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Penny Taylor
TMK Energy has added new operational and organizational strength to its Mongolian gas prospects by appointing an oil and gas veteran to the role of production manager as its Gurvantes XXXV pilot project gains momentum towards development.
The appointment marks TMK’s shift from confirming gas resources to building a future production business.
The company has hired Danny Chong as production manager, bringing more than 16 years of industry experience, including more than a decade working on major Australian coal seam gas operations with Origin Energy and Santos.
Chong holds a degree in petroleum engineering from the Colorado School of Mines and most recently worked as a senior petroleum engineer at Origin, focusing on portfolio optimization and forecasting in major coal seam gas assets.
Danny Chong’s experience from Origin and SANTOS will be invaluable to TMK in his role as production manager. Ms. Elsa Gallina, the appointed joint secretary will help in various aspects of our business.’
TMK Energy chief executive officer Dougal Ferguson
Its focus will be on improving production, drilling and reservoir management as Gurvantes continues to expand beyond its pilot phase.
The selection seems to be strategically placed. TMK recently reported increased gas production from seven pilot wells, signed a gas-to-power partnership agreement and initiated an outsourcing process targeting strategic partners in the gas value chain.
Management says Chong has already elevated operational decision-making, applying his coal seam gas expertise and digital analytics skills to the company’s growing technical database. His salary is also highly linked to success, aligning the role with shareholder returns.
Chief Executive Officer of TMK Energy, Dougal Ferguson said: “Danny Chong’s experience and training from the two major CSG players in Australia, Origin and SANTOS, will be invaluable to TMK. He has already demonstrated his deep knowledge of CSG and taken our production operations to a new level. Additionally, Ms. Elsa Gallina, who has been with TMK for over three years, has now completed the qualifications to be appointed as its Company Secretary.”
The company has also taken the opportunity to strengthen its internal ranks by promoting Elsa Gallina to associate company secretary. Gallina has spent the past year assisting Ferguson with corporate secretarial duties while perfecting leadership skills.
He has now been appointed joint company secretary, paving the way for a successor to the role and allowing Ferguson to spend more time developing the business. Management expects him to transition to sole company secretary within six to 12 months.
Those steps are important because Gurvantes has reached the highest point of his development path. Over the past year, TMK has de-risked the project through trial production, reserve management, regulatory approvals, commercial planning and the recent launch of an off-farm process to attract strategic development partners.
The Gurvantes XXXV project has an area of 8400 square kilometers in the South Gobi Basin of Mongolia, less than 20 kilometers from the Chinese border. The project includes an inferred resource of 1.2 trillion cubic feet of gas (Tcf) and is located close to China’s natural gas infrastructure.
Over the past two years, TMK has developed Gurvantes through pilot production, environmental certification and reservoir testing. Recently, it received support for profitable gas utilization, advanced plans for a gas-fired power project, and increased production from its pilot wells.
Mongolia remains largely dependent on coal-fired power and imported electricity, while growing industrial activity in the South Gobi is fueling demand for a secure domestic energy supply. Natural gas is increasingly viewed as a clean transition fuel.
Additional test wells are planned, offshore farming discussions are underway and gas-to-power plans are moving forward as management gathers the people, infrastructure and partnerships needed for the next stage of growth.
Given that the company has now strengthened its ranks with an experienced gas operator in the engine room, the market is likely to be looking at higher production rates, the next phase of drilling and any partnership agreements that could help move the project towards full development.
With commercial momentum building, TMK is positioning itself to play a key role in Mongolia’s future energy supply.
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