The Arena Offshore team is among the best in the industry, bringing together experienced professionals in drilling, completions, engineering and construction. With this diversity of talent and our focus on the Gulf of Mexico, our team offers basin-specific expertise across the entire well lifecycle.
Operations General Manager
Michael McCauley came to Arena in 2007 as a Production Manager. He assumed the role and responsibilities of Operations General Manager in 2012. In his current position, Mr. McCauley works with Arena’s highly experienced Operations Management team to ensure the safe, compliant and efficient execution of offshore Gulf of Mexico drilling, construction and production operations projects with an annual capital budget of $300MM and LOE budget of $120MM. Prior to joining Arena, he held positions in production, drilling and reservoir engineering at Newfield Exploration, Vastar Resources, ARCO Oil & Gas, Texaco and Getty Oil, working almost exclusively in the offshore Gulf of Mexico. Mr. McCauley received a B.S. in Petroleum Engineering from Louisiana State University in 1982.
Drilling Manager
Kalil Ackal has been the Drilling Manager at Arena since 2004, and has supervised the drilling of over 85 operated wells. His expertise in rig installation and directional, horizontal and extended-reach drilling has led Arena in successfully drilling some of the most complicated wells, consistently under budget. Mr. Ackal was an Operations Manager/Turnkey Contractor from 1999 to 2004, supervising approximately 130 drilling and completion projects for 41 different operators in both the Gulf of Mexico and inland waters of Louisiana and Texas. From 1990 to 1999, Mr. Ackal worked for Union Pacific Resources as a Drilling Superintendent. Prior to that, he was a Drilling Engineer and Production Engineer for eight years at the Marathon Oil Company in Lafayette, Louisiana. Mr. Ackal earned a B.S. in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Southwestern Louisiana in 1982.
Engineering Manager - Production / Facilities
Brent Ozenne joined Arena as Production Engineer in 2008, and assumed the role and responsibilities of Production Manager in 2012. In this role, Mr. Ozenne oversees the production engineering and foremen group, along with the many contract operations staff members offshore. His staff manages an annual LOE budget of over $120MM. Previously, Mr. Ozenne was employed by Newfield Exploration, BP and Vastar Resources, holding various engineering positions. Mr. Ozenne has more than 15 years experience in production, facilities and reservoir engineering in the Gulf of Mexico and U.S. onshore basins. Mr. Ozenne earned a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Louisiana State University in 1998.
HSE Manager
Charlie Duhon joined Arena in 2011. As HSE Manager, Mr. Duhon is responsible for directing the health, safety and environmental management efforts for Arena Offshore. He brings over 30 years of operations and safety and environmental management experience to the Arena team. Prior to joining Arena, Mr. Duhon was employed by BHP Billiton Petroleum and Kerr-McGee Oil & Gas Corporation, where his responsibilities included regulatory compliance, controls and automation, process safety management, and safety and environmental management, as well as Gulf of Mexico deep-water field operations management. Mr. Duhon is a two-time winner of the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Corporate Leadership Award (CORLA) for his accomplishments in the field of Safety and Environmental Management. Mr. Duhon earned a B.S. from the University of Houston and Master of Business Administration from Texas A&M University.
Supply Chain Manager
Gerald Melancon came to Arena in 2019, bringing with him thirty-five years of experience working in the Gulf of Mexico oil industry. As Supply Chain Manager, he is responsible for procuring the equipment and services Arena needs to perform its operations, overseeing sourcing, negotiations, contracts, inventory control, logistics, and supplier management. Over the course of his career, Mr. Melancon has held positions in engineering, contract management, and supply chain management, most recently at Noble Energy and previously at ADTI and Arco/Vastar Resources. He began working in the oil industry while still in college, spending summers on drilling rigs and production platforms while earning his B.S. in Petroleum Engineering at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. He also holds an M.B.A. in Business Management from the University of Dallas.
Supply Chain Specialist
Allen White joined Arena Offshore in 2007. His responsibilities include sourcing and supplier development from bidding to contract implementation; streamlining the supply chains for drilling, production, and construction projects; and ensuring accuracy in the payment for services and materials that have been procured. Mr. White previously worked in Global Supply Chain at Hess Corporation and in Drilling Procurement and Drilling Engineering at ExxonMobil. Mr. White has an MBA from Boston University and a B.S. in mechanical engineering from the United States Naval Academy.
SEMS Coordinator
Wade Broussard joined Arena Offshore at the company’s Lafayette location in 2014, bringing over 15 years of oil and gas experience. Prior to joining Arena, Mr. Broussard was employed by Apache Corporation, where he held various positions—most recently serving as SEMS Supervisor with responsibilities including the development, implementation and management of the company’s Safety & Environmental Management System. He has presented on SEMS topics at various industry conferences as well as workshops for employees and contractors. Also at Apache, Mr. Broussard played a key role in the development of the contractor safety management program. In addition, he performed both safety and regulatory functions and liaised with the BSEE and U.S. Coast Guard regarding oil and gas production in the federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Mr. Broussard earned a B.S. in Education from the University of Southwestern Louisiana.
Production Logistics / Procurement Specialist
Joey Choate joined the Arena Offshore team in the Lafayette, LA office in 2013. He brought his extensive oil and gas knowledge and experience in equipment supply, procurement, and sales to the Supply Chain team. He has over 30 years of experience in procurement and logistics in the oil & gas industry. He previously collaborated with Continental Emsco, Dupre’ Pipe and Valve Company, Grasso Production, Newfield Exploration, and McMoRan Oil and Gas prior to joining Arena.
Production Operations Personnel Supervisor
Kenneth Broussard is the Supervisor of Production Operations Personnel at Arena Offshore, working from the Lafayette, Louisiana office. He is responsible for managing production contract resources and overseeing the safety, training, and development of Arena Offshore’s operations employees. He joined Arena in 2018, bringing wide-ranging experience working in human resources positions at various Gulf-area oilfield services companies, most notably Island Operating Company, where he worked as an account manager for two periods totaling sixteen years. Mr. Broussard holds a B.S. in Applied Life Science from the University of Southwestern Louisiana.
Rotating Maintenance Foreman
Gary Smith is the Rotating Maintenance Foreman at Arena Offshore, working out of the Lafayette, Louisiana office. He came to Arena in 2017, bringing with him nearly four decades of experience maintaining and repairing mechanical equipment, half of that spent in supervisory roles. Most recently, Mr. Smith was a maintenance foreman for Fieldwood Energy (previously Apache Corporation) overseeing offshore platforms and fields south and west of the Sabine River. Prior to that he spent twenty-seven years at CNG Producing Company, Dominion E&P and Eni Petroleum (now collectively Eni US Operating Co.) in a progression of roles maintaining mechanical and electrical equipment throughout all of the companies’ Gulf of Mexico properties. He began his career in mechanics while still in college at Nicholls State University, working for Louisiana Compressor Maintenance.
Drilling Manager
Steve Metz joined Arena Offshore as a Drilling Engineer in 2014. He is responsible for drilling and completions design and execution for company projects. Prior to joining Arena, Mr. Metz was employed by Halliburton and, most recently, Hess Corporation as a Senior Drilling Engineer. He has spent his career managing well operations and optimizing drilling performance on inland, shelf and deepwater wells in the Gulf of Mexico. Mr. Metz received his undergraduate degree in 2004 from Texas A&M University, where he also earned a Master of Engineering in Petroleum Engineering in 2010.
Operations Engineer
Ivan Garber became an Operations Engineer at Arena Offshore in 2021. Previously, he was an Operations Engineer at Offshore Energy Services, working in the Casing and Pipe Department. Before that he worked for Talos Energy as an Offshore Operations Engineer and (as a consultant with Petroleum Co-Ordinators) as a Deepwater Wellsite Drilling and Completions Engineer. He was also a Well Engineer with WSP. Ivan holds a bachelor’s degree in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
Drilling Engineer
Wesley Bell joined Arena in 2012 as Senior Drilling Superintendent, bringing more than 25 years experience in drilling and completion operations. Prior to joining Arena, Mr. Bell held various positions at ADTI, Vastar and ARCO, including Drilling Engineer and Senior Drilling Engineer. Most recently, he served as ADTI’s Vice President of Operations. Mr. Bell graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a B.S. in Petroleum Engineering.
Drilling Superintendent
Charles Cambron joined Arena Offshore in 2019 as a Drilling Superintendent. Drawing on twenty-seven years of experience in engineering and operations in the Gulf of Mexico, he is responsible for designing and executing drilling and completion projects for Arena. He began his career working as a drilling engineer at Rowan Petroleum (Turkey), after which he spent fifteen years at Applied Drilling Technology, moving from drilling engineer to operations manager. More recently he was vice president of operations at Contango Operators, and then a senior project manager at Northstar Offshore Group. Mr. Cambron holds a B.S. in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Oklahoma.
Drilling Operations Coordinator
Don McCallum joined Arena in 2012 as the Drilling Operations Coordinator, with a direct focus on SEMS compliance. Drawing on his experience as Operations and Safety Manager at ADTI, he works closely with rig site supervisors, drilling contractors and service providers to streamline the SEMS documentation process. In addition, Mr. McCallum is responsible for interfacing with Arena Offshore’s Regulatory and HSE Managers to construct an SEMS documentation database that enables the efficient performance of internal and BSEE audits, and the creation and publication of guidelines for drilling, completion and remedial operations. He also conducts rig inspections and incident investigations which focus on safety and regulatory compliance, in an effort to improve contractor safety performance and minimize Incidents of Noncompliance (INCs) for all of Arena’s activities. Mr. McCallum graduated from Nicholls State University in 1989 with a B.S. in Petroleum Technology.
Drilling Superintendent
Tyler McKellar joined Arena Offshore in 2018 as a Drilling Engineer. He is responsible for drilling and completions design and execution for company projects. Prior to joining Arena, Mr. McKellar held various positions in production, drilling and completions operations in Western Canada, West Texas and North Dakota. Most recently, Mr. McKellar was employed by Hess Corporation serving as a Drilling and Completions Engineer and Rig Supervisor for their Deepwater Gulf of Mexico operations. Mr. McKellar received a diploma in Petroleum Engineering Technology from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology and then earned his B.S. in Petroleum Engineering with High Honors from Montana Tech in 2009.
Production Manager
Ben Frederick joined Arena in 2012 as a Production Engineer. In this role, his responsibilities include providing recommendations in technical evaluations for stimulating reservoirs, overseeing wellwork operations, supporting facility modification efforts, and maintaining strong relationships with field-operations personnel. Mr. Frederick gained his first industry experience while drilling and fracturing shallow oil and gas wells for his family business. Before coming to Arena, he worked for Newfield Exploration and, most recently, Vitruvian Exploration, where he was an Onshore Production Engineer. Mr. Frederick graduated from Penn State with a B.S. in Petroleum Engineering in 2008.
Lead Production Engineer
Stan Doiron joined Arena Offshore as a Production Engineer in 2014. In this role, Mr. Doiron is responsible for providing technical evaluations and recommendations, budget and production forecasting, and leading “best practices” efforts in well intervention and abandonment activity. Prior to joining Arena, Mr. Doiron was employed by Smith Production, EDC and—most recently—Noble Energy, holding various engineering and leadership positions. He has over 20 years experience in production engineering, project management and operations supervision in the Gulf of Mexico and Eastern Mediterranean Sea. Mr. Doiron earned a B.S. in Petroleum Engineering from Louisiana State University in 1993.
Area Coordinator / Production Engineer
Ward Maloy joined Arena as a Production Engineer in 2016. Previously, Mr. Maloy worked for Northstar for 11 years, holding both Gulf of Mexico production engineering and management positions during that time. He has also worked for El Paso Production for 3 years as a reservoir engineer in South Texas and as a drilling engineer in the Gulf of Mexico. Prior to his time with El Paso, Mr. Maloy worked with Coastal Oil & Gas in a production engineering capacity onshore in The Rockies for three years. Mr. Maloy earned a BS in Petroleum Engineering in 1999 from Colorado School of Mines.
Production Engineer
Bruno Maldonado joined Arena Offshore as a Production Engineer in 2017. In this role, Mr. Maldonado is responsible for providing technical evaluations and recommendations, budget and production forecasting, and leading “Best Practices” efforts in well intervention and abandonment activity. Prior to joining Arena, Mr. Maldonado was employed by Cantera Operating, EnerVest Operating, Newfield Exploration, and Champion Technologies, holding various engineering roles including reservoir, production/operations, and completions. Bruno earned his B.S. in Petroleum Engineering from Texas A&M University in 2005.
Well Decommissioning Engineer
Gustaf Johansson joined Arena Offshore in 2018 as a Well Decommissioning Engineer and P&A Coordinator. Drawing on twenty years of experience working for domestic and international service providers in the Gulf of Mexico, he is responsible for developing and executing well TA and P&A plans and projects for Arena, using rigless P&A spreads, coiled tubing units, abrasive cutting, mechanical cutting and wireline operations. Prior to joining Arena, Mr. Johansson directed decommissioning projects at Montco Oilfield Contractors. He has also worked for Black Elk Energy & Freedom Well Services, Crescent Energy Services, and other companies, and has been active in a range of industry organizations. Mr. Johansson graduated from Southern Methodist University with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering.
Production Engineer
Reed Boeger joined Arena Offshore in 2018 as a Production Engineer. Prior to joining Arena Offshore, Mr. Boeger worked multiple basins with Four Corners Petroleum, Anadarko Petroleum Corp., and BP Alaska. Mr. Boeger has spent 12 years as a production engineer performing rig and non-rig wellwork, well abandonment, artificial lift design, nodal analysis and production and LOE budget management. Mr. Boeger graduated from The University of Texas in 2007 and earned both a B.S. in Petroleum Engineering and a B.S. in Geosystems Engineering & Hydrogeology.
Production Superintendent
Dickey Marze came to Arena in 2008 as a Production Foreman. Working out of the Arena operations office in Lafayette, he supervises production operations for the Eugene Island and South Marsh Island areas of the Gulf of Mexico Shelf. In addition to monitoring production, Mr. Marze sets the operating budget for fields in his areas and seeks to maximize oil and gas production to meet company goals while maintaining high standards for workplace safety and regulatory compliance. From 2001 to 2008, Mr. Marze was a Production Foreman at Newfield Exploration, working mainly in the offshore Central Gulf of Mexico, but also in Louisiana and East Texas land facilities. He began his oilfield career in 1991 as a Contract Operator for McMoRan. Mr. Marze is a graduate of Northwestern State University with a degree in Physical Education.
Lead Production Foreman – Area IV
Wayne Maturin joined Arena in 2008 as a Production Foreman. Working out of the Arena operations office in Lafayette, he supervises production operations for the South Timbalier, South Pelto, Grand Isle, West Delta, Main Pass and South Pass areas of the Gulf of Mexico Shelf. In addition to monitoring production, Mr. Maturin sets the operating budget for fields in his areas and seeks to maximize oil and gas production to meet company goals while maintaining high standards for workplace safety and regulatory compliance. Prior to joining Arena, Mr. Maturin held various supervisory and operational positions at McMoRan, Newfield Exploration and Grasso Production Management. He has more than 20 years experience in oil and gas operations in the Gulf of Mexico.
Production Foreman – Area V
Stanley Bouley joined Arena in 2010 as a Production Foreman. Working out of the Arena operations office in Lafayette, he supervises production operations for the Vermilion, East Cameron, West Cameron, High Island and Matagorda Island areas of the Gulf of Mexico Shelf. In addition to monitoring production, Mr. Bouley sets the operating budget for fields in his areas and seeks to maximize oil and gas production to meet company goals while maintaining high standards for workplace safety and regulatory compliance. Prior to joining Arena, Mr. Bouley held various supervisory and operational positions at McMoRan and Grasso Production Management. He also spent 15 years as a Contract Operator with Newfield Exploration, where he worked in the Gulf of Mexico and South China Sea. He has 20 years experience in oil and gas operations in the Gulf of Mexico.
Production Foreman – Area III
Tony Miller joined Arena in 2012 as a Production Foreman. Working out of the Arena operations office in Lafayette, he is responsible for supervising production operations in the shallow Eugene Island area of the Gulf of Mexico Shelf. In addition to monitoring production, Mr. Miller sets the operating budget for fields in his area and seeks to maximize oil and gas production to meet company goals while maintaining high standards for workplace safety and regulatory compliance. Prior to joining Arena, Mr. Miller held various supervisory and operational positions at Quality Production Management, Production Management Industries and Grasso Production Management. He has more than 20 years experience in oil and gas operations in the Gulf of Mexico. Mr. Miller graduated from Nicholls State University with a B.S. in Petroleum Services Technology and an A.S. in Industry Safety Technology.
Production Foreman - Area VI
John Thibodeaux joined Arena Offshore in 2013, initially as an offshore Field Foreman, and currently works as a Production Foreman in the Lafayette, LA office. He supervises production operations for the Eugene Island (Shallow) areas of the Gulf of Mexico Shelf. In addition to monitoring production, Mr. Thibodeaux sets the operating budget for fields in his areas and seeks to maximize oil and gas production to meet company goals while maintaining high standards for workplace safety and regulatory compliance. Prior to joining Arena, John held various operations positions at Island Operating Company, Production Management Inc, and Grasso Production Management over the past 16 years working in the Gulf of Mexico.
Production Foreman
Troy Soileau came to Arena in 2018 as a Production Foreman, working out of the Lafayette, Louisiana office. Drawing on thirty years of oil and gas experience in the Gulf of Mexico, he supervises production operations in the shallow Eugene Island area, develops and manages the Lease Operating Expense budget, and maintains cohesive relationships with the production and facilities engineering teams. Before coming to Arena, Mr. Soileau was a production superintendent at Rosetta Resources/Noble Energy, and prior to that spent fifteen years working in a series of positions at EP Energy, where he supervised various offshore and land operations projects. He holds a B.S. in Petroleum Technology from Nicholls State University and an A.S. in Occupational Safety Technology.
Facility Engineer
Kevin McCauley became a Facility Engineer at Arena Offshore in 2021 after spending six years at M&H Energy Services, where he was a Mechanical Engineering Consultant in the Mechanical and Piping Engineering Department. While earning his bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology, he completed two Co-op Programs at Kimberly Clark, in Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Research. He is licensed as a Professional Engineer in Texas and Ohio.
Maintenance Foreman
Jake Hebert joined Arena Offshore in 2019 as a Maintenance Foreman, working out of the Lafayette, Louisiana office. In this role, he oversees repairs and modifications for platform and production system construction, manages daily field R&M construction crews, and monitors the company’s Mechanical Integrity program. Before coming to Arena, Mr. Hebert was a construction foreman at Fieldwood Energy, and prior to that spent nearly ten years at Chapman Consulting, where he was a senior project manager, handling maintenance programs for multiple clients. He began his career working as a research and development technician at Stuller Inc, fabricating specialized parts and equipment for manufacturing. Mr. Hebert holds a B.S. in Industrial Technology from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
Construction Engineer
Justin Nelson joined Arena Offshore in 2014 as a Construction Engineer. Mr. Nelson has offshore experience both in a consulting capacity and as a direct participant. Prior to joining Arena, Mr. Nelson worked for Paloma Energy Consultants, Dynamic Offshore Resources and SandRidge Energy. With Paloma, his responsibilities included facilitating the installation of projects in the Gulf of Mexico and Bahamas, managing the project planning, cost estimation, scheduling, contract negotiation and construction. More recently, Mr. Nelson oversaw all construction activities in the Gulf for SandRidge. Mr. Nelson graduated with a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M University in 2006.
VP Regulatory
Aimee began her career in oil and gas as a Regulatory Assistant working for an independent consulting firm. Since 2007, Aimee has worked directly with the engineers of Arena Offshore, LP, ultimately joining Arena’s ranks in 2014. As the company’s VP of Regulatory, Aimee oversees her team which works closely with the many governmental regulatory agencies, such as the BSEE District and Regional offices, BOEM, EPA, and USCG, ensuring that Arena can proceed with day-to-day operations and future development and production opportunities. Aimee graduated from Texas A&M University with a B.S. in Ocean and Coastal Resources.
Regulatory Specialist
Jeanette Dehn is a Regulatory Specialist at Arena Offshore, assisting in the permitting and regulatory compliance of drilling/rig operations. Before joining the company in 2015, she was a SEMS Coordinator and HSE Specialist at Apache Corporation. She has also served as a SEMS Regulatory Specialist at PPI Quality and Asset Management.
Regulatory Specialist
Jennifer Johnson is a Regulatory Specialist at Arena Offshore. She joined the company in 2014, after having served as a Senior Regulatory Technician at ATP Oil and Gas Corporation. Before developing her career as a regulatory specialist, Jennifer spent several years working in project management and construction development for Global Franchise Group (formerly NexCen Franchise Management). She earned her Bachelor of Business Administration degree from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio.
