Dear Eddy:

Many thanks for taking the time to meet with me to discuss the Commercial Analyst position recently listed on Seek. Further to our conversation, I believe my prior experience in the oil & gas industry, along with the financial modelling skills acquired in a number of roles make me an excellent match for this Commercial Analyst position with Cooper Energy.

I bring demonstrated experience and qualifications in the field of economics, in directly relevant roles across a diverse range of functions. From rigorous financial assessments of companies and their strategic positioning within industry, to commercial analysis and optimisation of projects with complex unit economics (GLNG/Santos), I have 10 years of broad commercial experience, earned both locally and overseas.

An Adelaide local, my professional experience began in Frankfurt, where I worked for a prominent German investment bank, and then for one of the largest asset managers in the world. I became well versed at conducting market research, building complex financial models and then employing a variety of valuation methods to provide commercial insights. I believe the skills acquired in these roles will prove valuable in a commercial analyst role at Cooper Energy.

Returning to Australia in 2010, I held several positions with Santos both in Brisbane and Adelaide. The focus in Brisbane was on gas supply planning - essentially running an economic model, and working with upstream production profiles from a large and complex array of CSG wells to prioritise the cheapest gas molecules to feed through the downstream LNG plant. Returning to Adelaide in 2011 with Santos, I held the position of Markets Analyst. In this role, I was tasked with identifying trends in gas and oil markets, and providing high-level strategic responses to changes in the marketplace. This commercial-focussed role, which required consultation with numerous in-house functions, as well as external market research providers, was critical in determining the market risks the company faced due to changing and sometimes challenging market conditions. I formed part of the team responsible for formalising the strategic priorities of the organisation, optimising future growth and returns on investment, and preserving short term capital and operating spending during a budgetary constrained phase of the company’s growth.

I left Santos of my own accord approximately 6 years ago to pursue an entrepreneurial opportunity. Whilst this opportunity is financially rewarding and has helped me develop my financial analysis skills, I have recently made the decision to belong to something 'larger' and would relish the chance to use my previous experience to benefit Cooper Energy and work alongside colleagues with whom I have worked in the past, and respect.

Thank you for considering my application.

Yours sincerely,

Mai Cole