A Family Legacy of Energy Excellence
For over five decades, the Kozel family has built, operated, and grown one of the most experienced independent oil and gas enterprises in the world — from the Permian Basin to the Sahara Desert to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Founded in 1973 by Frank Kozel, and carried forward by his son Todd Kozel, Keystone Energy Oil and Gas stands as proof that family commitment, operational discipline, and global ambition can build something truly enduring.
In 1973, Frank Kozel founded Keystone Energy with a simple conviction: that disciplined, hands-on operators — not just financiers — build lasting energy companies. Starting in the Permian Basin, Frank built a fully integrated E&P platform from the ground up, drilling and operating approximately 400 wells across the United States over the course of his career.
His son, Todd Kozel, inherited that same conviction — and scaled it internationally. Beginning with Texas Keystone Inc. in 1988, Todd expanded the family's operational footprint to Algeria and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, discovering billions of barrels of oil and raising over $1.5 billion in capital on the London Stock Exchange.
Today, Keystone Energy Oil and Gas carries the Kozel legacy forward — combining the foundational operational discipline established by Frank with the global dealmaking and frontier exploration expertise developed by Todd. The result is a uniquely positioned enterprise: experienced enough to execute, agile enough to move fast, and committed enough to stay for the long term.
From the Permian Basin to the London Stock Exchange — each company in the Kozel portfolio built on the operational foundation of the last.
"One of the largest super-giant oil fields discovered in the last 50 years — and the largest onshore development worldwide not held by a major oil company like ExxonMobil or Shell."
The Shaikan Field is the defining achievement of the Kozel family's international expansion. Discovered and brought to first production in approximately 3.5 years — less than half the global industry average — Shaikan stands as proof that an experienced family-run independent can achieve what the world's largest oil companies have not.
The numbers that define the Kozel family's five decades of energy enterprise.
Over 50 years of continuous operations — an unbroken record of field presence through every commodity cycle and market condition.
From ~400 wells drilled by Keystone Energy to ~2,000 managed under Texas Keystone — across the Permian, Marcellus, Algeria, and Kurdistan.
The largest onshore oil discovery not held by a major — discovered and brought to production by Todd Kozel in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
Discovered on the HBH license in the Sahara Desert, subsequently monetized through a strategic sale to British Gas.
Raised through Gulf Keystone Petroleum Ltd., listed on the London Stock Exchange — demonstrating world-class capital markets execution.
Shaikan achieved first production in ~3.5 years vs. a 7-year global average — proof of the Kozel family's unmatched operational execution.
Built over five decades of hands-on operations — every phase of oil and gas development, from first geology to final sale.
Keystone Energy Oil and Gas welcomes conversations with partners and investors who share a commitment to long-term, disciplined energy development.