Shell veteran joins Eco Atlantic as Operations VP to guide 2026 offshore drilling
Eco (Atlantic) Oil & Gas Ltd. has appointed Keely Pearce (née Harris) as Vice President, Operations, effective immediately. The Calgary- and Toronto-listed explorer said the role is intended to strengthen oversight of its appraisal, seismic and drilling programs across the Atlantic margins offshore Guyana, Namibia and South Africa.
Pearce previously served in senior leadership positions at Shell, where she gained extensive experience in exploration geoscience, field operations and joint-venture management within Southern Africa’s regulatory environment. Her Shell tenure included responsibility for asset planning, license stewardship and the coordination of offshore well campaigns, providing her with direct exposure to complex reservoir and infrastructure-led developments.
Beyond Shell, Pearce held executive roles at Impact Oil & Gas Limited, contributing to seismic interpretation and exploration strategy across multiple international portfolios. The company noted that her combined technical and operational background spans project execution, drilling logistics, and long-term capital planning for emerging offshore basins.
Gil Holzman, President and CEO of Eco Atlantic, said the appointment adds depth to the leadership team as Eco continues evaluating the next stage of appraisal wells. “I am pleased to warmly welcome Keely to our team,” he commented, emphasizing that her career has been shaped by hands-on involvement in offshore programs and collaboration with host governments and national oil companies.
Keely Pearce brings more than three decades of industry experience, including participation in the team that discovered the Venus field offshore Namibia and significant work within Namibia and South Africa operations. Eco said the new Vice President, Operations will oversee ongoing delineation efforts and the integration of intelligent completions, seismic models and infrastructure-proximate tie-backs as the company plans activity for 2026 and beyond.
