Board of Directors

Non-Executive Chairman

Doug Battersby

Doug is a petroleum geologist with over forty-five years’ technical and managerial experience in the Australian and international oil and gas industry.
Doug co-founded two ASX listed companies (Eastern Star Gas Limited, which was taken over by Santos Limited in November 2011, and SAPEX Limited, which was taken over by Linc Energy Limited in October 2008), and two private oil and gas exploration/development companies, Darcy Energy Limited, which was sold to I B Daiwa Corporation in 2005, and Byron Energy (Australia) Pty Ltd where he was Executive Chairman until Byron Energy (Australia) Pty Ltd merged with Trojan Equity Limited to create Byron Energy Limited. Between 1990 and 1999 Doug was Technical Director at Petsec Energy Limited, an ASX listed operator in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico with production reaching 100 MMcf per day of gas and 9,000 barrels of oil per day in 1997.
He holds a Master of Science degree in Petroleum Geology and Geochemistry from Melbourne University.

Director and Chief EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Maynard Smith

Maynard is a geophysicist with over thirty-five years’ technical and managerial experience in the oil and gas industry with a particular focus on the Gulf of Mexico.
Maynard co-founded Darcy Energy Limited, sold to I B Daiwa Corporation in 2005, and Byron Energy (Australia) Pty Ltd where he has been Chief Executive until Byron Energy (Australia) Pty Ltd merged with Trojan Equity Limited to create Byron Energy Limited. Prior to that, Maynard was Chief Operating Officer with Petsec Energy Limited (1989-2000). In the late 1970s and early 1980s Maynard held senior exploration positions with Tenneco Oil Company, based in Bakersfield, California.
He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Geophysics from California State University at San Diego.

Director and Chief Operating Officer

Prent Kallenberger

Prent is a geoscientist with over thirty-five years’ experience in the oil and gas industry with extensive exploration and development experience in the Gulf of Mexico, having generated prospects which have led to the drilling of over 125 wells in the Gulf of Mexico and California.
He was Vice President of Exploration with Byron Energy (Australia) Pty Ltd until Byron Energy (Australia) Pty Ltd merged with Trojan Equity Limited to create Byron Energy Limited.
Between 2000 and 2006, Prent was Vice President of Exploration with Petsec Energy Inc, where he was responsible for a team of seven people and generated projects leading to the drilling of ten successful wells in 12 attempts in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
These wells produced 32 Bcf and 1.5 MMBbls of oil. Between 1992 and 1998 Prent was Geophysical Manager with Petsec Energy Inc, a wholly owned subsidiary of Petsec Energy Limited. He hold s a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology from Boise State University and Master of Science degree in Geophysics from Colorado School of Mines.

Executive Director

William (Bill) Sack

Bill is an explorationist with 31 years’ experience in the Gulf of Mexico region in both technical and executive roles. Bill was co-founder/Managing Partner of Aurora Exploration, LLC (“Aurora”) a private entity focused on generating and drilling Gulf of Mexico exploration opportunities, that has drilled more than 80 wells with a success rate in excess of 80%, and under his leadership has created substantial growth and monetised investments via multiple corporate level asset sales. Prior to co-founding Aurora Exploration in late 2000, Bill served as Vice President Exploration & Joint Ventures with Petsec Energy Inc from 1995 to 2000. Bill began his career as an exploration geologist with Shell Offshore, Inc in 1988 where he held various technical and planning positions in the Gulf of Mexico business unit. Bill holds a a Bachelor of Arts degree in Earth Science & Physics from Saint Cloud State University, a Master of Science degree in Geology from Michigan State University and an MBA from Tulane University.

Non-Executive Director

Charles Sands

Charles has been a non-executive director of Byron Energy (Australia) Pty Ltd until Byron Energy (Australia) Pty Ltd merged with Trojan Equity Limited to create Byron Energy Limited. Charles was also a director of Darcy Energy Limited.
Charles has over thirty-five years’ of broad based business and management experience in the USA and is President of A. Santini Storage Company of New Jersey Inc, enabling him to advise on the general business operating environment and practices in the USA. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Monmouth University.
Mr Sands is currently a member of the Audit and Risk Management Committee.

Non-Executive Director

Paul Young

Paul has been in merchant banking for more than 35 years. He has extensive experience in the provision of corporate advice to a wide range of Australian and international listed and unlisted companies including restructurings, capital raisings, initial public offerings and mergers and acquisitions.

Paul is an Honours Graduate in Economics (University of Cambridge) and has an Advanced Diploma in Corporate Finance. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Paul is currently Chairman of the Audit and Risk Management Committee.