In presenting the award, APPEA chairman Colin Beckett paid tribute to Streitberg's long-standing commitment to conservation and his engagement with traditional owners.

"Mr Streitberg is a figure of great stature in our industry, both figuratively and literally, and he is truly an example of how one person can energise and lead positive change," Beckett said.

"With over 36 years of experience in the industry, Mr Streitberg is highly regarded by his peers for his manner, his values and for his passion for exploration in far-flung areas such as Canada, Bolivia, Libya, PNG and more recently in the Perth and Canning Basins of Western Australia."

Beckett noted that Streitberg had built strong partnerships with the indigenous communities in areas in which Arc operates.

"He has built companies that have outwardly expressed in their actions and activities, some of his own core values of respecting and valuing the people around him. Eric has extended that human touch in building strong partnerships with the indigenous communities in which Arc operates, prominent among those being the Noonkanbah people in northern WA," Beckett said.

"Similarly, his interest in conservation through his Chairmanship of the Western Australian Marine Parks and Reserves Authority has seen a system of marine reserves put in place that have adhered to the multiple-use principle but have also taken major steps to ensuring we have a marine environment we and future generations can enjoy in a sustainable way."

Streitberg is a current APPEA councillor and has previously served as APPEA's vice-chairman and chairman of its exploration committee.