Our expertise

We pride ourselves on our complete understanding of the disciplines in which we operate and our ability to offer clarity in an uncertain and often fast moving marketplace

We go beyond the technical, using our strategic expertise and investment experience to answer critical questions around potential risks and opportunities as well as offer insight into how technical developments and shifting market conditions could affect returns.

This ultimately enables investors to make decisions with a level of perspective that cannot be gained from purely technical reports, by allowing them to truly understand the risk/reward propositions (qualitative components) of oil and gas transactions.

Clients choose us because we not only have an in-depth knowledge of all the petroleum engineering and geoscience skills required to evaluate oil and gas assets but also the commercial and management experience required to effectively communicate with a commercial audience.

We are an international company and our team has worked in the majority of countries that produce hydrocarbons, but we have particularly strong expertise in North America and the UK’s North Sea.

Our Team

Our consultants have 90 years experience between them, gained across financial institutions and oil and gas companies.

We have a core team of three experienced industry professionals, who are supported by a readily available network of associates and industry partners to take on projects of any scope or size.

Thomas Wagenhofer

Thomas Wagenhofer
President

Thomas Wagenhofer is the Founder and President of Gate Energy. He is a highly respected petroleum engineer and oil and gas evaluation specialist with extensive investment experience globally. Thomas offers a unique combination of expert technical knowledge and financial acumen; having previously worked for operating companies, an investment bank and a top tier reserve certification firm.

Thomas is director and member of the investment committee of Giant Capital, an international investment company providing and sourcing growth capital for international oil and gas companies. He is also an independent non-executive director of Magnolia Petroleum PLC, a US based oil and gas company listed on London’s AIM.

Previously, he was a Senior Managing Director for the Energy Capital Group at Macquarie Bank where he was Technical Lead on all oil and gas transactions in the London office. Prior to Macquarie, he was a Vice President at Ryder Scott Company in Houston, TX where he focused on third party reserves reports and reservoir optimisation studies. While at Ryder Scott he taught courses on Petroleum Reserves Certification to Industry and Investors. He started his career as a Petroleum Engineer at Atlantic Richfield Company (Arco) in Dallas, TX.

Thomas graduated with a BS in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Alaska at Fairbanks, and completed his Masters in Petroleum Engineering (MSE) at the University of Texas in Austin.

Doug Fenwick

Doug Fenwick
Technical Advisor, Geology

Doug is a geologist, petrophysicist and oil and gas executive with 35 years of industry experience. Most of his career has been spent working for or running operating companies, which has given him extensive knowledge of all aspects of exploration and development, both technically and commercially. It includes 20 years as a technical manager, director or managing director whilst also working continuously as a petrophysicist. Key technical skills are log analysis, missed pay (or problem well) analysis, rock-log calibration and Sw-height analysis.

His background is with Premier Oil and ARCO British where he was a Field Development Manager, Development Geoscience Manager and Manager of Geoscience Technology. He was also ARCO International’s ‘Missed Pay Specialist’ and continued utilising that skillset as a founding Manager of Geology at ATP Oil and Gas (UK) and as Managing Director of Serica Energy (UK). In 2006 to 2013, he formed and led MPX Energy, an exploration company focussed on missed pay that grew to become a full- fledged North Sea Operator. The company was eventually sold to Sorgenia Spa, an Italian utility.

Doug graduated from Imperial College with a MSc. (Distinction) in Petroleum Geology and has a BSc. in Geology from Exeter University. Doug served as treasurer of the PESGB during 2002-03 and is currently the Chairman of the Audit Committee of The Geological Society.

Nick Hardy

Nick Hardy
Technical Advisor, Geophysics

Nick is a geophysicist with extensive worldwide geoscience experience ranging from new venture exploration through to development projects with operating companies. Nick is familiar with presenting exploration and development opportunities to oil company risk committees and incorporating economic models into portfolio analysis, with particular experience in new ventures covering Europe, CIS, North Africa/Near East and Brazil.

Throughout his career Nick has worked with a variety of organisations and companies from government departments and state oil companies through to multinationals and independents.

Nick is a Chartered Geologist and a member of the EAEG, AAPG, SEG and Petroleum Exploration Society of Great Britain. Nick graduated from Imperial College, London with an M.Sc in Petroleum Geology and a B.Sc. in Geology from Exeter University.