Joseph H. Frantz, Jr.
President and CEO

Mr. Frantz is a shale gas, tight gas sand, and coalbed methane specialist. He has worked on unconventional reservoirs for 18 of his 24 years in the industry. His areas of experience in unconventional reservoirs include project management, exploratory and development evaluations, well test and production data analysis, reservoir simulation, reserve studies, hydraulic fracturing, and horizontal well evaluations. He is also experienced in gas storage projects.

Click here for more detailed information on Mr. Frantz’s career.

Craig Steinke
Chairman

Mr. Craig Steinke is President of Reconnaissance Energy Corporation, which specializes in initiating and developing successful unconventional natural gas exploration and production companies. He is a founder and past Chairman of Storm Cat Energy Corporation where he played an instrumental role in its leadership and corporate development until March 2006. Storm Cat has developed into a significant operator of coalbed methane production throughout North America and currently trades on the TSX (Symbol: SME) and the AMEX (Symbol: SCU). He has founded and served as Chief Executive Officer and Director of various Canadian junior oil and gas exploration and production companies; both publicly and privately held. Mr. Steinke’s primary focus has been directed to the development of unconventional natural gas resources since its inception in Canada.

Daniel J. O'Byrne

Mr. Daniel O'Byrne, P. Eng., MBA, is the Executive Vice-President, Operations, and Chief Operating Officer of Provident Energy Trust (NYSE: PVX), headquartered in Calgary, Alberta. He is responsible for Provident's Canadian and United States oil and gas production, as well as midstream operations. Mr. O'Byrne has over 25 years of diverse experience in the international and North American oil and gas industry, and has participated in major projects in Canada, the United Kingdom (North Sea), the Middle East, West Africa and other countries. His positions have included Division Vice-President, Technical Services, for Nexen Inc. (2001-2005); Vice-President, Technical Services, for Canadian Occidental/Wascana Energy Inc. (1998-2001); Vice-President, Operations Yemen, for Canadian Occidental Petroleum Ltd. (1997-1998); and numerous other management positions with Canadian Occidental Petroleum Ltd.

Mr. O'Byrne is a former Director of the Petroleum Technology Research Centre, and a past Chair of the Canadian Oil Sands Network for Research and Development. He has contributed to the reserves and safety committees of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, is a member of the Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists and Geophysicists of Alberta, and is one of the Society of Petroleum Engineers' published authors.

Born in Edmonton, Mr. O'Byrne grew up in Calgary. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Alberta and his Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Western Ontario.

Richard Day

Mr. Richard J. Day is a partner of Hiscock & Barclay, LLP located in Buffalo, New York.  His practice focuses on general corporate, business and commercial law as well as estate planning.  He holds several leadership positions with the Firm and is Chair of the International Business Practice Area. 

He is a member of the Greater Buffalo Partnership Community Council, a trustee of several organizations including Daemen College, Orchard Park Foundation for Academic Excellence, Heritage Foundation and the Samuel Friedman Foundation.  He is also a member and serves as legal counsel to the aviation division of the Erie County Sheriff’s Department. 

Mr. Day is a member of the New York State Bar Association and the Erie County Bar Association. He graduated from Cornell University Law School (Omicron Delta Kappa) and has a Bachelor of Arts from Bucknell University (Cum Laude).

Robert Penner

Mr. Robert Penner, CA, a recently retired senior tax partner with KPMG, has more than 35 years of public practice providing advisory services on taxation and related matters.  His experience has been focused on the private and public natural resource and related sectors within Canada and abroad and also includes serving as a principal external tax advisor for the construction and airline industry, He also advised on structuring and financing projects to enable governments to develop major public sector infrastructure projects.  Mr. Penner is actively involved in community service and currently serves on the Board of Directors of several natural resource and finance corporations.