Directorate Change - Appointment of CEO

19 November 2019

COLUMBUS ENERGY RESOURCES PLC

("Columbus", "CERP" or the "Company")

Directorate Change - Appointment of CEO

Columbus, the oil and gas producer and explorer with operations in Trinidad and Suriname, is pleased to announce the appointment of Tony Hawkins as its Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. 

Leo Koot remains Executive Chairman and will continue to work alongside Tony on a full-time basis in growing the business in a manner consistent with the strategy roadmap.

Mr Hawkins has been employed as the Company's Legal and Commercial Director since January 2018 and will now join the Board. Tony is a dual British & Australian national with over 20 years of industry experience, including significant time working on projects and operations related to Trinidad, and adds both commercial and legal expertise to the Board.

A video of Leo Koot, commenting on the appointment from the Saffron wellsite, is now available on the Company's website at https://columbus-erp.com/news/videos/

Leo Koot, Executive Chairman, commented:

"Tony has been instrumental over the last two years in helping plan and then execute on the Company's strategy. This includes restructuring the BOLT transaction (which has led to the drilling of the Saffron well), the Steeldrum transaction (broadening the Company's asset base) and the Weg Naar Zee transaction in Suriname (entering another country to expand and de-risk our portfolio). Tony's role will be to make sure the Company is run efficiently (in particular the optimisation of our producing assets), manage any appraisal and development of the Saffron prospect and co-ordinate the appraisal and development of the Weg Naar Zee block in Suriname.

I will continue in my role as Executive Chairman and see the benefit in separating the role of Chairman and CEO.

I remain committed to the Company and with Tony responsible for the day to day operations, I can dedicate my time to growing the business in a manner consistent with our strategy roadmap. At present, I am working at the Saffron well site, helping the Columbus team in Trinidad ensure we deliver an optimal drilling campaign, whilst Tony is ensuring all other aspects of the business are being managed efficiently and effectively.

I look forward to working with Tony and the rest of the team to continue to advance the interests of the Company and its shareholders."

Background

Tony Hawkins is a commercial adviser and qualified lawyer of over 20 years' experience. His experience is in advising on and implementing large scale M&A and project developments. He also has experience in asset management and Legal & Regulatory compliance. These skills have been predominately in oil and gas but also in power, LNG and renewables. Prior to Columbus, Mr Hawkins was General Counsel & Head of Commercial for Sterling Energy plc, a London listed oil & gas company. He was also the company secretary. Prior to Sterling Energy, he spent 6 years at the upstream division of Centrica plc (a FTSE 100 listed utility). During this period, he spent 4 years working on Centrica's oil & gas assets in Trinidad and gained significant experience of the regulatory and operational requirements of Trinidad. He holds a Bachelor of Law and Bachelor of Arts and is and English qualified lawyer.

Regulatory

The information included below is required under Rule 17 of the AIM Rules for Companies ("AIM Rules") and Schedule Two Part (g) of the AIM Rules:

 Anthony James Hawkins, aged 48

Anthony Hawkins does not currently hold any ordinary shares in the Company. As previously announced, he participates in the Executive Salary Scheme, whereby members of the Company's Executive Management receive up to 50% of their fees in Company shares via way of nil cost options.

There is no further information to be disclosed pursuant to Schedule Two Part (g) of the AIM Rules.

Enquiries:

Notes to Editors:

Columbus Energy Resources Plc is an oil and gas producer and explorer focused on onshore Trinidad and Suriname. In Trinidad, the Columbus Energy group has five producing fields, one appraisal/development project and a highly prospective exploration portfolio in the South West Peninsula ("SWP"), which lies in the extreme southwest of Trinidad and consists of stacked shallow and deep prospects. In Suriname, the Company has recently secured an onshore appraisal/development project. Columbus and aims to create transformational growth by developing its portfolio in a capital efficient and disciplined manner.

Columbus is guided by the following core values; safe and sustainable, stronger together, creative excellence, positive energy, totally trusted and personally responsible.

The Company is led by an experienced Board and senior management team with supportive shareholders and intends on leveraging its expertise and experience to build an attractive and diversified portfolio of assets across South America in order to build an oil production led South American exploration business.

To find out more, visit www.columbus-erp.com or follow us on Twitter @Columbus_ERP.