CIRCLE-S ENERGY - Key Persons


Aaron Smith

Job Titles:
  • Vice President, Engineering
As the Vice President of Engineering for Circle-S Energy, LLC, Aaron leads a "best-in-class" team of oil and gas professionals with extensive experience in engineering, geoscience, operations, asset management, exploration and business development. Effective January 1, 2023, Aaron has led the organizational transition of the Circle-S Energy team to become the operator of unconventional assets in West Texas and South Texas and asset managers of oil and gas assets owned by Circle-S companies, Headington Oil Company and affiliated entities. Prior to this transition, Aaron has spent over 5 years as Vice President of Engineering for Headington Energy Partners, LLC and 7 years in various roles across multiple basins at Newfield Exploration in Houston, Texas. Aaron began his career as an Operations Engineer primarily focused on HTHP gas wells in South Texas before transitioning to a Reservoir Engineering position working South Texas conventional and Eagle Ford assets. Most recently Aaron served as an Asset Team Lead working the STACK play in Oklahoma, where he was responsible for coordinating efforts in development planning, capital and production forecasting, and well performance analysis. Aaron graduated from Texas A&M University in 2010 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Petroleum Engineering.

Chris Marshall

Job Titles:
  • Operations Manager
Chris joined our team in May 2017. Prior to his current position with HEP, he served in various roles across multiple regions at Newfield Exploration in Houston, Texas. Chris began his career as an Operations Engineer primarily focused on gas wells in South Texas before transitioning to a Completion Engineering position working Eagle Ford and South Texas Conventional assets. Through his tenure in completions, Chris gained experience spanning six regions, including unconventional operations in Uinta and Anadarko basins. Chris served as Senior Reservoir Engineer working the Central Basin region of Uinta Basin, where he was responsible for assisting efforts in development planning, capital and production forecasting, and reservoir performance analysis. Chris graduated from Louisiana State University in 2012 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Petroleum Engineering.

Dan Disser

Job Titles:
  • Drilling Manager
Dan joined our team in August 2017. His primary responsibilities include new venture drilling evaluation, drilling operations, and drilling engineering. Prior to his position, he served in various operational roles in the directional drilling services sector and as a drilling engineer at Anadarko Petroleum Corporation in Houston, Texas. Dan has held positions as a drilling engineer in several of Anadarko's assets including South Texas (Eagle Ford), Deep Water Gulf of Mexico, and more recently West Texas (Delaware Basin) where he served as the Drilling Engineering Manager. Dan graduated from Texas Tech University in 2012 with a Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering. Prior to completing his engineering degree, Dan earned a Bachelor of Science in Communications from The University of Texas in 2007.

Daniel Britton

Job Titles:
  • Marketing Manager
Daniel joined our team in the spring of 2014. Prior to his current role, he was the Director of Trading and Operations for Hydrocarbon Exchange Corp and its affiliated producer services group. He managed all trading, risk management, and operations throughout Texas, Mid-Continent, and Permian related areas. Daniel started his career with Dynegy Inc. in Houston, Texas after graduating from Oklahoma State University in 2001 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration

Eric Buddenbohn

Job Titles:
  • Vice President, Land & Business Development
Effective January 1, 2023, Eric made the transition from Headington Energy Partners, LLC to Circle-S energy LLC's Vice President of Land & Business Development. Eric joined our team as VP of Land and Business Development in April 2022. Prior to his current position with Circle-S, he served as Vice President of Land for Murchison Oil and Gas, LLC, where he managed all of the company's oil and gas properties in Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas. Previously, he worked as a landman for several public and private upstream oil and gas companies in a variety of basins. Eric graduated from Texas Tech University in 2010 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Energy Commerce. Eric is a member of the American Association of Professional Landmen and has maintained his CPL certification since 2016.

Erin Raughton

Job Titles:
  • Land Manager
Erin joined our team in March, 2019. Prior to her current role, she worked with Anadarko Petroleum Corporation in their Delaware Basin asset, primarily working A&D and development operations in Loving County, Texas. Most recently, she worked in APC's Exploration Dept., assessing onshore growth opportunities in the Lower 48. Erin began her career as a Landman with JAMEX, Inc., working operated and non-operated assets across TX, NLA, Arkansas and Kansas. She then continued her career with EXCO Resources, working primarily their operated ETX and Pennsylvania assets. Erin is a member of the American Association of Professional Landmen, and obtained her CPL certification in 2012. She graduated from University of North Texas in 2004 with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology.

Gina Ritchie - Secretary

Job Titles:
  • Corporate Secretary
  • Financial Manager
Gina has more than 35 years of experience in the oil and gas industry responsible for Property Accounting and Financial & Operations Management. She currently is Circle-S Energy, LLC's Corporate Secretary responsible for company financials and is the primary liaison with banking institutions. Prior to joining our team, Gina held various accounting, compliance and treasury roles with ARCO Oil & Gas, ARCO International and ARCO British Limited. Gina gained international experience with short-term projects in China and Indonesia and worked in England for several years with ARCO British Limited. Early in her career, Gina spent time in the Permian Basin gaining valuable insight into field operations while working in ARCO's Midland office. Gina is a graduate of North Texas State University where she earned a Master of Science degree in Accounting and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Business Administration.

Haley Ashley

Job Titles:
  • Vice President, Accounting
Effective January 1, 2023, Haley made the transition from Headington Energy Partners, LLC to Circle-S Energy, LLC's Vice President of Accounting. Haley joined our team as Operational Accounting Manager in June 2018. Prior to joining our team, she held various operational accounting positions with White Rock Oil and Gas, LLC in Plano, TX. Ultimately, Haley served as a Senior Property Accountant where she oversaw full cycle accounting processes for operated properties in Texas, New Mexico, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Montana, North Dakota, Wyoming and Michigan. Haley's pivotal role with White Rock was assimilating several large acquisitions of producing properties. Haley graduated from the University of Texas Permian Basin with a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree in Accounting.

Jake Smith

Job Titles:
  • Senior Operations Engineer
Jake joined our team as a college graduate new hire in January, 2016. As an Operations Engineer, he assisted in the drilling, completion, and production of Headington's first Permian Basin vertical wells in late 2016 and early 2017. With the initiation of horizontal Wolfcamp development in 2018, Jake's recent focus has been specifically on Production and SWD Facility design and construction in the Delaware and Midland Basins. With continued activity and increasing operated well counts, Jake is providing completion and production operations support for our team. Jake graduated from Texas A&M University in 2016 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Petroleum Engineering.

Kelley Carey - CIO

Job Titles:
  • Information Technology Manager
  • IT Director
Kelley joined our team as Information Technology Manager with over 20 years of experience primarily in the oil and gas industry. Kelley is responsible for Circle-S Energy's technology strategy, ensuring the company maintains access to best available technology and the associated hardware, software and computing. Prior to Circle-S, Kelley was the IT Manager for the Laredo Petroleum Dallas office and for Broad Oak Energy, both successful oil and gas companies operating in the Permian Basin and other key plays. Kelley graduated from Texas Tech University in 1993.

Mat Riley

Job Titles:
  • Senior Staff Geologist

Pat L. Smith - Founder, President

Job Titles:
  • Founder
  • President
With more than 40 years of industry experience, Pat has worked with and developed successful high performing teams to achieve exceptional technical and financial success across diverse assets in multiple producing onshore basins in the United States. As the founding member of Circle-S Energy, LLC, Pat is dedicated to continued organizational effectiveness, forthright business relationships and an integrity-based focus on asset management and operational excellence. Prior to founding Circle-S Energy, LLC, Pat spent over 22 years serving as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Dallas-based Headington Oil Company LLC. Key successes include technical and management responsibilities for Headington's extensive non-operated and mineral assets and the Williston Basin Bakken operated development program. Additionally, he has been a member of a highly experienced technical team managing Headington's South Texas operated property. Prior to Headington Oil, Pat spent more than 10 years with Exxon Company, USA. Assignments with Exxon included technical and managerial responsibilities in Exxon's South Texas Division and Alaska Interest Organization. Through his career, he gained industry experience in production operations, reservoir engineering, production engineering and unconventional oil and gas exploration. Pat has over 35 years of management experience. Pat received a Civil Engineering degree from Texas A&M University in 1981. He is a registered engineer in the state of Texas and a lifetime member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers. In 2014, Pat was selected to be a member of the Texas A&M Petroleum Engineering Industry Board.

Tyler Ashley

Job Titles:
  • Senior Staff Geologist