Cunningham Natural Resources Corp (“CNRC”) is focused on traditional oil and gas opportunities and energy transition materials, including mining opportunities in copper, lithium, gold, as well as other precious and rare earth metals. The investment focus will be global with sustainability at the core of the strategy.
Cunningham Natural Resources represents a singular vision to develop and produce the most gas and oil in a safe and effective way. Our team has the equipment and services to help companies who are operating in the Appalachian Basin. We have state of the art oil and gas equipment, from drills to pumps and more, as well as experts that can provide supervision and advice to make sure companies get the most out of their Appalachian Basin oil field exploration.
Due to copper’s high efficiency, it can be used to generate power from hydro, solar, thermal, and wind energy in turn, reducing carbon emissions. By 2023, it is predicted that copper will support the reduction of global carbon emissions by 16%. Copper is unique due to its ability to be recycled repeatedly without a loss in performance and is naturally occurring in plants, humans, and animals.
Lithium is a critical mineral used to power a variety of industrial applications such as laptops and cell phones, and is a key ingredient used in batteries to power electric vehicles. It is a soft light metal found in rocks and brine deposits with brine mining being the most common extraction method due to more than half of the world’s lithium resources being found in these deposits. Another extraction method is through hard rock mining which involves mining pegmatite lithium deposits through blasting and crushing.
The Nugget Trap Placer Mine claim’s mineable area has been fed by glacial movement and pooling, creating ideal mining conditions for the recovery of gold and silver and boasts some of the most impressive gold discoveries in North America. For decades, it has attracted prospectors in search of a transformative opportunity. Today, the region is experiencing newfound interest thanks to a strengthening gold market and new advances in infrastructure.
Cunningham Natural Resources Corp. recently acquired an interest in Cunningham Mining Ltd (“CML”) with the potential to increase its position over time. CML has completed the acquisition of the Placer Claims, known as the “Nugget Trap Placer Mine” in the British Columbia Mineral Title registry. The Nugget Trap Placer Mine covers 573.7 acres and the accompanying permits and authorizations is situated within the Skeena Mining Division of British Columbia, Canada, in the area known as BC’s Golden Triangle.
Kharrouba Copper Company, Inc. (“KCC”), an investment of CNR, is currently producing cobalt. The demand for cobalt continues to increase as decarbonization efforts progress. Cobalt is a key component in a wide variety of applications such as the battery that powers electric vehicles as well as all other rechargeable batteries such as smartphones and laptops. It is predicted that the global market for cobalt will reach around $20 billion annually by the end of this decade.
Our leadership team consists of experienced and qualified individuals who are committed to the growth and development of the renewable energy transition.
Frank Kristan has more than 30 years of experience in the financial services industry. He became the President of Ludvik Capital, Inc and its successor Ludvik Holdings, Inc in 2005, which provides advisory services to private and public companies and is focused on making investments to increase revenues and portfolio value. Ludvik provides long-term equity and debt investment capital to fund growth, acquisitions, and recapitalizations of small and middle-market companies in a variety of industries primarily located in the U.S. He was formerly the President and CEO of Patriot Advisors, Inc primarily on companies in the energy, technology, telecommunications, and internet related industries. Mr. Kristan earned his Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the University of Western Australia.
Ryan Cunningham is the manager of Cunningham Energy, LLC, an independent producer of oil and gas, which he founded in 2008. He currently directs operations for Cunningham Energy, Marzcorp Oil & Gas Inc., Viper Capital Partners LLC, and Raven Ridge Energy LLC. Mr. Cunningham served as operating partner of Black Crow Oil LLC from 2008 to 2010. From 1999 to 2001, Mr. Cunningham was a sales trader with Oppenheimer & Co. (formerly CIBC World Markets), initially with the private client division and then in its institutional trading group with middle markets and institutional sales trading teams before becoming head sales trader in 2001. Mr. Cunningham has been a Board member of the West Virginia Oil & Gas Association since 2013. Mr. Cunningham received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental Policy from Rollins College.
Mr. Fontaine has 30 years of industry experience with an extensive oil and gas background, including in primary CHOPS production and horizontal well development as well as in enhanced recovery development with Husky, in the Cold Lake and Lloydminster areas of Alberta. Mr. Fontaine has been the founder or primary partner in numerous start-ups including Pure Energy Resources, an ASX listed company which sold for over (Australian) $1 billion. He has also been a principal in listing several companies on the ASX and has helped raise over (Australian) $100 million for exploration and development projects. Mr. Fontaine holds a BSc. in Reservoir Engineering from the University of Alberta.
