About Us

Mr. Mardon Taylor served as the Chief Financial Officer of Hurricane Energy PLC from May 2012 until January 2016. He has worked in the oil industry for over 35 years, his first involvement in the North Sea being in the early licensing rounds. He was with Hurricane from 2005 to January 2016 when he was the Group’s first CFO and was subsequently responsible for the Group’s Environmental Management System.

Stephen Sanderson joined UKOG in September 2014 and was appointed Executive Chairman and Chief Executive in July 2015.

Stephen is a highly experienced geologist and energy sector business leader with over 45 years of international operating experience. He has held a variety of senior management roles across the UK, Europe, North Africa and North America with Atlantic Richfield (now BP), BASF (Wintershall), and a number of independent energy companies and start-ups. He possesses extensive technical, subsurface, commercial and business development expertise across the UK, North West Europe, North Africa, North and South America, and the Middle East.

Stephen initiated and has led the Company’s strategic transition from oil and gas exploration to long-duration energy storage. He is leading the development of the Group’s hydrogen storage portfolio, recognising its importance in supporting the UK’s energy transition, enhancing energy security and enabling the future hydrogen economy.

Stephen is a graduate and Associate of the Royal School of Mines, Imperial College London, a Fellow of the Geological Society of London, and a member of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists.

Kris is a Chartered Chemical Engineer with 28 years of international experience across the oil, gas and energy transition sectors. He has a proven track record of leading multidisciplinary technical and operational teams, delivering complex projects across the UK and internationally.

His expertise spans subsurface and petroleum engineering, drilling, project development, production operations, gas storage, decommissioning and regulatory governance. Recognised for combining deep technical capability with strategic leadership, Kris has played a pivotal role in shaping and advancing the Company’s long-duration energy storage portfolio, including the development of hydrogen-ready storage projects designed to enhance energy security and support the future deployment of hydrogen at scale.

Kris holds a BEng in Chemical Engineering from Newcastle University and an MEng in Petroleum Engineering from Heriot-Watt University. He is a Chartered Engineer with the Institution of Chemical Engineers.

Mr Howard has extensive experience in the oil sector he was previously a Senior Vice President of Houston-based Premier Oilfield Laboratories, and Chief Commercial Officer of well analysis experts Nutech. Mr Howard also held senior positions with Schlumberger. He holds a degree in Chemical Engineering from Texas Tech University and an MBA from Mays Business School in Texas.

Jamie Burford joined UK Oil & Gas PLC in April 2017 as a Reservoir Engineer and has since played a key role across the Company’s UK oil and gas and energy storage projects. He was instrumental in the Horse Hill well testing program and subsequently managed the development of the Horse Hill Field Development Plan, which received approval from the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA).

Jamie has extensive experience spanning reservoir, petroleum and subsurface engineering, field development, production operations, project economics, gas storage, decommissioning, and regulatory compliance. He has led the subsurface development of the Company’s long-duration energy storage portfolio, including its hydrogen-ready storage projects, supporting the transition to a lower-carbon energy future.

Jamie holds an MSc in Petroleum Engineering from Imperial College London and a First-Class BSc in Geophysical Sciences from the University of Southampton.

James Frost joined UKOG in 2017 and has progressed through a range of operational and management roles across the Group. With more than 20 years of experience spanning engineering, procurement, operations, stakeholder engagement and project delivery, he has overseen activities ranging from production operations to well decommissioning and abandonment projects.

As Operations Manager, James plays a key role in the development and execution of the Company’s energy transition strategy, supporting the advancement of hydrogen-ready storage and other clean energy initiatives. Working closely with the executive team, he helps ensure the safe, efficient, and compliant delivery of operations while maintaining the highest standards of operational performance and regulatory compliance across the Group.

Guzyal Mukhametzhanova is an experienced energy finance executive and Company Secretary, with a particular focus on hydrogen, energy storage and the transition to a low-carbon energy system. She began her career in KPMG’s Energy and Natural Resources practice. Guzyal brings 20 years of experience across the natural resources and energy sectors, combining financial leadership and corporate governance expertise. She is a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), a graduate of London Business School and holds an MSc in Finance.