Joseph Ash, Director, President and CEO

Mr. Ash was employed by Devon Energy Corporation from 2001 to May 2010, serving in several capacities in both domestic and international operations. Most recently, Mr. Ash served as Devon's Senior Vice President and VP Exploration, International and Offshore Divisions where he led his team to three material deepwater discoveries in Brazil and Angola. Mr. Ash was previously Director of Special Projects and prior to that, Mr. Ash served as Exploration and Business Development Manager in Devon's International Division. He joined Devon in 2001 when the company acquired Santa Fe Energy. At the time of acquisition, Mr. Ash served as Santa Fe's Exploration Manager, South America. Mr. Ash was employed by Santa Fe from 1997 to 2001. Mr. Ash began his oil and gas career in 1985 with Mitchell Energy Corporation, where he was responsible for exploration and development projects within the Gulf Coast and Mid Continent regions until 1997. Mr. Ash's industry experience includes exploration, development, business development, budgeting and reserve planning. Mr. Ash has a bachelor's degree in Geology from Stanford University and did graduate work at the University of Texas.

Patric Monteleone, Director, Executive Vice President

Mr. Monteleone founded the Company in 1993 and was the President and Chief Executive Officer during the exploration stage of the Company. Previously, Mr. Monteleone was the Vice President of Heritage Exploration and Production Company from 1989 to 1993, Geologic Supervisor with Tenneco Exploration and Production Company from 1982 to 1989, Exploration Manager, Brazil with Occidental Petroleum and Production Company from 1981 to 1982 and Senior Geologist with British Petroleum from 1973 to 1981. Mr. Monteleone graduated from Northern Arizona University in 1970 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology and received a PhD in Geology from Leicester University in England in 1973.  

Heath Cleaver, CFO

Mr. Cleaver was employed as Corporate Controller and then as Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer for BPZ Energy from October 2006 to mid 2010. Prior to joining BPZ, Mr. Cleaver was a consultant for a variety of public companies such as Rosetta Resources, Calpine Natural Gas and Index Oil and Gas. Beginning in November 1997 through August 2004, Mr. Cleaver served in various accounting roles, including Financial Controller at Horizon Offshore Contractors, Inc. Mr. Cleaver is a CPA and holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration - Accounting from Texas A&M University. 

Arlindo Alves, Country Manager

Mr. Alves served in various positions at Devon Energy from 2002 to January 2011.  Mr. Alves served as President and Country Manager in China from 2008 to January 2011 and in Equatorial Guinea from 2006 to 2008, both divisions being two of the company’s most successful production projects.  Prior to 2006, Mr. Alves served as President and Country Manager in Angola from 2003, while it was in its exploration phase. Prior to joining Devon, Mr. Alves began his career in the oil and gas industry at Petrobras where he served in various positions over a 21 year period.  He served as President and Country Manager in Angola from 1999 to 2001, in various operational and production management positions  both onshore and offshore Brazil from 1988 to 1999 including Operations Manager for Petrobras America in the US Gulf of Mexico from 1991 to 1994, and as a Formation Evaluation Field Engineer during the beginning of the Campos Basin exploration and development program from 1982 to 1988.   Mr. Alves graduated in 1980 with a degree in Electronics Engineering from Escola de Engenharia Mauá in São Paulo State, Brazil and completed his post graduate studies in Petroleum Engineering in 1981 and a Masters of Business Administration in 2002.

Ron McWhorter, Chief Geophysicist

Mr. McWhorter was employed by Devon Energy Corporation from 2006 to April 2010 in Devon's International Division where he worked on the Egypt team and then the Brazil Exploration Team as a Senior Advisor. Mr. McWhorter joined Devon's onshore exploitation team (later called the Southern Division) to continue development work on MEC fields in the Texas Gulf Coast when Devon Energy acquired Mitchell in 2002. Mr. McWhorter joined Mitchell Energy in 1982 where he worked on regional play maps, generated oil and gas prospects, evaluated prospect submittals, and took part in field development for almost every trend in the Texas Gulf Coast and East Texas, as well as some southern Arkansas and Arkoma basin areas. Mr. McWhorter has a bachelor's degree in Geophysics from Texas A&M University and is a Certified Petroleum Geophysicist.

Tom Linehan, Operations Manager

Mr. Linehan was employed by Devon Energy from 2000 to April 2010, serving as an operations manager in China and Brazil and then internationally. Mr. Linehan was most recently Devon's International Operation Manager, where he provided support for Devon's international operations as well deepwater floating production storage and offloading in the Gulf of Mexico. Mr. Linehan was employed by Santa Fe Energy from 1994 to 2000 where he was responsible for the development and review of engineering plans, drilling and completion operations, production engineering, day-to-day production operations and marine terminal operations. Mr. Linehan has more than 20 years of international experience and more than 45 years of industry experience having worked at companies such as Maxus Inc., Mark Producing Inc. and Shell Oil Company. Mr. Linehan has a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Santa Clara.

Maryann Fox, P. E., Engineering Manager

Ms. Fox was employed by Devon Energy Corporation from January 2002 to March 2010, most recently as Manager, International Unconventional Resources where her team was successfully awarded more than 2 million acres in multiple concessions in Europe. Ms. Fox previously held supervisory positions leading an active East Texas development drilling program as well as Devon's Southern Division Budget & Reserves group. She joined Devon as a Reservoir Engineering Advisor in 2002 following their acquisition of Mitchell Energy. Ms. Fox has over 30+ years experience in the oil and gas industry, holds a B.S. Engineering Management/ Petroleum Engineering from the Missouri University of Science and Technology (formerly University of Missouri- Rolla), a Certificate of Management in Energy from Rice University, Jones Graduate School of Management, and is a registered Professional Engineer in both Texas and Oklahoma.

Richard Pawluk, Corporate Secretary

Mr. Pawluk has been the Company's Corporate Secretary since April 28, 2010. Since 2003, Mr. Pawluk has been a partner of the law firm of McCarthy Tétrault LLP where he has developed a corporate finance practice with a strong focus on junior oil and gas issuers. During the period from August 1999 to June 2002, Mr. Pawluk was an associate and senior manager with the law firm of Donahue LLP. Prior to that experience, he was an associate with the law firm of Code Hunter LLP. Throughout his career, Mr. Pawluk has acted for a number of publicly traded oil and gas exploration companies, advising on all types of domestic and international transactions. In the past, Mr. Pawluk has been the corporate secretary of Brigg and Energy Corp. and Rally Energy Corp., both publicly traded companies, and is currently the corporate secretary of Sunshine Oilsands Ltd. and Drakkar Energy Ltd. Mr. Pawluk has also served as a Director of Rally Energy Corp., Catapult Financial Management Inc. (the general partner of Catapult Energy Limited Partnership) and Drakkar Energy Ltd.