A. Our Board of Directors will be an essential component of our successful operation and growth, serving in various support capacities. Through the establishment of relevant committees (Audit, Compensation, Reserves and Nominating and Corporate Governance), the Board of Directors will provide an independent view into all of our operations, providing feedback and guidance on the quality of the projects we may invest in. Additionally, our Board of Directors will regularly confer with senior management to help us ensure that all relevant and required controls are in place and operating appropriately. Our Board of Directors will serve as means of confirming the integrity of senior management’s estimates with respect to valuations, reserve estimates and other crucial components of our business.
Aside from the functions enumerated above, we believe that our Board of Directors will serve as an integral element of our business development efforts. We have identified and appointed board members who we expect will provide both invaluable insight and access to their business relationships in the region, as well as add technical, financial, accounting and other expertise to our management team. Our intention is to generate a substantial amount of our deal flow in conjunction with our Board of Directors.
A. South America is one of the fastest growing geographies in the world. However, as a developing region, certain risks exist that might curtail growth and restrict foreign investment. We try to assess multiple factors when considering entering any geography, particularly: Every project we evaluate goes through an extensive due diligence process. Listed below are some of the qualities we try to find: Opportunities from medium to long term production life with clear understandings of production mechanisms and output levels; Geological formations with multiple producing horizons; Substantial upside potential; and Relatively low capital investment and production costs.