AKITA Announces New President and Chief Executive Officer

CALGARY, AB, March 20, 2023 /CNW/ - AKITA Drilling Ltd. (TSX: AKT.A)

AKITA Drilling Ltd. ("the Company") today appointed Colin Dease as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective April 3^rd, 2023.  With the Company for over twelve years, Mr. Dease will become the Company's fourth Chief Executive Officer over the last thirty years and succeeds Linda Southern-Heathcott who will continue to serve the Company as Executive Chair.

"I am honoured by the opportunity to lead AKITA Drilling," said Mr. Dease.  "I am fortunate to have been  involved in a wide range of the Company's business activities and learned a great deal from AKITA's previous leadership team. Our Company survived several challenging years and is now poised for recovery, it is an exciting time for AKITA."

Mr. Dease gained practical experience growing up on a family farm in Saskatchewan before beginning his professional career as a lawyer in 2002, where he worked at two different law firms prior to joining AKITA. During his twelve-year career at AKITA, he served as Legal Counsel, Corporate Secretary, Vice-President of Canadian Operations, Canadian Division President, and President and Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Dease currently serves as Chairman of the Board of the Canadian Association of Energy Contractors and received his ICD.D designation in 2022 from the Institute of Corporate Directors.

AKITA is an Alberta corporation engaged in the contract drilling business in Western Canada and in the Permian Basin and is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol AKT.

SOURCE AKITA Drilling Ltd.

INVESTOR INQUIRIES: Darcy Reynolds CPA, CA, Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer, [phone]