BG Group named Robert Wilson nonexecutive chairman, effective Jan. 1, 2004, to succeed Richard Giordano, who is retiring from the BG board on Dec. 31.
Wilson is executive chairman of Rio Tinto PLC and will resign from that post effective Oct. 31. He joined BG Group as a nonexecutive director in September 2002.
Upstream moves
Range Resources Corp., Fort Worth, announced that Jeff Ventura will join the firm as executive vice-president and chief operating officer, effective in mid-July.
Since 1997, Ventura has been with Matador Petroleum Corp., Dallas, most recently serving as its president and chief operating officer. Matador is in the process of being sold to Denver-based Tom Brown Inc. (OGJ, May 26, 2003, p. 30).
The Exploration Co., San Antonio, named James J. Bookout its vice-president and chief operating officer, a new position. He will direct TEC's exploration, drilling, and production operations.
P. Mark Stark has joined TEC as vice-president, treasurer, and chief financial officer. He will oversee the company's accounting, finance, and treasury functions.
Bookout has worked for 20 years in exploration and production, having previously worked for Irving, Tex.-based Pioneer Natural Resources USA Inc., Abraxas Petroleum Corp. of San Antonio, and Venus Exploration Inc. of San Antonio. He joined TEC as operations manager last year.
Garner M. Anderson has been promoted to vice-president and treasurer of Black Hills Corp., Rapid City, SD.
A 15-year veteran of Black Hills, Anderson succeeds Richard T. Ashbeck, who resigned to pursue other interests.
Petrochemical moves
Titan Petrochemicals & Polymers Berhad of Kuala Lumpur has promoted James Chao from managing director to chairman, succeeding his father and company founder, T. T. Chao.
The elder Chao will continue to serve as Titan chairman emeritus and chairman of Westlake Group, a Houston-based petrochemical and plastics company he founded in 1985.
Titan also appointed Donald M. Condon Jr. as Titan's managing director. He previously was president and general manager of Conoco Energy Ventures Inc.