ConocoPhillips reported that Rob McKee—executive vice-president, exploration and production, with Conoco Inc. and Conoco- Phillips since 1992—will retire effective Mar. 31. McKee, who worked 35 years for the company, is currently serving on special assignment to ConocoPhillips CEO Jim Mulva from Jan. 1 until his retirement date.
During his career with Conoco- Phillips predecessor Conoco, McKee held numerous positions including vice-president, refining and marketing, North America; senior vice-president, administration; and executive vice-president, corporate strategy and business development.
Separately, Bill Berry has been promoted to succeed McKee as executive vice-president, exploration and production, effective Jan. 1. Berry, currently president, Asia Pacific, began his career with ConocoPhillips predecessor Phillips Petroleum Co. in 1976.
In 2001, Berry was named senior vice-president, E&P Eurasia-Middle East. He also served as Phillips's director of corporate strategic planning.
Upstream moves
Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has tapped José Eduardo Dutra to become president of Petroleo Brasileiro SA (Petrobras).
Dutra is a member of the Workers Party (PT) and has served in the Senate since 1994, representing Sergipe state.
Dutra is a geologist by training, and had previously worked for the state oil company. However, the appointment raised concerns among oil analysts because of his lack of experience on the business side of the oil industry.
The fact that Dutra will take over the country's largest industrial complex—one of the most profitable companies and a heavyweight on the local stock index—doesn't lessen these concerns.
Separately, Dilma Rousseff, Brazil's new mines and energy minister, was elected Petrobras's chairman.
In January 2002, Brazil opened up the oil products sector for imports and set oil products prices in accordance with international crude prices. This gave Petrobras the freedom to increase the prices of its products. Before that, the government set prices every few months on cooking gas and gasoline.
Rousseff said that to define pricing policies, both Brazil's petroleum and electric power policies should be the role of the ministry and of the state. Rousseff added that she would utilize the federal tax on fuel (CIDE) as a cushion against fluctuation in the price of international crudes (OGJ Online, Dec. 23, 2002).
Petrobras came under fire last year for raising oil and petroleum product prices, spurring inflation in Brazil, which will surpass 10% for the first time since 1994.
BHP Billiton Ltd. and BHP Billiton PLC have appointed Charles Goodyear as chief executive to replace Brian Gilbertson, who resigned because of what BHP Billiton called "irreconcilable differences" with its board.
Goodyear will move from London to the company's headquarters in Melbourne. He formerly was executive vice-president and chief financial officer of Freeport-McMoRan Inc., New Orleans.
Goodyear joined BHP in 1999 as chief financial officer and has served as chief development officer for the BHP Billiton group since June 2001. He was appointed an executive director in November 2001.
As chief development officer, Goodyear supervised the group's portfolio management activities worldwide, its strategy development, and its corporate activity.
Randall K. Eresman has been appointed senior executive vice-president and chief operating officer of Calgary-based EnCana Corp.
In his new position, Eresman will oversee EnCana's global oil and gas exploration and production activities.
Eresman joined EnCana predecessor company Alberta Energy Co. Ltd. (AEC) in 1980, where he played key roles in oil and gas E&P and the development of AEC's gas storage facility. In 1996, he was appointed vice-president of AEC Oil & Gas and in 1999, was appointed president, AEC Oil & Gas Partnership.
Since the creation of EnCana through the merger of Canadian independents PanCanadian Energy Corp. and AEC last year (OGJ, Feb. 4, 2002, p. 35), Eresman has held the position of executive vice-president, onshore North America division.
Cathy Williams, currently controller of Shell Europe Oil Products in London, has been named chief financial officer for Shell Canada Ltd. Williams's appointment will become effective Apr. 1. She succeeds Steinar Stotvig, who has elected to retire effective Mar. 31 after nearly 39 years working for Shell.
Stotvig joined Shell Canada as chief financial officer in 2000 following a number of senior finance positions with Royal Dutch/Shell Group.
Williams joined Shell Canada as a senior analyst in 1984 and held positions of greater responsibility in finance and oil products until she was named treasurer of Shell Canada in 1994. Williams has served in her current position since 2001.
Midstream moves
James M. Collingsworth has been elected senior vice-president of Enterprise Products Partners LP of Houston.
In his new position, Collingsworth will oversee the NGL pipelines at Mont Belvieu, Tex., and west of Mont Belvieu, including the recently acquired Mid-America and Seminole pipelines (OGJ Online, Aug. 13, 2002). He also will be responsible for Enterprise's NGL fractionation business at Mont Belvieu.
Collingsworth has 29 years of experience in the NGL, petrochemical, and refining industries. Before joining Enterprise, he served as senior vice-president, NGL assets and business services, for ChevronTexaco Corp.'s predecessor Texaco Inc. and as a board member of Texaco Canada Petroleum Inc. He worked for Texaco for 10 years.
Before joining Texaco, Collingsworth served as director, feedstocks, for Rexene Petrochemical Co. and worked for Mapco Inc., Tulsa, for 15 years holding numerous positions, including customer service, planning and tariffs, and business development of the Mid-America and Seminole pipelines.
Downstream moves
Jeroen van der Veer, currently president of Royal Dutch Petroleum Co. and vice-chairman of Royal Dutch/Shell Group's committee of managing directors, will assume the role of CEO of Shell Chemicals Ltd. effective Jan. 1.
Van der Veer succeeds Evert Henkes, CEO of Shell's Chemical unit since 1997, who will retire in April. Henkes has worked for Shell for 30 years.
