Vanco Energy Company is an independent oil and gas company whose mission is to explore and develop oil and gas worldwide, emphasizing deepwater. Since 1997, Vanco Energy Company has built a high-potential deepwater Africa exploration portfolio. The company now holds and operates six large licenses in five countries, including Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Ukraine. Vanco is a leading deepwater acreage holder in Africa with more than 10 million gross deepwater acres under license. In 2007, Vanco expanded into deepwater frontier of the Black Sea by signing Ukraine's first Production Sharing Agreement covering the Prykerchenska area just south of the Crimean Peninsula. Corporate offices are based in Houston. In order to facilitate operating efficiency and good government relations, representative offices headed by respected national employees are located in Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Gabon and Ukraine. Vanco has developed an organization and culture to meet the demands of an international operator. Its people are high-energy, creative and proactive. The management team has more than 150 years of international experience. As an operator in five countries, Vanco believes in being a good corporate citizen and strives to contribute to the communities where it does business by offering scholarships, professional training and assistance with local social programs. Vanco believes in respecting human rights, cultures and customs of its host countries, and works to ensure that all operations are conducted in a safe and environmentally responsible manner.