Leveraging his extensive industry knowledge, relationships, regional experience and leadership track record, Chris drives performance in Risco’s Investee companies.
Chris Newton
In his 40-year career in oil and gas, Chris has successfully covered the spectrum of the upstream industry – from exploration, development, production and petroleum economics to strategic planning, business development and corporate leadership in public and private companies. Chris is leveraging this success and experience to drive performance in Risco’s Investee companies.
Before establishing Risco Energy with Tom Soulsby in 2010, Chris spent more than 25 years in senior resource industry roles in South East Asia including Managing Director of Fletcher Challenge in Brunei and of Shell Deepwater Borneo, President of Santos’ Indonesian operations, and CEO of Jakarta-listed oil and gas company EMP.
Chris was an active Director of the Indonesian Petroleum Association (IPA) between 2003 to 2008, including serving as President from 2004 to 2007. He remains active in the IPA and is also the oil and gas advisor to the Jakarta-based Castle Asia Group.
A geology graduate from Collingwood College at the University of Durham, England, Chris also holds a Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance and Investment from the Securities Institute of Australia (SIA).
My Insights
Indonesia’s Upstream Investment Imperative
Chris Newton looks at the critical role of energy and specifically oil and gas to Indonesia’s continued economic, political and social success. Essential to this ongoing success is the delivery of sustainable and sufficient oil and gas supply to markets and ultimately consumers.
The National Energy Policy’s stated objectives of energy independence and security fit this requirement. However, successful realization of these objectives needs increased investment in exploration and exploitation, requiring the creation of a competitive and fit for purpose investment environment. If this does not occur, the default option is an uncompetitive environment – leading to falling reserves and production, higher imports and reduced energy independence and security.