansen/Navajo producing assets. From 2000 to
2006, Mr. Ferfon worked for Kerr-McGee in production, drilling,
reservoir, and planning engineering on projects in the Shelf/Deep Water
Gulf of Mexico. Mr. Ferfon earned a B.S. in petroleum engineering at
Texas A&M University in 2000 and is a registered professional
engineer in the state of Texas.
Land, Legal, Financial, and Marketing:
Michael L. Grove
General Manager – Land & Legal
General Counsel
After serving as Arena Energy’s lead outside counsel since the
company’s founding, Michael Grove took the in-house general counsel
position in August 2005. Mr. Grove manages all legal and land
transactions on Arena’s behalf and is responsible for the offshore
insurance program. Mr. Grove came to Arena with 27 years of experience
as an attorney in private practice representing oil and gas industry
clients around the Gulf Coast area, the Gulf of Mexico and
elsewhere. He has been board certified as a specialist in oil,
gas and mineral law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization since
1986. He served as chairman of the Oil, Gas & Mineral Law
Section of the Houston Bar Association (2003-2004) and chairman of the
Oil, Gas and Energy Resources Law Section of the Texas Bar Association
(1994-1995). He was a partner in Houston law firms beginning in 1982,
most recently with Porter & Hedges, LLP from 1998 through July
2005. Each year from 2003 through 2008, Mr. Grove was featured as a Texas
Super
Lawyer
by Texas Monthly and Law &
Politics magazines, and in 2004 and 2005 he was listed in Best
Lawyers
in
America in the category of Energy Law. He
received his J.D. degree in 1977 from the University of Houston Law
Center, and his B.S. in 1970 from the United States Military Academy.
Glenn M. Dillon
Chief Financial Officer
Glenn Dillon has been Arena Energy’s Chief Financial Officer since
1999. Mr. Dillon manages Arena’s debt-financing arrangements
through a group of six lending institutions and executes an active
commodity-hedging program. He oversees accounting, tax, treasury and
financial reporting for all Arena entities. Mr. Dillon was also the CFO
for Zilkha Renewable Energy from 1999 to 2003. Previously, he was a
Houston partner with Prejean Company, a CPA firm serving the oil and
gas industry. Prior to joining Prejean, Mr. Dillon worked as the
controller for Zilkha Energy Company for 13 years, and before that he
was an accountant with Sonat Exploration Company. Mr. Dillon received a
Bachelor of Business Administration degree in accounting from the
University of Texas at Austin in 1981. He is also a Certified
Public Accountant.
Reneé J. Kelly
Controller
Renee’ Kelly joined Arena Energy as controller in 2008. She is
responsible for the day-to-day operations of the company’s accounting
department, which includes overseeing joint-interest billing, accounts
payable, revenue accounting, treasury, and internal and external
audits. Prior to joining Arena, Mrs. Kelly worked for Energy
Resource Technology as property accounting manager from 2003 to
2006. She was assistant controller for Enhanced Energy Partners
from 2006 to 2008. Mrs. Kelly held various positions at Westland
Oil Development Corporation including controller from 1988 to 2002 and
assistant controller from 1978 to 1987. Mrs. Kelly has a Bachelor
of Business Administration degree in accounting from Texas A&M
University.
Bernice A. Norris
Marketing Manager
Bernice Norris came to Arena Energy in 1999. In addition to
marketing, her responsibilities include balancing the natural gas and
oil production, and specializing in the optimization of netback
valuations from a sales, transportation, and midstream
perspective. From 1991 to 1997, she worked for the Superior
Natural Gas Corporation, the marketing affiliate of Walter Oil &
Gas Corporation, in Houston, Texas. Mrs. Norris was gas control
representative there for four years and gas contract administrator for
two years. She has a bachelor’s degree in environmental design
from Texas A&M University.
Michael B. McGinnis
Marketing Manager
Michael McGinnis joined Arena Energy in 2008. Mr. McGinnis is the primary gas marketing and NGL-processing sales originator. In addition, he expertly documents both historical and current pricing postings, recording of all hydrocarbon transactions, and transportation analysis. From 2004 to 2008, Mr. McGinnis was a producer services manger at Magnus Energy Marketing, Ltd. in Houston, Texas. Prior to that he spent nine years at El Paso Energy Corporation working as a business development manager for the interstate natural gas pipeline group. Mr. McGinnis earned a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Houston in 1995, and a B.S. in industrial distribution from Texas A&M University in 1988.
Arena Offshore
Operations, Drilling, Production, and Construction –
The Woodlands Location:
Debbs N. Nelson
General Manager - Operations
Petroleum Engineer
Debbs Nelson came to Arena in 2003. In his role at Arena, he has
managed the drilling, production, and construction activities of a
company that has grown from operating two fields in the Gulf of Mexico
to over 20 fields. In conjunction with the managing directors,
Mr. Nelson has built an operating organization that has executed
capital programs in excess of $200MM per year and has positioned the
organization for future growth. From 1980 through 2003, Mr.
Nelson held various drilling and production positions with
ExxonMobil. Mr. Nelson’s career showcases a decade and a half of
experience in drilling, production, and the management of field
operations, primarily in North American basins. He received a
B.S. in chemical engineering from Louisiana State University in 1980,
and acquired his professional registration in petroleum engineering
from the State of Louisiana in 1987.
Kalil A. Ackal
Drilling Manager
Petroleum Engineer
Kalil Ackal has been the drilling manager at Arena since 2004, and has
supervised the drilling of over 85 operated wells. His expertise
in rig-installation, horizontal and extended-reach, and directional
drilling has lead Arena to drilling some of the most complicated wells
successfully, and consistently under budget. Mr. Ackal was an
Operations Manager/Turnkey Contractor from 1999 to 2004, supervising
approximately 130 drilling and completion projects for 41 different
operators in both the Gulf of Mexico and inland waters of Louisiana and
Texas. From 1990 to 1999, Mr. Ackal worked for Union Pacific Resources
as a drilling superintendent; for the eight years preceding this he was
a drilling engineer and production engineer at the Marathon Oil Company
in Lafayette, Louisiana. Mr. Ackal earned a B.S. in petroleum
engineering from the University of Southwestern Louisiana in
1982.
Adam V. Currier
Drilling & Completions Engineer
Petroleum Engineer
Adam Currier joined Arena in 2008. His responsibilities include
oversight of drilling and completion operations, decompletions and slot
reclamations, as well as well costing and optimized well-planning for
slimhole and extended-reach wells. From 2005 to 2008, Mr. Currier
was a staff engineer and then senior drilling engineer at Shell
Exploration & Production Co., leading engineering work on the
Brutus TLP, the redevelopment of the Mars and Ursa basins, and other
deepwater projects. Earlier in his career Mr. Currier worked as a
drilling and completions engineer for the Turnkey Contractor ADTI,
executing more than 50 drilling and completion projects in the Gulf of
Mexico and its inland waters. Mr. Currier received a B.S. in
petroleum engineering from the University of Texas at Austin in
1999.
Michael E. McCauley
Production Manager
Petroleum Engineer
Michael McCauley came to Arena in 2007. In addition to leading
the production operations and engineering groups at Arena, Mr.
McCauley’s specific responsibilities include completion design
recommendations, thru-tubing recompletions and workovers, facility
modifications, and optimization of existing production through
artificial-lift and well stimulation. From 2004 to 2007, Mr.
McCauley was the Gulf of Mexico production team leader at Newfield
Exploration, and was Gulf of Mexico production engineer there from 2001
to 2004. Mr. McCauley also worked for five years at Vastar Resources in
Lafayette, Louisiana as lead drilling engineer and lead production
engineer. From 1985 to 1996, Mr. McCauley advanced his career at
ARCO Oil & Gas first as a field production engineer in Morgan City,
Louisiana, a reservoir and completion engineer in Houston, Texas, and a
petroleum engineer in Jakarta, Indonesia. Prior to ARCO, he
worked for Getty Oil/Texaco as a production engineer for two
years. Mr. McCauley received a B.S. in petroleum engineering from
Louisiana State University in 1982.
Brent R. Ozenne
Production Engineer
Brent
Ozenne
joined Arena in 2008. As production engineer, Mr.
Ozenne has taken a leadership role in providing recommendations in
technical evaluations for stimulating reservoirs, overseeing wellwork
operations, supporting facility modification efforts, and maintaining
strong relationships with field-operations personnel. Perviously,
Mr. Ozenne was employed by Newfield Exploration, BP, and Vastar
Resources, holding various engineering positions. He has more
than eleven years of experience in production, facilities, and
reservoir engineering in the Gulf of Mexico and U.S. onshore
basins. Mr. Ozenne earned a B.S. in chemical engineering from
Louisana State University in 1998.
Kevin M. Kulish
Construction Manager
Mechanical Engineer
Kevin Kulish came to Arena in 2005. Mr. Kulish manages the
concept selection, design and construction of Arena’s offshore
facilities, which include the installation of new platforms and
pipelines; modification to existing platforms and pipelines; hurricane
repairs, and permanent abandonment of offshore facilities. In addition
to 15 years of operating company experience, Mr. Kulish has worked for
over 14 years with the engineering companies Paragon/Amec and
Enercon/Aker Kvaerner, managing domestic and international client
projects and technical staffs as large as 75 people. Mr. Kulish
received a B.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of
Florida in 1979 and a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from
the University of Michigan in 1980.
Allen White
Procurement & Risk Manager
Allen White came to Arena in 2007. His responsibilities include
sourcing and supplier development from bidding process to contract
implementation; increasing pricing transparency in the supply chain for
drilling, production, and construction products; and securing
accuracy in the billing and payment of products that have been
procured. Mr. White is also a key member of the team charged with
securing adequate insurance coverage for Arena’s offshore assets.
Previously, Mr. White was the global category manager for drilling
services at Hess Corporation, where he was responsible for developing
the worldwide strategy for the procurement of drilling services.
From 2001 to 2003, Mr. White worked in drilling procurement at
ExxonMobil, writing and negotiating contracts for multiple
international drilling programs. From 2003 to 2005, he worked for
ExxonMobil as a drilling engineer in the West Texas area. Mr.
White earned an MBA at Boston University in 1999 and a B.S. in
mechanical engineering at the United States Naval Academy in 1996.
Production Foreman – Lafayette Location:
Jason Palombo
Production Foreman – Area I
Jason Palombo joined Arena in 2006. As a production foreman, he
supervises production operations for the Brazos, Matagorda Island, and
High Island areas of the Gulf of Mexico Shelf. Mr. Palombo
is based out of the Arena operations office in Lafayette,
Louisiana. In addition to monitoring production, Arena’s
production foremen set operating budgets for the fields in their area;
they seek to maximize oil and gas production to meet company goals
while maintaining a high standard of safety and regulatory compliance
in the workplace. Before joining Arena, Mr. Palombo was
instrumental in getting new production safety systems and associated
equipment approved for offshore use by MMS. Mr. Palombo was also
a contract operator and compliance specialist at Island Operating.
Dickey J. Marze
Production Foreman – Area II
Dickey Marze came to Arena in 2008 as a production foreman.
He supervises production operations for the West Cameron, East Cameron,
Vermilion, South Marsh Island, West Delta, and Main Pass areas of the
Gulf of Mexico Shelf. Mr. Marze is based out of the Arena
Operations office in Lafayette. In addition to monitoring production,
Arena’s production foremen set operating budgets for the fields in
their area; they seek to maximize oil and gas production to meet
company goals while maintaining a high standard of safety and
regulatory compliance in the workplace. From 2001 to 2008, Mr.
Marze was a production foreman at Newfield Exploration, working mainly
in the offshore Central Gulf of Mexico, but also in Louisiana and East
Texas land facilities. He began his oilfield career in 1991 as a
contract operator on the McMoran facility. Mr. Marze is a
graduate of Northwestern State University with a degree in physical
education.
Wayne M. Maturin
Production Foreman – Area III
Wayne Maturin joined Arena in 2008 as a production foreman.
Working out of the Area operations office in Lafayette, he supervises
production operations for the Eugene Island, South Timbalier, South
Pelto, Grand Isle, and South Pass areas of the Gulf of Mexico Shelf. In
addition to monitoring production, Arena’s production foremen set
operating budgets for the fields in their area; they seek to maximize
oil and gas production to meet company goals while maintaining a high
standard of safety and regulatory compliance in the workplace.
Prior to joining Arena, Mr. Maturin held various supervisory and
operational positions at McMoran, Newfield Exploration, and Grasso
Production Management. He has more than 20 years of experience in
oil and gas operations in the Gulf of Mexico.
David B. Martin
Construction
Foreman
David Martin joined Arena in 2005. Mr. Martin has more than 27
years of industry experience and is based out of the Arena operations
office in Lafayette, Louisiana. As a construction foreman, he
supervises construction operations for Arena's Gulf of Mexico Shelf
properties. Mr. Martin provides facility design operations
guidance (specializing in rotating equipment, process safety systems
and instrumentation), inspects fabrication and construction, witnesses
factory acceptance tests, and directs new facility pre-commissioning
activities; while maintaining a high standard of safety and regulatory
compliance. Prior to accepting the Arena construction foreman
position, Mr. Martin served as an Arena production foreman with the
responsibility of supervising offshore production operations.
Before joining Arena, Mr. Martin was a project supervisor with Paloma
Energy Consultants, president of a control systems company,
instrumentation
superintendent, instrumentation foreman and mechanical maintenance
leadsman.