MANAGEMENT
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Paul J. Bennett, H.BSc., MSc., P. Geol.
President, Chief Executive Officer and DirectorMr. Bennett has over 38 years of experience in geoscience, oil and gas exploration, development and production, and mining. He has held executive and senior management positions with ExxonMobil in the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada. His international experience includes supervising technical geological and geophysical teams for ExxonMobil in the Gulf of Mexico, the North Sea (off the coast of England, Ireland and Norway), Western Canada, Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. He is a director of Uranium Participation Corp. and Armistice Resources Corp. and is President of Energus Resources Ltd., Mr. Bennett's private geosciences consulting company. Mr. Bennett is also the Chief Executive Officer and a director of each Australia Energy Pty Ltd. and Georinga Basin Energy Pty Ltd.
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Shane J. Kozak
Vice President, Finance, Chief Financial Officer and SecretaryMr. Kozak has worked in the oil and gas industry since 2000. He has held senior positions with both private and public companies including Keyera Facilities Income Fund, WIN Energy Corporation and Severo Energy Corp.
Mr. Kozak is a Chartered Accountant with experience in both public practice (Deloitte & Touche LLP) and the oil and gas industry (Keyera Facilities Income Fund, WIN Energy Corporation and Severo Energy Corp.). In Mr. Kozak's years of public practice experience, he acquired extensive oil and gas knowledge while servicing numerous junior oil and gas companies. More recently with his experience at WIN Energy Corporation and Severo Energy Corp., Mr. Kozak acquired in-depth experience in corporate structuring, financial management and reporting. Mr. Kozak graduated from the University of Calgary with a Bachelor of Commerce.
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Matthew P. Philipchuk
Executive Vice PresidentMr. Philipchuk has worked in the oil and gas business since 1997. He has held senior positions with both private and public companies including WIN Energy Corporation, Delta Oil and Gas Ltd. and Odin. Mr. Philipchuk is also the President and a Director of each of Australia Energy Pty Ltd. and Georinga Basin Energy Pty Ltd.. He specializes in corporate and business development.
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Richard Parkes
Exploration Operations ManagerRichard is a 25 year geology professional with a broad spectrum of industry experience. Well-respected and highly regarded within Adelaide’s professional oil and gas community, he has significant onshore Australian operations experience, including having been responsible for Santos’ operations at Palm Valley and Mereenie in the Amadeus basin (a basin adjacent to both the Officer Basin and the Georgina Basins), where he drilled a number of appraisal and development wells. During his time with Santos, Richard was responsible for operations geology for up to 12 operated rigs and numerous non-operated rigs at the same time, including responsibility for all wellsite reporting, data acquisition and quality assurance. Since 2004 Richard has been the managing director of Techmat Pty Ltd, a geotechnical device manufacturer developing a range of geotechnical construction and oilfield products including void fill / lost circulation grouts, urethane pipeline grouts and drilling fluid additives.
DIRECTORS
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Robert J. Iverach, Q.C., ICD.D,
Director and Chairman of the BoardMr. Iverach has been Counsel with Burstall Winger LLP since 2009 and currently acts as a director of Fort Chicago Energy Partners L.P.; Chairman and a director of Australia Energy Pty Ltd.; Chairman of the Board of FoodChek Systems Inc.; Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of True Production Services Inc.; Chairman of the Board of Avalite Inc.; and a director of Officer Basin Energy Pty Ltd.. Previously, Mr. Iverach acted as a director of NovAtel Inc. and as Chairman of the Board of Directors of WIN Energy Corporation. A founding partner of Felesky Flynn LLP, Mr. Iverach was counsel to the firm from July of 2005 to December of 2005 and was a partner of Felesky Flynn LLP from 1978 through to 1990 and again from 1994 through to June of 2005. Mr. Iverach graduated from the University of Calgary with a Bachelor of Arts, from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Laws and from the London School of Economics with a Master of Laws. He has been a member of the Law Society of Alberta since 1972.
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Dr. James W. Buckee
DirectorDr. Buckee was appointed President and Chief Operating Officer for BP Canada Inc. in September 1991 and in May 1993 was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Talisman Energy Inc. (formerly BP Canada Inc.). He retired in October 2007. Dr. Buckee received his BSc Honours in Physics from the University of Western Australia. In 1970 he received his PhD in Astrophysics at Oxford University. From 1971 to 1977 he held various petroleum engineering positions with Shell International and Burma Oil. From 1977 to 1987 Dr. Buckee held a variety of petroleum engineering posts with British Petroleum in a number of locations including London and Dukhan, Qatar. In 1987 he became Operations Manager for British Petroleum in Norway. Following this he became Vice President, Development Programs for BP Alaska. In May 1989 he returned to England as Manager, Planning or BP Exploration. Dr. Buckee is currently a director of NWest Energy Inc., Cairn Energy PLC and Australia Energy Pty Ltd. and is the Chairman of EnQuest PLC. He is also on the Advisory Board of KERN Private Equity.
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C. Kent Jespersen, BSc., MSc.
DirectorMr. Jespersen has acted in senior positions for both private and public companies. He currently is a director of TransAlta Corporation and Australia Energy Pty Ltd.. Mr. Jespersen has been Chair and Chief Executive Officer of La Jolla Resources International Ltd. since 1998 (advisory and investments). He has also held senior executive positions with NOVA Corporation of Alberta, Foothills Pipe Lines Ltd., and Husky Oil Limited before assuming the presidency of Foothills Pipe Lines Ltd. and later, NOVA Gas International Ltd. At NOVA Gas International Ltd., he led the non-regulated energy services business (including energy trading and marketing) and all international activities. Mr. Jespersen is Chairman and a director of Orvana Minerals Ltd. and Orion Oil and Gas Corp. and a director of Matrikon Inc., Axia NetMedia Corporation, CanElson Drilling Inc. and Elson Energy Enterprises Ltd. Mr. Jespersen's past experience further includes acting as Chairman of the Board for North American Oil Sands Corporation, Geac Computer Ltd. and Vista Midstream Ltd. and as Lead Director to Telesystem International Wireless Inc. Mr. Jespersen graduated from the University of Oregon with a Bachelor of Science in education and a Master of Science in education.
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Martin P. McGoldrick, P. Eng., MBA
DirectorMr. McGoldrick has over 30 years combined experience in oil and gas investment banking, international oil and gas exploration and development and in the electrical utility industry. Prior to joining the Corporation, he served as Senior Vice President and Director, Investment Banking with Jennings Capital Inc., until his retirement in July 2006. In addition, Mr. McGoldrick served in various roles with Bow Valley Industries Ltd. and TransAlta Corporation. Mr. McGoldrick graduated from University College Dublin, Ireland with a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering degree and from the University of Calgary with a Masters in Business Administration degree specializing in Finance. He is a member of APEGGA. He is currently a director of Australia Energy Pty Ltd.
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Peter A. Philipchuk, P. Geol, Hon. BSc.
DirectorMr. Philipchuk is involved in the oil and gas sector through a number of corporate endeavors. He is the Chief Executive Officer & Chairman of Odin and has acted as Managing Director of Exploration and President of WIN Energy Corporation. Mr. Philipchuk is also a Director of each of Officer Basin Energy Pty Ltd. and Georinga Basin Energy Pty Ltd.. Prior to working with WIN Energy Corporation, Mr. Philipchuk was President of Triangle Resources Inc. Mr. Philipchuk graduated from Queen's University with a Bachelor of Science (Hons). He has worked with Sproule Associates, Texaco and Mobil Oil. Mr. Philipchuk has been an independent Geologist since 1981. He holds memberships in the AAPG, CSPG and PESA as a Technical Advisor.
KEY CONSULTANTS
Jim Allender, P.Geoph
Consultant (Exploration Manager)
Mr. Allender has 40 years of oil and gas exploration in Australia, Southeast Asia, China and Africa. Mr. Allender was instrumental in the introduction of the Corporation to the Officer Basin as he was an original holder of PELA 81. Mr. Allender is a professional geophysicist with significant experience in all aspects of exploration for oil and natural gas, minerals and petroleum production. Mr. Allender specializes in integrated interpretation and project and prospect generation, and has consulted for such companies as Getty Oil Company and Santos Ltd.
Peter Boult, Ph.D Applied Geology
Consultant (Senior Geological Advisor)
Dr. Boult has over 30 years of international experience in the oil industry. Most recently, Dr. Boult worked as the Chief Petroleum Geologist at PIRSA. Prior thereto, Dr. Boult spent seven years with PIRSA, conducting innovative and specialized pre-competitive geoscientific research to develop new exploration concepts, which influenced industry perceptions of South Australia's petroleum prospectivity.
Dr. Boult has been involved in producing over 70 published technical papers and abstracts in major industry journals and co-edited two books while at PIRSA. Dr. Boult's research focused on oil in the Officer Basin as well as other basins in South Australia. Prior to his work at PIRSA, Dr. Boult lectured at the University of South Australia for ten years and was a staff geologist with Origin Energy for five years. For the last two years Dr. Boult has been the Managing Director of Ginkgo Resources Pty Ltd., a services company specializing in seismic interpretation.
Dr. Boult obtained his Ph.D in Applied Geology from the University of South Australia with a focus in hydrocarbon seals in 1996. Dr. Boult holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree in Geology from the University of Leeds.
Garrard (Garry) White
Consultant (Senior Drilling Advisor)
Mr. White has 39 years of experience in oil and gas. Most recently, Mr. White worked as the Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer of Ensign International Energy Service of Canada ("Ensign"), based in Adelaide, Australia. While at Ensign, he supervised all group international operations outside of North America including Australia.
Prior to his work at Ensign, Mr. White spent 29 years with Australian Oil and Gas Corporation where he held senior executive roles, including General Manager and Manager of International Operations. Among other things, Mr. White was responsible for the fabrication and commissioning of two purpose built desert drilling rigs and setting up the company to work in a new area of operations in Oman.