ChevronTexaco Corp. announced the following senior executive appointments:
George Kirkland has been appointed to the position of executive vice-president, upstream. Kirkland has served in numerous upstream leadership positions in Indonesia; Midland, Tex.; Denver; San Francisco; and Lagos, Nigeria since joining Chevron Corp. in 1974. He assumed his present position as vice-president, ChevronTexaco Overseas Petroleum in January 2002.
Replacing Kirkland is John Watson. Watson joined Chevron in 1980 as a financial analyst and subsequently held various financial and analytical positions in the corporation and Chevron USA Inc. He served as the ChevronTexaco merger integration executive and assumed his current position as vice-president, finance and chief financial officer upon the formation of ChevronTexaco in October 2001.
Additionally, vice-chairman Peter Robertson will join chairman and CEO Dave O'Reilly in the office of the chairman.
Other moves
Patina Oil & Gas Corp. announced that its president, Jay W. Decker, stepped down as an officer and a director. Decker will serve as a consultant to the company until 90 days following the merger with Noble Energy Corp. (see Company News, p. 39).
Thomas J. Edelman, the company's chairman and CEO will assume the additional title of president.
The board of PanOcean Energy Corp. Ltd., St. Helier, Jersey Channel Islands, has appointed Paul L. Keyes as president and CEO.
Keyes began his career with Exxon Production Research Co. In 1981 he joined Forest Oil Corp. as exploration vice-president. In 1993 he became senior advisor and then vice-president, exploration, for Pennzoil Exploration and Production Co.
Keyes has been actively involved with PanOcean as a consultant and as a director for 5 years.
Petroleum Development Corp. (PDC), Bridgeport, W.Va., announced that Thomas E. Riley has been selected as president of the company, filling the position currently held by Steven R. Williams. Williams will remain CEO and chairman.
Riley joined PDC as a vice-president in 1996 when the company acquired Riley Natural Gas (RNG), a natural gas marketing firm founded by Riley in 1987. Riley has continued to serve as president of the RNG subsidiary and in 2003 was promoted to executive vice-president.
Questar Corp., Salt Lake City, has appointed R. Allan Bradley president and chief operating officer of subsidiary Questar Pipeline Co.
Bradley previously spent 12 years as senior vice-president of Coastal Corp. and El Paso Corp. subsidiaries. He left El Paso in 2002 to start a natural gas-consulting business, Ventura Energy LLC. Bradley began his career in 1975 with Exxon Corp. in the finance department.
Devlan Exploration Inc., Calgary, announced Garry Hides as vice-president, land and business development.
Hides began his career with Chevron Canada Resources Ltd., where he spent 13 years in various positions of increasing responsibility. He spent the last 7 years with Calgary-based Petrobank Energy & Resources Ltd., most recently as vice-president, land.
Tulsa-based Syntroleum Corp. announced that it has broadened its management team.
John B. Holmes Jr., currently Syntroleum's president and chief operating officer, has been elected by the board to serve as CEO.
Greg G. Jenkins, a senior executive with more than 20 years of energy industry experience, was appointed as executive vice-president, finance and business development and chief financial officer.
Holmes succeeds Kenneth Agee as CEO, and will retain the title of president. The position of chief operating officer will be vacant.
Agee, who founded the company in 1984 and researched and developed the proprietary Syntroleum process, will continue as chairman and will remain involved in the company's day-to-day business.
Jenkins most recently served in several executive roles at El Paso Corp., including president, Global Petroleum and LNG; president, El Paso Merchant Energy; and president, El Paso Global Networks.
Additionally, Larry Weick, currently chief financial officer, will assume the position of senior vice-president, business development and Ken Roberts will fill the new position of senior vice-president, planning and strategic ventures.
Houston-based Transmeridian Exploration Inc. announced that Steve Thornton has joined the company and will assume the duties of a newly created position: vice-president, operations.
Thornton's professional career spans 30 years working with several major oil companies as well as small independents. He will be relied on to spearhead the company's development program in Kazakhstan as well as its entry into Azerbaijan and other new projects in the region.
Denver-based Whiting Petroleum Corp. announced the retirement of John R. Hazlett, vice-president, land and acquisitions. Replacing Hazlett is David M. Seery.
Seery joined Whiting in July 2004 as a result of the merger with Equity Oil Co. where he was manager of land and exploration. Seery has 24 years of experience including managerial positions with Marathon Oil Co.