Issues in the Bakken Shale

Sponsored by:

Presenters:

James J. Volker
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer
Whiting Petroleum Corporation. 

Mr. Volker joined Whiting in August 1983 as Vice President of Corporate Development and served in that position through April 1993.  In March 1993, he became a contract consultant to Whiting and served in that capacity until August 2000, at which time he became Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.  Mr. Volker was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer and a director in January 2002.  Mr. Volker was co-founder, Vice President and later President of Energy Management Corporation from 1971 through 1982.  He has more than 30 years of experience in the oil and natural gas industry.  Mr. Volker has a degree in finance from the University of Denver, an MBA from the University of Colorado and has completed H. K. VanPoolen and Associates course of study in reservoir engineering.

Ben Brigham
President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board Brigham Exploration Company

Ben M. "Bud" Brigham founded Brigham Exploration Company in 1990 and has since served as its President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board. As founder and CEO, Mr. Brigham managed Brigham Exploration Company’s rapid growth as a private company from an initial investment of $25,000 in 1990 to its initial public offering in 1997. Since 1997, Brigham Exploration Company has continued to achieve low finding costs while achieving significant growth in reserves, production and cash flow.

Previously, Mr. Brigham served for six years as an exploration geophysicist with Rosewood Resources, an independent oil and gas exploration and production company. Mr. Brigham began his career in Houston as a seismic data processing geophysicist for Western Geophysical, a provider of 3-D seismic services, after earning his B.S. in Geophysics from the University of Texas. Mr. Brigham is a member of the National Petroleum Council, the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG), the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG), the Independent Producers Association of America (IPAA), the World Entrepreneurs Organization (WEO), and the Society of Independent Professional Earth Scientists (SIPES).

David Tonner
Director, Global Sales – Surface Logging Systems--Weatherford

David Tonner brings with him 19 years experience in the oil and gas industry. Mr. Tonner is a graduate of Nottingham University, UK in Geological Sciences. He began his career with Geoservices working in Africa, The Middle East and the UK. In 1991 he joined Datalog and provided his services in both North America as well as various locations in Europe. From 1992 to 2000 Dave established Datalog's business throughout Latin America holding positions of operations manager, country manager and regional manager .In 2000 Dave was promoted to Vice-President Global Sales and Marketing and moved to Houston. In that period Dave opened up key markets in China, Middle East and North Sea. In 2005 Dave became Senior Vice President of the Information solutions group providing diversified oilfield services to the global E & P market.. In 2006 Dave accepted the position of Vice President of Sales for the Merged Mudlogging entities of Datalog and International Logging. In 2008 Weatherford acquired International Logging Inc. and Dave accepted the position of Director of global sales for SLS (Surface Logging systems). Dave has a very keen interest in how Geology and Geosciences can assist our clients in optimizing the finding and production of hydrocarbons.

Barry Ekstrand,
Vice President of Pressure Pumping and Well Stimulation--Weatherford

Barry Ekstrand is Vice President of the Reservoir Stimulation and Pressure Pumping Global Business Unit at Weatherford International, based in Houston.  With 29 years in the Oil & Gas industry, he has broad operational experience and technical expertise across the fracturing, acidizing, sand control, and other pressure pumping segments. He holds fa BSc degree in chemical engineering from California State Polytechnic University at Pomona and a MBA from California State University at Bakersfield.  He holds four patents and is a registered petroleum engineer in California.