Press Release

Date: 10/21/2013

Media Contact: Katherine Stokes, 325-669-2769

The West Texas Energy Consortium (“Consortium”) is pleased to announce that Mr. Victor G. Carrillo has been named Chairman of the Consortium. Mr. Carrillo is currently the President and Chief Operating Officer for Zion Oil & Gas,a Dallas-based company exploring exclusively in the State of Israel. He is also on the Board of Directors of Magnum Hunter Resources, a Houston-based exploration and production companyactive in some of the most prolific unconventional shale resource plays in North America -- the Marcellus Shale, Utica Shale, and Williston Basin/Bakken Shale.

Mr. Carrillo brings extensive experience to this leadership role as a former statewide elected official with regulatory oversight over the Texas energy sector, Taylor county judge, Abilene city councilman and university professor. He is a Texas-licensed attorney and professional geoscientist with prior legal experience in state and local government. His first professional job was as an exploration geophysicist in the oil and gas industry.

From 2003-2011, Mr. Carrillo served on the Texas Railroad Commission – the state’s chief regulatory agency over oil and gas exploration and production – serving twice as Chairman. During his service as a statewide elected official, he also served as Chairman of the Governor’s Texas Energy Planning Council, Chairman of the Outer Continental Shelf Advisory Committee to the U.S. Secretary of the Interior, Vice Chairman of the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission, and member of the Unconventional Resources Technology Advisory Committee to U.S. Secretary of Energy. He is currently on the advisory board of the Maguire Energy Institute at Southern Methodist University’s Cox School of Business.

Through his leadership, the West Texas Energy Consortium will continue its collaboration with communities, city, county and state leaders as well as energy industry partnerswithin the 39 counties comprising the West Central Texas, Concho Valley and Permian Basin Regions to further the development and economicopportunities associated with the unconventional resource shale plays in the area.

The Consortium launched its initial webpage in September and will continue developing a full website that will be released in 2014. This full website will be an information portal for energy leaders, interested citizens, companies looking to relocate or expand their business to the region and people looking to move to the area. The Consortium is set to hold its first annual meeting in December, whenDr. Thomas Tunstall will deliver the findings of the Economic Impact Study for our area. Dr. Tunstall is Research Director for the Institute for Economic Development at the University of Texas at San Antonio and authored a similar report for the Eagle Ford Shale area of South Texas. Other speakers will present news and updates on various relevant topics. Please visit the website and stay tuned for updates (

Chairman Victor G. Carrillo, West Texas Energy Consortium

For additional information, please contact:

Katherine Stokes, Regional Business CoordinatorAlyssa Yingst, Regional Outreach Coordinator

Phone 325.795.4206 | Fax 325.795.4300Phone 325.795.4211 | Fax 325.795.4300