NAMBC Chairman Edward T. Story Jr. receives Order of the Polar Star from President Ts. Elbegdorj in Ulaanbaatar ceremony

NAMBC Chairman Edward T. Story Jr. was awarded the Order of the Polar Star, Mongolia’s highest decoration, by President Ts. Elbegdorj at a ceremony on September 17 at Government House in Ulaanbaatar.

The President cited Ed for his many years of service in building stronger North America-Mongolia relations and developing the nation’s economy, as the first foreign investor in Mongolia’s petroleum sector, as a philanthropist, and as the first Honorary Consul of Mongolia in the United States and the first Honorary Consul-General in the Western Hemisphere. The ceremony was followed that evening with a dinner in Ed’s honor at the State Guest House hosted by Defense Minister Lu. Bold.

Attending the ceremony were Ed’s wife, Ms. Joey Story, various Mongolian Government officials and, representing the NAMBC, Ms. Myrna Ann Adkins, President of The Spring Institute for Intercultural Learning, a member of the Board of Directors. Ed has served as Chairman and CEO of the NAMBC since 2006 and has been a member of the board of directors for 16 years.

Ed Story is the fifth American to receive the Order of the Polar Star. This represents the third Polar Star awarded to NAMBC officers; it was previously given to Vice Chairman Pete Morrow in 2006 and President Steve Saunders in 2007.

Ed Story is a founder of SOCO International PLC and has been its Chief Executive Officer and President since August 1991. SOCO was the first western oil company to invest in developing Mongolia’s oil resources, discovering proven reserves of 1.5 billion barrels in the Tamtsag Basin alone. SOCO is an international oil and gas exploration and production company, headquartered in London, traded on the London Stock Exchange and a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index. The company has interests in Vietnam, Thailand, the Republic of Congo (Brazzaville), the Democratic Republic of Congo (Kinshasa) and Angola.

Ed has more than 30 years of experience in the international oil and gas industry, including seven years resident in East Asia. He served as President of the international subsidiary of Snyder Oil Corporation and earlier as Vice President of International Operations at Snyder Oil. He was the Founder and served as Chairman of Thaitex Petroleum Company from 1990 to 1991. He was Co-founder, Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer of Conquest Exploration Company from 1981 to 1990. He served as Vice President for Finance and Chief Financial Officer of Superior Oil Company from 1979 to 1981. Ed held the positions of Exploration and Production Controller and Refining Controller of Exxon Corporation from 1975 to 1979. He held various positions in Esso Standard's international companies from 1966 to 1975.

He received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Texas in Austin.

President Ts. Elbegdorj (right) decorates NAMBC Chairman Ed Story with Order of the Polar Star