Blackbuck Resources Expands Executive Team To Support Permian Basin Ramp-up

Blackbuck Resources LLC made recent additions to its executive team to support the Houston-based company’s growth initiatives across the Permian Basin.

In a Jan. 7 news release, Blackbuck announced the appointments of Barry Portman, previously with Pioneer Natural Resources Co., as COO and Battlecat Energy Partners LP’s Jamie Liang as CFO.

Blackbuck, a portfolio company of Cresta Fund Management, designs, builds, and operates water infrastructure and provides services for the oil and gas industry with a focus on the Permian Basin. The company has plans to ramp up growth across its Midland and Delaware Basin platforms, which Blackbuck CEO Justin Love said he expects the new additions will support.

“Both Barry and Jamie bring with them a deep skillset to help us better serve our customers as we ramp up growth,” Love said in a statement. “Recruiting and retaining top talent at all levels of our organization is a cornerstone of [Blackbuck’s] strategy of being an industry leader in oilfield water management solutions.”

The appointment of Portman and Liang bring decades of experience to the Blackbuck executive team, according to the company release.

Portman has more than 20 years of oilfield experience in operations, drilling, completions, facilities, maintenance, and integrated service management. Meanwhile, Liang has over 17 years of experience in finance, investment banking, and E&P management.

In his most recent role, Portman served as Pioneer’s vice president of production operations and Permian general manager where he oversaw over 500% growth in a five-year timeframe. Prior to joining Pioneer, he held roles at Marathon Oil Corp. and Kinder Morgan Inc.

Liang most recently served as a managing partner of Battlecat Energy Partners, a Houston-based private equity firm focused on direct investments in the oil and gas sector. Previously, he had co-founded and served as CFO of Battlecat Oil & Gas, a private upstream operating company, up until its sale to a public company in 2017. In addition, Liang previously served as a director at Bank of America Merrill Lynch and as an associate at UBS Investment Bank.

Click here for full video interview
with Justin Love, one of Oil and Gas Investor’s
Forty Under 40 honorees for 2019.