An icon and innovator in the Canadian oil and gas scene has died following a battle with cancer at the age of 52.
Suzanne West, who is best known for prioritizing the use of environmental and digital technology to slash emissions, died after being diagnosed with brain cancer.
West established Calgary-based Imaginea Energy Corp. in 2013 in a bid to demonstrate that hydrocarbons could be developed in more sustainable ways. Her personable style was unique in an industry often criticized for being resistant to change.
“It is with sadness and disbelief that we say goodbye to you, our dear friend Suzanne West. Your fight with cancer was brief, but courageous,” the company said in a statement. “You were a force, a brilliant business mind that was charged with a purpose to do things differently, to pioneer and drive forward new approaches to problems that had existed for too long.”
West, who was one of the few female CEOs in Alberta’s oil and gas industry, was vocal about finding a way to create clean hydrocarbons and sustainability in the oil patch.
In November, West split Imaginea IO (founded as Imaginea Energy Corp. in 2013) from U.S.-based Lime Rock Partners and all the company’s oil and gas production-related assets.
“Earlier in the year we came to the conclusion both together that we were not aligned on the same page,” West told Canadian Press. “They just want to be a traditional company focused on profits and I clearly don’t. I want to change the fortunes of our industry and how we participate on the planet side and on the people side.”
(Canadian Press/BNN)
