Battlecat Oil & Gas Announces $220 Million Equity Commitment

HOUSTON, Dec. 2, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --Battlecat Oil & Gas, LLC, a Houston-based oil and gas company, announced today that it has secured equity commitments of up to $220 million from funds managed by Lime Rock Partners, Wells Fargo Energy Capital, and the company's management team.  Battlecat will primarily focus on oil and gas exploration and production opportunities in the South Texas region of the United States. 

Battlecat is led by Managing Directors Mark Semmelbeck and Kurt von Plonski and CFO Jamie Liang.  They are joined by Chief Geologist Greg Hair, Chief Geophysicist Dave Purcell, and Director of Land A. Ray Davis.  Members of the management team have worked in the South Texas region since the late 1980's and have over 200 years of combined industry experience.  Over the last 15 years, Dr. Semmelbeck and Mr. von Plonski have partnered together to build and sell several successful oil and gas companies and related assets, most recently serving as founding partners of Escondido Resources II.  Battlecat will apply a strategy utilizing the team's deep operational and technical expertise to exploit opportunities in the Eagle Ford shale and other formations in the region.

Mr. von Plonski said, "The Battlecat team has been involved with South Texas unconventional exploitation since its inception, and we look forward to applying that experience to build a successful business with our investment partners."  Dr. Semmelbeck added, "We have leased a significant position in the oil window of the Eagle Ford and are excited to kick off our drilling program in early 2015.  Lime Rock and we share similar strategic ideas on how to navigate competitive pressures and market challenges to create value in this exciting play."

James Wallis, Director of the Lime Rock Partners team, said, "The Battlecat team combines everything we look for in an E&P team: they are basin specialists, technical leaders in drilling and completion in their focus area, proven entrepreneurs, and great partners with everyone they've worked with.  It's a privilege to be partnering with them, and we are excited about launching our efforts in the field."

About Battlecat Oil & Gas, LLC
Battlecat Oil & Gas is a private company focused on the acquisition and development of upstream oil and gas assets.  Headquartered in Houston, Texas, its primary objective is to build and operate a portfolio of assets in the South Texas region of the United States.  For more information, visit www.battlecatoil.com.

About Lime Rock Partners
Established in 1998, Lime Rock Management has raised $5.5 billion in private equity funds for investment in the energy industry through Lime Rock Partners, investors of growth capital in E&P and oilfield services companies worldwide, and Lime Rock Resources, acquirers and operators of oil and gas properties in the United States.  Lime Rock Partners is a creative investment partner in building differentiated oil and gas businesses, side by side, with entrepreneurs every day.  From three locations worldwide, the Lime Rock Partners team brings its specialist finance and operating expertise, global presence, technology leadership, people-centered strategies, and patient hard work to help its investors and portfolio company partners profit from operational growth.  For more information, please visit www.lrpartners.com.

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SOURCE Lime Rock Partners