Drilling and Production (Onshore - Surface) Expert Witnesses: 3

Reese Energy Consulting (REC) has a suite of energy expert consultants with over 250 years of experience in all phases of the Oil, Gas, NGL, and LNG Space. The Reese brand is globally recognized, and the team has worked in virtually every US oil and gas basin, with clients ranging from small independents to major energy firms.  

Litigation Support - The team at REC has decades of experience in expert testimony, contract negotiations, and commodity marketing. Services are available to attorneys representing plaintiff and defendant and include document / site review, thorough reporting, depositions, and trial testimony as needed.

Areas of Expertise:

Steve Reese, CEO - As President of Reese Energy Consulting, Steve Reese leads his executive team from offices in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Houston and Austin. He offers more than 40 years of experience in Upstream and Midstream Processes, Energy Marketing, and Energy Research Projects, and is one of the industry’s leading authorities in Crude Oil, Natural Gas, NGLs, and LNG.

Steve's expertise spans every major U.S. producing basin and is sought out by the nation’s leading independent producers and midstream firms. He has managed literally thousands of natural gas transactions involving hundreds of million dekatherms in the Mid-Continent, Permian and Rockies basins and South Louisiana.

Steve also is President of Reese Energy Training, a nationally recognized energy education firm. His courses in Natural Gas Basics, Gas Midstream and NGL Basics, and Gas Processing Agreements have been shared with more than 10,000 industry professionals. Prior to launching Reese Energy Consulting and Reese Energy Training, Steve held positions with Getty and Texaco. He is an in-demand speaker and lecturer with recent engagements for The Oklahoma Marginal Well Commission, The National Royalty Association, the Kansas Independent Oil and Gas Association, The Natural Gas Society of Oklahoma, the Desk and Derrick Club, The Oklahoma Law Review, and The Permian Basin Gas Society. 

Phil Nickle, Director – Producer Services - Phil brings a wealth of expertise and talents to his role at REC that include all phases of the Value Chain in Natural Gas, Oil, and NGLs in all major producing basins. As Director-Producer Services, he offers a proven track record of successes across the energy spectrum.

Phil's knowledge and know-how are industry recognized in the areas of oil and gas marketing, midstream contract negotiation, gas gathering and processing, business development, and all phases of producer services. Phil’s career-scape includes positions with Candor Midstream, Cimarex Energy, ONEOK Field Services, and DCP. 

Rick O'Bannon - Chief Commercial Officer - Rick’s experience and knowledge of Oil and Gas Producers and Midstream Companies are widely known in the energy industry and include more than 40 years of successes throughout Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and North Louisiana. His impressive career comprises numerous high-profile positions with Enbridge, Coastal Corp, KN Energy, Texaco and Union Texas Petroleum.

Rick offers a breadth of expertise in a wide range of capacities to our Texas-wide clients, including marketing and transportation, acquisitions and divestitures, asset development, auditing, contract reformation, hedging, and gas accounting. 

View REC's Business Consulting Profile.

Harold E. McGowen, III, PE, is a proven authority in Oil and Gas exploration and development. As an engineer and businessman with 40+ years of experience building and leading oil and gas companies, he provides technical acumen, clear communication, and industry knowledge in cases involving trade secrets, patents, securities, operational failures, and safety. 

Expertise in Trade Secrets and Patents

• Harold has testified in numerous intellectual property disputes involving downhole tools, hydraulic fracturing, and drilling technologies.
• His ability to evaluate technical designs and assess claims of patent infringement or trade secret misappropriation is grounded in decades of hands-on industry experience and as an expert on numerous patent cases.
• He links technical insights to business and legal outcomes, delivering fact-based conclusions that resonate with courts and juries.

Securities Litigation Proficiency

• Harold’s expertise includes evaluating whether companies accurately represented reserves, operational performance, and development strategies to investors.
• His testimony has been instrumental where overstated reserves or misleading economic projections were alleged, focusing on adherence to reasonable claims and industry best practices.

Broad Litigation Experience

• Harold has provided expert testimony and litigation support in over 40 cases, addressing issues such as operational failures, safety lapses, and intellectual property disputes.
• He consistently ties technical findings to best practices and organizational responsibilities, ensuring clarity and relevance for legal audiences.

Leadership and Innovation

• As CEO of oil and gas operating companies, Harold led multimillion-dollar projects, optimizing drilling and completion strategies and ensuring compliance with industry standards.
• He has authored technical papers and presented on topics including hydraulic fracturing, drilling optimization, and project management.

Harold’s unique combination of technical expertise, hands-on experience, and litigation support experience ensures clear communication with attorneys, judges, and juries. For trade secrets, patents, securities disputes, or operational safety cases, Harold E. McGowen III, PE, delivers clarity, credibility, and results.

View Harold McGowen's Business Consulting Profile.

Derek B. Gilboe, PE, a Metallurgical Engineer with over 30 years of experience, focuses on asset integrity, involving knowledge of metallurgy, materials, and processes in multiple industries on four continents in environments from arctic to desert in both onshore and offshore conditions. He brings extensive knowledge in standards and regulations relating to Piping and Pipelines.

Expertise: Midstream (pipelines), Downstream (refining, gas processing, chemicals), Onshore and Offshore, Forensic / Failure Engineering