Brian Hansen

Brian E. Hansen is a Managing Partner at Vortus Investments, a Fort Worth-based private equity firm focused on lower-to-middle-market investments in the North American upstream energy industry. Vortus describes its strategy as providing development capital to successful owner/operators in the North American onshore upstream industry, with an emphasis on privately negotiated transactions requiring roughly $25 million to $100 million of equity capital.

Before joining Vortus, Hansen worked at Pioneer Natural Resources, where he held managerial, operational, and financial responsibilities. His work there progressed from operations and reservoir engineering into asset valuation, and ultimately to Vice President of Subsurface and Development for the Permian Asset Team.

Hansen has more than 20 years of experience in upstream energy, including strategy management, asset valuation, field development, multidisciplinary leadership, and petroleum engineering. He serves on the Industry Advisory Board for the Texas A&M Petroleum Engineering School, the Board of the Petroleum Ventures Program at Texas A&M University, the Board of the Spindletop Investment Fund at Southern Methodist University, and the board of ADAM Energy Fort Worth.

He holds an MBA from Southern Methodist University and graduated cum laude with a B.S. in petroleum engineering from Texas A&M University.

• Vortus is focused on lower-to-middle-market upstream energy investments in North America, not seed-stage technology investing.
• The firm’s stated approach emphasizes a “disciplined approach to investing with an emphasis on repeatability.”
• Vortus provides development capital in partnership with successful North American onshore upstream owner/operators.
• The firm targets privately negotiated transactions requiring “approximately $25 million to $100 million of equity capital.”
• Hansen’s background suggests particular depth in petroleum engineering, asset valuation, field development, subsurface development, and Permian Basin operations.
• Vortus aims to help portfolio companies improve managerial, financial, and operational performance, support organic and acquisition growth, and optimize exits.