Dividend Power Score
A single, comprehensive score designed to measure the true strength of a company’s dividend.
This score combines three essential pillars of dividend quality:
Consistency – Measures how reliable the dividend has been over time, focusing on payment history, stability, and the absence of cuts or suspensions.
Payability – Assesses the company’s financial ability to sustain its dividend, taking into account cash flow, earnings coverage, balance sheet strength, and overall financial health.
Growth – Evaluates the long-term growth of both the dividend and the company’s share price, highlighting businesses that consistently increase payouts while creating shareholder value.
Higher scores identify companies that have historically delivered dependable income alongside sustained dividend growth and long-term capital appreciation.
Company Overview
Touchstone Exploration Inc. is a Canada-based upstream oil and natural gas exploration and production company focused on onshore assets in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. The company operates within the oil and gas exploration and production industry, with activities spanning seismic evaluation, drilling, development, and production of hydrocarbons. Touchstone’s revenues are primarily derived from crude oil sales into domestic and export markets and, increasingly, from natural gas production sold under long-term contracts to the national gas purchaser.
The company’s core business is the exploration and development of conventional onshore hydrocarbon resources, with a strategic emphasis on high-impact exploration and scalable gas development. Touchstone is differentiated by its large onshore land position in a proven hydrocarbon basin, low-cost operating environment, and exposure to premium-priced natural gas contracts. Founded in the mid-2000s through the acquisition of Trinidadian assets, the company has evolved from a junior oil producer into a growth-oriented exploration and development company following significant natural gas discoveries beginning in 2021.
Business Operations
Touchstone conducts its operations through a portfolio of operated onshore exploration and production licenses in Trinidad and Tobago, where it maintains full operational control. The company’s activities are organized around two primary business streams: crude oil production from legacy fields and natural gas development from exploration and appraisal discoveries. Revenue is generated through oil sales and gas sales contracts, with gas volumes delivered to the state-owned National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago.
The company controls seismic data, drilling infrastructure, and producing assets across multiple license blocks. Its principal subsidiary, Touchstone Exploration (Trinidad) Ltd., holds the majority of operating licenses and conducts local operations. Touchstone does not currently report joint ventures of material significance but engages in contractual relationships with drilling contractors, service providers, and government entities as part of its exploration and development programs.
Strategic Position & Investments
Touchstone’s strategic direction centers on transitioning toward a natural gas–weighted production profile while maintaining stable oil output to support cash flow. Growth initiatives focus on the development of recent onshore gas discoveries, including facilities construction, pipeline tie-ins, and phased production expansion. The company has invested heavily in exploration drilling and infrastructure to monetize discovered gas under multi-year, fixed-price gas sales agreements.
Major capital investments have been directed toward appraisal and development wells, centralized processing facilities, and export infrastructure. Touchstone’s portfolio is entirely organic, with growth driven by exploration success rather than large-scale acquisitions. The company is strategically positioned to benefit from Trinidad and Tobago’s gas-focused energy policy and established downstream LNG and petrochemical industries, which support sustained demand for domestic natural gas supply.
Geographic Footprint
Touchstone’s operational footprint is concentrated exclusively in Trinidad and Tobago, where it holds interests in multiple onshore exploration and production blocks across southern and central Trinidad. The company is headquartered in Calgary, Canada, while operational management and field activities are conducted locally through its Trinidad-based subsidiary.
Although geographically concentrated, Touchstone’s production has indirect international exposure through Trinidad and Tobago’s role as a major exporter of LNG and petrochemical products. The company does not currently maintain operations in other regions but leverages Canadian capital markets and international service providers to support its development activities.
Leadership & Governance
Touchstone is led by an experienced executive team with backgrounds in international exploration, production, and capital markets. The leadership emphasizes disciplined capital allocation, operational control, and value creation through exploration success and infrastructure-led development. Governance is overseen by a board of directors with experience in energy, finance, and public company management.
Key executives include:
- Paul Baay – President and Chief Executive Officer
- James Shipka – Chief Financial Officer
- Michael Johnstone – Vice President, Asset Development
- Peter Nicol – Vice President, Exploration
The leadership team’s strategic vision is focused on building a sustainable, gas-oriented production platform in Trinidad and Tobago while maintaining financial flexibility and operational transparency.