The Marquette Exploration management team consists of seasoned oil and gas professionals with impressive track records and extensive experience in all the major basins in the continental United States.

Richard W. Wilken - President

Dick is an oil and gas veteran with over 15 years of experience. He began his career with Conoco in 1990, where he was a geophysicist working Mid-Continent development projects and later Gulf Coast exploration. In 1996, Dick joined Burlington Resources’ Gulf Coast Division where his focus was on exploration of basins across the Continental U.S., including Mid-Continent, Rocky Mountain, South Louisiana and GOM regions. He also coordinated strategic planning and worked within Burlington’s acquisitions group. In 2002, Dick joined Burlington’s newly formed Unconventional Resources Exploration Group where he was a member of the exploration team responsible for the discovery of the ~600 Bcf Bossier Savell Field of East Texas. He later held the position of Exploration Manager – Western U.S. Unconventional Resources. Following the acquisition of Burlington by ConocoPhillips, Dick became the Western U.S. Exploration Manager.

Dick earned a B.S. in Geology from the University of Iowa and undertook graduate studies in geophysics at the University of Oklahoma.

Gerald P. Zieche - Vice President of Exploration

Jerry is a 27 year veteran of the oil and gas industry. He began his career as a Unit Manager and mud logger with Precision Well Logging. Jerry later joined Milestone Petroleum in 1982, where he worked as a geo-tech and geologist focusing on the Gulf Coast. Milestone, through several mergers and names changes became Meridian Oil and later Burlington Resources. During this time period, Jerry held several management positions, most notably as Exploration Manager – Eastern U.S. Unconventional Resources for Burlington. In this position, he focused on Eastern and Gulf Coast U.S. unconventional resource plays. Jerry managed the team that discovered the ~600 Bcf Bossier Savell Field of East Texas in 2004.

Jerry holds a B.S. in Geology from the Illinois State University.

James B. (Trey) Shepherd III - Vice President of Land

Trey is a seasoned oil and gas professional with over 25 years of experience. He began his career with Atlantic Richfield Company working in the company’s land department. Subsequent to his Atlantic Richfield days, Trey worked for Burlington Resources for 23 years. During his tenure with Burlington, he worked for the Vice President of Land coordinating Burlington’s acquisition and divestiture programs. At the time of the ConocoPhillips merger, he was the Senior Staff Land Advisor for Burlington’s Lower 48 Exploration group, primarily responsible for securing acreage positions associated with Burlington’s unconventional resource plays. Trey was most recently the Lower 48 Exploration Land Supervisor for Conoco.

Trey received a B.B.A. from the University of Texas in Petroleum Land Management.

Terry J. Huchton – Vice President of Operations

Terry has over 23 years experience in the oil and gas industry. He has accumulated a wide range of technical and business expertise in both operations and business analysis. Terry began his career with Superior Oil in 1982, where he was a production engineer in the GOM. In 1985, Terry joined Burlington Resources as a staff engineer. He has held several engineering and management positions within Burlington. Terry worked most recently as the Senior Project Reservoir Engineer in Burlington’s Eastern U.S. Unconventional Resource Exploration group. Terry was a member of the exploration team responsible for the discovery of the ~600 Bcf Bossier Savell Field of East Texas.

Terry received a B.S. in Petroleum Engineering from Texas A&M University.

Gráinne Kilpatrick – Petroleum Technician and Office Manager

Gráinne has extensive expertise in geotechnical support using numerous data management and geologic mapping software applications. These include Petra, OpenWorks, Finder, ZMap and ArcMap. Her experience in sub-surface studies includes log interpretation, structure and net sand map creation, and cross sections. She has applied her technical expertise in support of a wide range of projects, including exploration, development and acquisition programs. Gráinne joined Burlington Resources in 1991 as a G&G draft person. She most recently worked as the Senior Geoscience Analyst supporting the Savell Bossier Field and South Louisiana development teams and the Acquisitions teams.

Gráinne attended Dun Laoghaire College of Art in Ireland.

David N. Welch – Senior Geological Advisor

David has over 29 years experience in the oil and gas industry. He has a wide range of technical and management experience in both conventional and unconventional resource plays in petroleum basins in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Central Asia and the Indian sub-continent. He is skilled in exploration and development geology/geophysics and has also worked in strategic planning and acquisitions roles. He has been a technical driver and exploration manager of teams responsible for oil and gas discoveries in varied basins both domestically and internationally. David began his career at Union Texas Petroleum Corporation and held positions of increasing responsibility through buyouts by ARCO and then BP. He spent the last 6 years in technical roles for Burlington Resources and ConocoPhillips.

David received a B.S. in Geology from Northeast Louisiana University and undertook graduate studies at the University of Southwestern Louisiana.

Anthony M. Gatti – Senior Land Advisor

Tony has served as Senior Land Advisor with the company since April 16, 2008.  Tony brings with him 31 years of professional land experience having started his career in the 1970’s with McMoRan Exploration Co., and thereafter moving on to Genesis Exploration Company and TXO Production Company in the early 1980’s working in various land capacities, including Land Manager, over the Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coasts.  In 1989, Tony joined Burlington Resources as a Senior Staff Landman in its Gulf Coast Office responsible for lease acquisition and trades on various exploration teams.  During Tony’s 18 plus years with Burlington, he served in various lead land capacities in the Gulf Coast, Rockies, and Corporate offices, and was an original member of the exploration team responsible for discovery of the Savell Field of East Texas.  Tony was most recently East Texas Bossier Land Supervisor for Conoco-Phillips.

Tony received a B.B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin in Petroleum Land Management.