Lucent Petroleum is a small integrated team with approximately 50 professionals between the headquarters and operational offices. Functionally headcount is split approximately 15% senior management, 25% business administration, and 60% technical.
Our Management Team has over 160 years of combined professional experience in the oil and gas industry. Our Lucent Petroleum leadership possesses an ideal combination of global and Kazakhstan based experience which allows us to quickly identify key issues and generate solutions allowing the organization to make continuous progress towards our common goal of value creation.
David Milne Le Clair
General Director
David Le Clair has been working in the petroleum industry for more than 40 years in such locations as California, UAE, Russia, and Hungary. In 1998, he left Occidental Petroleum and began a career as an executive of start-up oil and gas companies. He has served as General Director of Arctic Gas Company, COO of Valkyries Petroleum, GM of Harvest Natural Resources Russia, GM of Lundin Petroleum Russia, and COO of Sand Hill Petroleum.
Mr.David Le Clair joined Lucent Petroleum LLP in March of 2024. David has a B.S. in Petroleum Engineering from Stanford University.
Board Member of United Way Hungary since 2016.
Aslan Shapabayev
Commercial and Administrative Affairs Director
Aslan Shapabayev joined Lucent Petroleum as Commercial and Administrative Affairs Director in March 2024.
Mr. Shapabayev has 25 years of work experience gained in joint ventures between International Oil Companies and Kazakhstani National Company “KazMunayGas”.
Prior to joining Lucent Petroleum, Mr. Shapabayev was holding multiple senior leadership positions, including a role of CEO in “Caspi Meruerty Operating Company” (JV between Shell, KazMunayGas, Oman Oil) and CEO of “Ural Oil and Gas” (JV between MOL Group, KazMunayGas, SINOPEC).
Mr. Shapabayev holds two Bachelor degrees in Business Administration from Varna Free University, Bulgaria and Carroll College, MT, USA.
Arman Assangaliyev
Technical Director
Arman Assangaliyev joined Lucent Petroleum as Technical Director in March 2025 and has over 20 years of work experience in Kazakhstani oil companies. Prior to joining Lucent Petroleum, Mr. Assangaliyev worked at Agip KCO, Caspi Meruerty Operating Company, Total E&P Dunga GmbH, and Ural Oil and Gas.
He graduated as a Mining Engineer from Kazakh National Technical University and holds a Master’s degree in Oil and Gas from Atyrau Oil and Gas Institute.
Mr. Assangaliyev is an Independent Expert of the Central Commission for Exploration and Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Daniyar Abulkhairov
Deputy General Director for Business Development
Daniyar Abulkhairov brings over 20 years of experience in the oil and gas industry, with a professional background spanning both oilfield services and upstream operating companies. Throughout his career, he has held senior leadership positions, including Head of Oil & Gas Assets at Eurasian Group, Vice President for Development, Vice President for Field Development, and Executive Director of several exploration and oil-producing companies in Kazakhstan.
He has extensive experience in strategic asset management, M&A, and operational leadership within the upstream sector.
Daniyar holds a Master of Science degree in Oil and Gas Economics (MSc) from the Centre for Energy, Petroleum and Mineral Law and Policy (CEPMLP), University of Dundee, United Kingdom, and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree from KIMEP University.
Eduard Turaliyev
Chief Financial Officer
Eduard Turaliyev joined Lucent Petroleum as Chief Financial Officer in 2011 and has over 20 years of finance experience including several with international companies such as Maersk and Ernst & Young. Mr. Turaliyev has extensive international experience working for Maersk Group on various positions including Maersk SeaLand in the UK and Maersk Logistics MEA, UAE. Prior to joining Lucent Petroleum, Mr. Turaliyev was CFO in the Almaty branch of Maersk Oil Kazakhstan GmbH where he was leading finance and IT functions.
His educational degrees include an MBA from KIMEP University, Kazakhstan, and an MA in Banking in Transition Economies from the University of Reading, UK. Mr. Turaliyev is also a fellow in good standing with the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants (ACCA).
Duncan McDougall
Exploration Director
Duncan McDougall joined Lucent Petroleum in 2011 and led the company as CEO from 2014 until 2022. Mr. McDougall has extensive international upstream experience including over 20 years on North Sea projects for companies including Charterhouse Petroleum, Petrofina, and BP. Mr. McDougall also has a broad list of accomplishments in building profitable oil and gas portfolios in the CIS region. Prior to joining Lucent Petroleum, Mr. McDougall was a founding Director for Roxi Petroleum PLC (now Caspian Sunrise PLC) where he had previously held the position of Technical Director from 2006 until 2011.
Mr. McDougall holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology from Imperial College, London. Mr. McDougall was one of the founding members of the Almaty chapter of Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) and currently serves on its Board of Directors.
