Avanti Energy strengthens management team, appoints director of geoscience, vice president of engineering and chief financial officer
Vancouver, B.C., April 13, 2021 – Avanti Energy Inc. (TSXV: AVN) (US OTC PINK: ARGYF) (the “Company”) is pleased to announce that it has appointed Dr. Jim Wood as Director of Geoscience, Mr. Ali Esmail as Vice President of Engineering, to expand the Company’s exploration and development operations of its helium projects. The Company is also pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Natasha Tsai, CA, as Chief Financial Officer.
“We are pleased to welcome Jim, Ali and Natasha to the Avanti management team,” said Rob Gamley, President & CEO of Avanti Energy. “As technical professionals, both Jim and Ali have led large scale efforts within major organizations to reach project goals. Their well-earned reputations and resumes speak for themselves. Natasha has significant experience in public company financial reporting and specializes in the areas of financial operations and business performance.”
A summary of new appointments is provided below:
Dr. Jim Wood: Director of Geoscience
Dr. Wood is a geologist with over 30 years of success in Canadian and international petroleum ventures. In his most recent industry role as Advisor Geology at Encana Corporation (now Ovintiv Inc.), he advised on the development and implementation of practical, research-based workflows for enhanced evaluation and economic development of unconventional reservoirs in the Montney resource play.
He is an APEGA certified Professional Geoscientist (P.Geo.), and an active member of the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists (CSPG) and the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG). He is a recipient of the CSPG Link Award, and has served as associate editor of the Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology, and co-chair of successful CSPG conferences. He is active in geoscience research and collaborates with universities and research institutes across the globe. His geoscience research contributions have led to more than 50 scientific articles published by CSPG, AAPG, Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), and Nature.
Dr. Wood holds a B.Sc. from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, and M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Calgary, Alberta.
Ali Esmail: Vice President of Engineering
Mr. Esmail has spent the past 13 years specializing in reservoir engineering including reserves evaluation, oil and gas development economics, production analysis and petroleum data analytics. Most recently, he was Ovintiv Inc.’s (formerly Encana Corporation) Chief Reservoir Engineering advisor for Canadian operations. His broader experience includes working in upstream and midstream oil and gas with Shell, Husky, and SemCAMS.
He also provides a diverse perspective with 11 years of operations and process engineering experience at Dow Chemical and Nexen. He is known for a collaborative approach to technical challenges and is recognized by the SPE and CSChE for his contributions in facilitating research between academia and industry.
Mr. Esmail holds a B.S.c in Chemical Engineer from the University of Saskatchewan and is and APEGA certified Professional Engineer(P.Eng)
Natasha Tsai: Chief Financial Officer
The Company is also pleased to announce that Natasha Tsai, CPA, CA, has been appointed Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”) of the Company.Ms. Tsai, CPA, CA, is Managing Director at Malaspina Consultants Inc. She has been a senior advisor and CFO with companies in a broad range of industries. Natasha specializes in the areas of financial operations and business performance. Prior to 2012, Natasha was the CFO of a junior mining company and the corporate controller of an early stage company in the energy sector. Natasha is a graduate of Sauder School of Business at UBC and received her Chartered Accountant designation in 2007. She is also a former co-chair of the Young CA Forum at the Institute of Chartered Accountants of BC.
The Company would like to thank its former interim CFO, Mr. Elbert Wong, for his service to the Company and wishes him well with his future endeavours.
About Avanti Energy
Avanti Energy is focused on the exploration, development and production of helium across western Canada and the United States. Avanti’s professional oil and gas exploration and production team is actively targeting untapped potential helium reserves to help meet the increasing global demand for an irreplaceable and scarce element critical to advanced technology, medical and space exploration industries. For more information, please go to the Company’s website at www.gradyf10.sg-host.com.
For corporate and shareholder inquiries, please contact:
Rob Gamley, President & CEO
Phone: 604-689-7422
Email: rob@avantihelium.com
Avanti Energy Inc.
Forward-Looking Statements
Information set forth in this news release contains forward-looking statements that are based on assumptions as of the date of this news release. These statements reflect management’s current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations. They are not guarantees of future performance. The Company cautions that all forward looking statements are inherently uncertain, and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many of which are beyond the Company’s control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to the Company’s limited operating history and the need to comply with environmental and governmental regulations. Accordingly, actual and future events, conditions and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information.Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.