Personnel Moves & Promotions: Fu Chengyu becomes CNOOC Ltd. chairman, CEO

Nov. 3, 2003
Fu Chengyu becomes CNOOC Ltd. chairman, CEO CNOOC Ltd., Hong Kong, has appointed Fu Chengyu as chairman and CEO, succeeding Wei Liucheng, who resigned to accept a position with the Hainan provincial government in southern China.

CNOOC Ltd., Hong Kong, has appointed Fu Chengyu as chairman and CEO, succeeding Wei Liucheng, who resigned to accept a position with the Hainan provincial government in southern China.

Earlier this month, Fu also was appointed president of China National Offshore Oil Corp. (CNOOC), the company's parent. Previously he had been vice-president of CNOOC and chief operating officer and president of CNOOC Ltd.

Fu has 28 years of industry experience, working in China for local and international oil companies. He joined CNOOC in 1982.

Upstream moves

Syncrude Canada Ltd., Fort McMurray, Alta., has named Charles F. Ruigrok CEO, effective Dec. 15, to succeed the retiring Eric P. Newell, who has been chairman since 1994 and CEO since 1989.

Ruigrok currently is vice-president, oil sands development and research, for Imperial Oil Resources Ltd. Since 2000, he has been a member of Syncrude's board and management committee.

Coincident with Ruigrok's appointment, Marcel R. Coutu, president and CEO of Canadian Oil Sands Ltd., will become Syncrude Canada Ltd. chairman.

Far East Energy Corp., Houston, has appointed Michael R. McElwrath CEO, president, and a director.

McElwrath's energy career spans 26 years. He served as a US acting assistant secretary of energy for fossil fuels under former President George H.W. Bush and as an international negotiator and special energy advisor to the secretary of the Interior for former President Ronald Reagan.

Wiser Oil Co. has appointed Matt A. Eagleston president of the company. He succeeds A. Wayne Ritter, who retired after 12 years with Wiser.

Eagleston joined Wiser in 1995 and held positions of increasing responsibility until his 2002 appointment as vice-president, production. Previously, he was with Snyder Oil Corp., Fort Worth.

Petrosearch Corp. has named David Collins vice-president and chief financial officer. A new holding company, Petrosearch's predecessor was Texas Commercial Resources Inc., Houston.

Petrosearch holds interests in oil and natural gas properties in Texas and North Dakota.

Previously, Collins was chief financial officer for the Kazi Management Group, a diversified investment and management organization. Interests include Kazi Energy, a south Texas independent producer.

Integrated moves

Paul M. Anderson has been named chairman and CEO of Duke Energy Corp., Charlotte, NC, Nov. 1. He succeeds Richard B. Priory, who is retiring early next year. Priory will work with Anderson during the transition period.

Anderson served as Duke Energy president and chief operating officer immediately following the merger of Duke Power Co. and PanEnergy Corp. (OGJ, Dec. 2, 1996, p. 44).

At the time of the merger, he was chairman, president, and CEO of PanEnergy.

Anderson left Duke Energy in 1998 to become managing director and CEO of BHP Ltd. and succeeded in returning that company to profitability. BHP later merged with Billiton PLC to create BHP Billiton Petroleum Pty. Ltd., which he led as CEO until his 2002 retirement.

Merrill Lynch Global Securities Research & Economics Group issued a statement saying that analysts consider Duke's "management change as a positive catalyst for the company's longer-term recovery."

Trade association moves

Kvisle
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The Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA) board has elected TransCanada Corp. Pres. and CEO Harold N. Kvisle as INGAA's 2004 chairman.

Kvisle succeeds Fred J. Fowler, Duke Energy president and chief operating officer, as INGAA chairman.

INGAA also elected Keith O. Rattie, president and CEO for Questar Corp. as INGAA first vice-chairman.

The American Gas Association has elected Robert W. Best, chairman, president, and CEO of Dallas-based Atmos Energy Corp. as the AGA 2004 chair.

He was elected during last month's annual executive conference and board meeting near Atlanta.

In addition, AGA has elected Laurence Downes, chairman and CEO of New Jersey Resources Corp., Wall, NJ, as its first vice-chairman.

Currently, Downes is chairman of the AGA government relations policy committee.