CALGARY, Alberta – Zeerana Astransy graduated with honors from the University of Alberta in 2012, and quickly made a move to a development role as a geologist-in-training with mid-sized PNG operator, Righteous Resources. After nearly 18 months of development and where she drilled a number of wells, the young GIT is launching a labor lawsuit against Righteous after her dismissal January 12th.
Ms. Astransy
I feel my dismissal was way over exaggerated and that I should have been given another chance to prove myself. I was doing exactly what they told me to do, it’s not my fault they couldn’t see the brilliance in my work! – Zeerana outside the office of Righteous
Ms. Astransy was working on an oil play in central Alberta over the course of her employment at Righteous. The play was targeting 3 zones in the Lower Mandalay formation, all of which are considered Resource Play targets by conventional wisdom, and are not complex reservoirs in terms of structure or lithology.
It seems that once drilling commenced, and the first 4 wells showed little to no economical production, a peer review of her development plan and mapping resulted in a sharp, in depth review of all of her work. It was apparent to the companies senior geologist that Ms. Astransy was mapping according to the latest fall colors from Gucci, and renaming formations and targets she invented because she liked the names. Most of her mapping was of fictional (yet pretty) targets, none of which were based on, nor represented, actual geological formations or environments.
Susan Stripchuck, Manager of the Mandalay Business Unit
We checked her work all the time and it seemed like she was set to bring new insight into the industry. We thought she was a savant genius, but I guess I missed the fact she made it all up. She simply blinded me with her confidence and sweet demeanor. – Susan Stripchuck, Manager of the Mandalay Business Unit
In the wake of her $4 million debacle, and the fact she spent 18 months basically doing nothing but coloring for Righteous, the company’s legal team feels they had every right to terminate her employment. Ms. Astransy’s lawyer, however, argues that without proper mentorship, she could never have reached her potential, and is asking for her reinstatement, and the release of 5 of her senior colleagues. APEGA has also chimed in on this, and seems to agree with her legal council.
George Traghft, VP of PR VP’s, APEGA
We feel that she is a brilliant GIT. her father was a past president here at APEGA, and her uncle sits on the board of a dozen small cap PNG operators. She has geology in her blood, and this simply has to be an oversight by her senior manager. APEGA will seek to strip them of their professional status pending the outcome of her legal battle – George Traghft, VP of PR VP’s, APEGA
