Craig R. Fishbeck has been appointed president of Vector Pipeline. Fishbeck joins Vector-a partnership of Enbridge Inc., Calgary, Westcoast Energy Inc., Vancouver, BC, and MCN Energy Group Inc., Detroit-from CMS Panhandle, where he served as vice-president, marketing.
The Vector system, which began operations Dec. 1, transports western Canadian and US-sourced natural gas from the market hub in Chicago, to the hub at Dawn, Ont. It also provides access to markets and storage in the upper US Midwest.
Fishbeck replaces Juri Otsason, who served as president during Vector's development and construction phases; Otsason will continue as chairman of the Vector management committee.
Vector also has recently established a new headquarters near Detroit.
Other moves
CMS Energy Corp., Dearborn, Mich., has realigned some of its top executive positions.
David W. Joos has been promoted to executive vice-president and chief operating officer, electric, and Williams J. Haener has been promoted to executive vice-president and COO, natural gas. The two execs replace Victor J. Fryling, president and COO, who has chosen to retire early.
Joos's responsibilities will include US electric utility; independent power; international distribution; and marketing, services, and trading. Haener will be responsible for US interstate natural gas and oil pipelines, including the company's LNG facility, international pipelines, and US gas utility and gas field services.
In addition, Alan M. Wright has been promoted to executive vice-president, chief financial and administrative officer. Most recently, Wright served as senior vice-president and chief financial officer. His responsibilities now include CMS's financial functions, human resources, information technology, and supply chain management.
Two associations have named new leaders.
Peter Swift has been named managing director of the International Association of Independent Tanker Owners (Intertanko). Swift-who will take up his new position Feb. 1, 2001-replaces Dagfinn Lunde.
Swift comes most recently from his position as director, shipbrokers, for Seascope Shipping Ltd., London. Prior to that, he worked for 24 years with Royal Dutch/Shell Group, most recently serving as general manager for Shell unit Shell International Trading & Shipping Co. Ltd.
Commenting on Swift's appointment, Intertanko Chairman Westye Høegh said, "He has long experience in the tanker industry and is very well-known and respected within the industry." Swift also has been involved in the tanker organization's work as chairman of its market research group and as a member of its communications and public relations committee. He also has been a member of other shipping organizations, including the UK Chamber of Shipping and the International Chamber of Shipping.
Svein Ringbakken, who has been serving as the association's interim managing director, will continue in this position until Swift's appointment becomes effective in February.
The Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission (IOGCC), an organization that represents 30 oil and gas-producing states in the US, has appointed new officers to serve under Alaska Gov. Tony Knowles, who will begin his second term as chairman of the commission.
Texas Railroad Commissioner Tony Garza has been named IOGCC's vice-chairman, and Philip N. Asprodites has been named as the commission's second vice-chairman.
Brian H. Dau has been appointed president, Anderson Exploration Ltd., Calgary. The appointment took effect Nov. 15. Dau has also been proposed as a nominee for election to Anderson's board by the shareholders at the next annual meeting, to be held in February 2001.
Dau started at Anderson in 1987 as a petroleum engineer. Since then, he has served in positions in engineering, business development, and exploitation. Most recently, Dau served as executive vice-president and chief operating officer. Dau will continue to act as COO in addition to assuming his new responsibilities.
Sue Ortenstone has been appointed chief executive officer of Epic Energy Pty. Ltd.-Australia's largest transmission company and a joint venture of El Paso Energy Corp. unit El Paso Energy International Co., Dominion Resources Inc., AMP Asset Management Australia Ltd., Deutsche Asset Management (Australia) Ltd., and Hastings Fund Management Ltd. Effective early in 2001, Ortenstone will replace E.J. "Jay" Holm, who will then assume the role of CEO of El Paso Energy's Eastern Pipeline Group.
"...Ortenstone's appointment will provide Epic with strong strategic management capabilities and a business development focus," said Mark Cox, Epic Energy chairman.
Ortenstone has served as president, El Paso Gas Services Co. and president, El Paso Energy Communications Co.
After serving over 5 years, Hernán Lara Perdomo has resigned his position as president of Colombia's Oleoducto Central SA (Ocensa). Lara will go on to serve as president of Oleoducto de Crudos Pesados Ltd. (OCP)-a consortium created by eastern Ecuador heavy oil producers.
While at the helm of OCP, Lara will head up the construction and operation of a new heavy crude pipeline in Ecuador. OCP's partnership consists of Alberta Energy Co. Ltd. (27.3%), Occidental del Ecuador Inc. (23.9%), Repsol-YPF Ecuador SA (25.1%), Agip Oil Ecuador BV (9.6%), Argentina's Techint International Construction Corp. (9%), and Kerr McGee Ecuador (5.1%),
At present, Ocensa's board is looking for Lara's successor.
James D. Weeks joined Winstar Petroleum LLC as president and chief executive officer. Winstar, formerly known as Petersburg Energy LLC, is a fledgling independent oil and gas company with more than 12,000 acres of leases on Alaska's North Slope.
Weeks recently retired from ARCO after 30 years, most of which were spent working on projects in Alaska. He worked on the design on the first production facilities for Prudhoe Bay and was project manager responsible for designing and constructing the initial facilities for the Kuparuk River oil field.
