Wentworth appoints Aaron LeBlanc as its new operating chief

Tanzania-focussed natural gas production company Wentworth announced the appointment of Aaron LeBlanc as its chief operating officer on Thursday, with immediate effect.

The AIM-traded firm said LeBlanc is a Canadian national based in London, and holds a Bachelor of Science, Geology from the University of Calgary.

It said he had 19 years of experience in the oil and gas sector, during which time he had accumulated a “wealth of technical and managerial experience”, as well as a “strong track record” in Tanzania.

“We are delighted to welcome Aaron to the team to support our ambition to be a leading, domestic natural gas producer in Tanzania,” said chief executive officer Katherine Roe.

“Alongside his regional expertise, Aaron has an excellent track record in guiding companies and teams through operational growth and success.

“I am confident that he will be incredibly valuable to the company as we continue to focus on the right growth opportunities within our existing assets and across Tanzania.”

LeBlanc began his career as a senior geologist at NYSE-listed Devon Energy, before transitioning into executive roles, including vice-president of exploration at Serinus Energy, which included “significant expansion” of that company's operated exploration and development assets in South East Asia, Eastern Europe and in North Africa.

In LeBlanc's recent role as chief operating officer at Aminex, he led operations of the Ntorya gas field project in southern Tanzania during a critical period, which included the drilling of the Ntorya-2 well and oversaw significant increases in the reported resources of the project.

LeBlanc is also a director of Innertise.

Wentworth said that during his career, he had worked internationally, engaging with a “broad range” of stakeholders from national and regional governments, partners and contractors to employees and communities, with first-hand experience of entering new and complex jurisdictions.

“Joining Wentworth at a time when the company is in the most financially and operationally robust position in its corporate history is a very exciting prospect and I look forward to working with the entire team to strengthen this position even further,” Aaron LeBlanc said.

“I've watched Wentworth transform over the years and I'm looking forward to bringing a complementary skillset, including an in-depth knowledge of Tanzania, to the management team to help maximise the value of Mnazi Bay and to drive new growth in Tanzania.”

At 1055 GMT, shares in Wentworth Resources were up 2.96% at 23.68p.