Richard Stoneburner

Dick Stoneburner is a petroleum geologist with more than 35 years of experience and one of the most recognized figures in the U.S. shale revolution. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Geological Sciences from The University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Science in Geology from Wichita State University. His early career spanned Texas Oil & Gas Corporation, Stoneburner Exploration Inc., W/E (Weber) Energy Company, and Hugoton Energy Corporation, followed by a role as Vice President of Exploration at 3TEC Energy Corporation.

He is best known for his work at Petrohawk Energy Corporation, which he co-founded and where he led exploration as Vice President and then Executive Vice President of Exploration (2003–2007), served as Chief Operating Officer (2007–2009), and became President and COO (2009–2011). Under his technical leadership, Petrohawk discovered the Eagle Ford Shale, pioneered development of the Haynesville Shale, and built an early Wolfcamp position in the Permian Basin. After BHP Billiton acquired Petrohawk for roughly $12 billion in 2011, Stoneburner served as President of BHP Billiton Petroleum's North America Shale Production Division (2011–2012).

From April 2013 through December 2022 he was a Senior Advisor and Partner in the energy practice of Pine Brook Partners, a New York- and Houston-based private-equity firm focused on financial services and energy. Pine Brook opened its Houston energy office staffed by senior advisors Stoneburner and Martin Houston, backing experienced management teams in oil & gas E&P, midstream, and oilfield services. He also owns Stoneburner Consulting Services.

Today Stoneburner serves as Chairman of Tamboran Resources Corporation (NYSE/ASX: TBN), which he joined as a non-executive director in September 2014, and on July 27, 2025 he was appointed interim CEO following the departure of Joel Riddle. He has also served on the board of Sitio Royalties Corp. and on portfolio-company boards for Pine Brook. He was an AAPG Distinguished Lecturer (2013) and sits on the Advisory Council of the Jackson School of Geosciences at UT Austin.

• Backs proven E&P management teams in North American onshore unconventional resource plays — the same "get in early on the next big shale" approach that drove the Eagle Ford discovery at Petrohawk.
• At Pine Brook, participated in staged private-equity commitments (management-team "line of equity" model) to energy companies across E&P, midstream, and oilfield services, rather than small seed checks.
• Technical, geology-first diligence: values teams that can identify and de-risk the "next Haynesville"-type play and enter acreage before it is broadly recognized.
• Sector conviction in unconventional gas and oil, including frontier basins such as Australia's Beetaloo (via Tamboran), reflecting a long-horizon bet on shale gas resource development.