President's Bio

John Petropoulos
President
johnp@pangaealand.com

John Petropoulos is a founder and partner of Harding Energy Partners, LLC (HEP), an independent group of seasoned professionals who are experts in oil and gas exploration, production, pipeline development, and marketing. His two well-established companies, Petrocasa Energy and Pangaea Land Services target resource plays in North America and provide land, ROW and due diligence services to the industry with over 150 landmen and attorneys with offices in Dallas and Fort Worth as well as field offices in East and West Texas, Colorado, Louisiana and Pennsylvania.

Mr. Petropoulos was instrumental in identifying and pioneering the early development of unconventional reservoirs in the Barnett Shale in North Central Texas, Bossier Shale in East Texas and the Wolf/Spraberry/Delaware in West Texas as early as the mid 1990s. Three of his field discoveries are on file with the Texas Railroad Commission.

In 2002, he identified an inactive gas pipeline that strategically cut through the now proven heart of the Barnett Shale core in Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. The pipeline was owned by Magnolia, an asset unknowingly owned by ExxonMobil. He became the driving force that put the independent producer Harding Company in a strong position to acquire the pipeline and ROW to develop and extend the Barnett field. This resulted in his being part of the creation of a joint venture with the industry giant. Ultimately he served as Vice President of Land on behalf of the JV with ExxonMobil. His responsibilities included providing the exclusive leasing and land acquisition, title clearance and unit formation in surface-sensitive and highly competitive urban and rural extensions of this prolific play. He and his companies were also responsible for the design and negotiations of surface use and access agreements for roads and pipelines, well placement and well spacing in residential subdivisions. After the JV’s assets were sold for significant profits to Chesapeake Energy in October 2008, his companies became associated with Chesapeake in these same capacities in contracted areas in the urban core.

John Petropoulos’ experience and expertise in the prospecting, exploration, completion and production of oil and natural gas spans more than two decades. Most recently, he has become involved in the development of new energy sources, including the acquisition of vast lease holdings for wind power generation in West Texas. His varied interests have focused on the development of shale prospects and resource plays, particularly in the Barnett Shale and in West Texas.

As executive vice president of GEO Companies, Inc. of Dallas, TX for more than 12 years, Petropoulos directed and participated in the supervision and oversight of all field operations in West and North Central Texas, Oklahoma and parts of New Mexico. He utilized 2-D and 3-D geophysical exploration techniques to reduce significantly exploration and exploitation risks.

He is the founder of two high-profile, proactive companies, Petrocasa Energy, Inc., and Pangaea Land Services, LLP, having as many as 200 landmen working with him at various times out of his primary offices located in Dallas and Fort Worth, TX. In his capacity as Vice President, Land and Development, for Harding Company and as a principal in Harding Energy Partners, LP as well as owner of his various companies, Petropoulos has successfully administered joint operating agreements, exploration concessions, oil and gas sales contracts, pipeline and processing agreements, private financing, acquisitions, divestitures and outside investor sales materials. For about five years, he was responsible for the mineral leasing activities of a joint venture between Harding and ExxonMobil.

Petropoulos is a member of the American Association of Petroleum Landmen; Geological Societies of Dallas, Fort Worth and Houston; American Association of Petroleum Geologists, and Society of Professional Engineers.