Bye Bye, Mr. Buggenhagen, for now...
Anyone with even a slight notion of Poland's developing shale gas potential has likely heard of John Buggenhagen, now former Director of Exploration at San Leon Energy, Poland's biggest independent unconventionals explorer. One of San Leon's Executive Directors and founding member of the company's Polish project, Mr. Buggenhagen submitted his resignation last week.
Explaining his decision to leave San Leon Energy, he says it is his own personal decision and has nothing to do with how the shale gas industry is developing in Poland, where the going has not been easy. The struggle to get unconventional gas up and running there has been punctuated by the recent decisions of Marathon Oil and Talisman Energy to abandon their exploration activities in the country.
An optimistic and steadfast voice at industry events, Mr. Buggenhagen says that he is leaving on good terms with San Leon's Board and will fill an advisory role for the company going forward.
"I started the company in Poland before San Leon, before Poland was on the map," he recalls, "taking Polish shale gas and the Carboniferous Basin forward as a concept. Exploration and production there will work, it just hasn't been given a fair chance."
He explains that now that some of the international oil companies like ExxonMobil and Marathon are leaving Poland there will be more room for smaller pioneering explorers to show up and innovate. "Someone else needs to turn this into reality," he comments.
Of the slow pace of Polish legislation and regulation of shale gas—including a potential huge government take—and how those factors play into his decision to leave Poland, he admits, "We're only human. It's not easy to stay and make such little progress, but my impact on what has happened here will continue for some time."
A geophysicist by trade, he says that San Leon's progress will now come down to the work of engineers like the company's Drilling Manager, Eric Beaumont.
For now, Mr. Buggenhagen says he will spend the next few months resettling and spending time with his family, but he'll also be writing a new business plan. Explaining he'd like to spend his time in the future both in the US and in Europe, he mentions places like Alaska, Wyoming, Romania, Hungary, Croatia and Turkey.
"I don't think many others in Europe know what I know," he says, recalling his exploration successes with Hungarian Horizon Energy.
"You've certainly not seen the last of me," says John Buggenhagen, adding, "I will continue to beat the drum and support the effort and the cause of developing shale gas in Poland. I fully intend to finish what I started!"