SPE The Way Ahead Energy Influencers 2021

RICHARDSON, TEXAS — (June 29, 2021)

Energy is the world’s most important commodity. Without energy, there is no transportation and without transportation, there is no commerce. While the world economy has a voracious energy appetite, it also has vast energy resources. The supply and consumption of fossil fuels are driving the global energy markets and will continue to do so in the foreseeable future. Through emerging energy technologies, renewables are anticipated to increase their share in the world’s energy mix in the coming decades.

“TWA Energy Influencers Class of 2021″ consists of 17 exceptional young professionals, under the age of 36, who excel in their fields at a level superior to that of their peers, yielding second-to-none achievements. Their outstanding efforts help shape the narrative around key issues in the energy sector for future generations. Yet, above all else, their commitment and dedication to excellence should inspire and motivate us all.

SPE TWA received numerous high-quality nominations from different parts of the world. An exhaustive, three-step evaluation framework developed by the TWA committee was used. The nominees were evaluated on various scales such as academic and technical credentials; quality of work experience; awards; positions of responsibility; volunteering; and academic, industrial, and social impact. The result was the selection of 17 TWA Energy Influencers whose candidature had the intrinsic qualities of going above and beyond.

Ashley Zumwalt-Forbes is an engineer with 9 years’ experience in acquiring, financing, and developing both greenfield and brownfield natural resources projects around the globe. She currently serves as a director, cofounder, and president of Black Mountain Metals, a private battery metals mining company; Black Mountain Exploration, a private natural gas company; and Black Mountain Carbon Lock, a private carbon-negative company.

A few months into working for Black Mountain’s oil and gas upstream unit, while investigating a way to diversify the company’s revenue streams to take advantage of the global electrification trend, Zumwalt-Forbes came up with the strategy to start Black Mountain Metals to mine Class I nickel sulfide, which goes into lithium-ion battery cathodes, and copper, which is a conductor in electrical systems. She identified opportunities in Western Australia, raised around $75 million from investors, and facilitated the acquisition of a nickel-copper-cobalt mine called Lanfranchi in Kambalda and 20% of a nickel mining company called Poseidon Nickel. She built operating systems and corporate processes from the ground up to ensure adequate controls on safety and capital expenditure, and established the reputation and brand for the company in Perth.

Prior to joining Black Mountain in 2017, she worked in lead engineering roles at ExxonMobil and XTO Energy, managing drilling, completions, and planning aspects of international shale exploration, laying the groundwork for greater than $1 billion in capital deployment.

Zumwalt-Forbes serves as a strategic advisory board member for Hennessy Capital and is a member of the advisory boards of the Female Venture Fund, TCU Energy Institute, Polestar, and the University of Oklahoma’s School of Petroleum Engineering. She holds a BS degree in petroleum engineering from the University of Oklahoma and an MBA from Harvard Business School. Zumwalt-Forbes was recently highlighted as the featured honoree on the 2020 Forbes 30 under 30 in Energy list.

Source: https://jpt.spe.org/twa/twa-energy-influencers-2021