Industry Sectors

• Midstream
• Downstream
• Commodities Trading & Risk Management
• Transportation Logistics & Asset Operations

Principle Areas of Practice

• Business & Digital Transformation Strategy Development & Implementation
• Mergers & Acquisitions Integration
• Midstream Pipelines & Storage Operations
• Lease Crude Gathering & Marketing
• Oil, Gas, & Natural Gas Liquids Trading & Marketing
• Operational Process Design, Improvement & Automation
• Software Selection & Implementation

Professional Experience

Kurt is a Partner in charge of Opportune LLP’s Process & Technology practice and leads Opportune’s Midstream energy sector. Kurt has over 25 years of diverse, energy supply, pipelines, trading and risk management experience gained through operational, strategic, and consulting roles with public and private companies. Kurt is currently helping energy companies transform their operating models and relationships with digital technologies such as AI, IoT, collaboration, and process automation.

Kurt has worked extensively with upstream, midstream, and downstream companies helping them manage the impacts and demands of domestic shale oil and gas production on their business processes, people, and systems. Sample services include:

• Acquisition integration planning, management, and execution
• Crude gathering and transportation activities involving trucks, pipelines, terminals, and rail
• Crude and NGL pipeline management solutions covering nominations, measurement, invoicing, and inventory management
• Natural gas midstream business process and controls
• Netback calculation improvements
• Upstream and midstream crude, NGL, condensate and natural gas marketing and risk management
• Midstream IT systems strategy definition
• Upstream production allocation and revenue accounting

Representative Projects

• Led the integration of three natural gas and crude midstream companies. The integration covered all facets of a midstream company, including operations, engineering, accounting, facilities, HR, IT, EHS, legal, procurement and commercial functions. Opportune worked closely with the C-level executives and their leadership teams to implement their strategies across a diverse set of acquired companies and cultures.
• Led the corporate finance consolidation and SEC reporting integration efforts required after a very large MLP purchased one of their publicly traded portfolio companies.
• Advised the CIO of a natural gas midstream company on Day 1 preparation and cutover activities for their acquisition of three gas pipelines from a super-major. Opportune also performed many of the assimilation tasks.
• Led the software selection and implementation for a large midstream gas and liquids processor with gathering, gas plant, storage, and pipeline systems across the U.S. The selection covered the business areas of ETRM, gas pipeline operations and NGL pipeline and storage operations. Kurt led the requirements gathering, RFP, software selection and business case development efforts.
• Implemented OpenLink’s Right Angle software with the Lease Center module for the second-largest marketer of crude in the Bakken area. The solution covered extensive lease gathering activities with truck, rail, pipeline, and storage logistics. The marketing solution was integrated with the upstream revenue accounting system. Kurt led the requirements gathering, RFP, software selection and implementation phases of the project.
• Implemented ESI’s Synthesis software for a common stream crude pipeline company with extensive gathering, mainline and storage activities in the Bakken area. The solution covered nominations, ticketing, inventory tracking, charge calculations, invoice generations and tariff management. Kurt led the requirements gathering, RFP, software selection and implementation phases of the project.
• Managed the development of a crude-by-rail business process and integration strategy for a large North American refiner. The refiner is capitalizing on the value of domestic crude-by-rail, but needs a way to automate the scheduling, tracking, actualization, and settlement of several thousand rail cars. The solution leveraged rail carrier integration from Bourque Data Systems and transactional processing of SAP TSW.