Marathon Ashland Petroleum LLC (MAP) late last month reorganized some of its key management positions. All changes became effective Jan. 1. The revamp comes close on the heels of a recent reorganization within MAP's parent firm, Marathon Oil Co., which holds a 62% interest in MAP (OGJ, Sept. 25, 2000, p. 42).
Gary R. Heminger has been appointed executive vice-president, supply, transportation, and marketing. Heminger joined Marathon in 1975 and has held a number of managerial positions, including vice president, western division, for Emro Marketing Co., and president, Marathon Pipe Line Co. In 1996, he was named manager, business development and joint interest, for Marathon Oil Co. Then in 1998, he was named vice-president, business development, for MAP. He most recently served as senior vice-president, business development, starting in 1999.
D. Duane Gilliam has been appointed executive vice-president, strategic planning and external and environmental affairs and services. In his new position, Gilliam will direct the company's strategic planning process. He will also manage joint-interest pipeline activities, which will include serving on the boards of both the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port and Colonial Pipeline. Gilliam also will coordinate MAP's state governmental affairs activities.
Gilliam joined Ashland in 1967 and served in various managerial positions before he was named executive assistant, director, and vice-president of administration for Scurlock Oil Co. in 1984. He was named president of the newly combined Scurlock Permian Corp. in 1991. The following year, Gilliam assumed the role of group vice-president, crude oil supply and transportation group, at Ashland Petroleum Co. He served as executive vice-president, petroleum operations, and senior vice-president for Ashland Inc. and as president of Ashland Petroleum Co. Most recently, he served as executive vice-president, MAP.
Anthony R. "Tony" Kenney has been appointed vice-president, business development. Currently, Kenney serves as vice-president, finance and information technology, for Speedway SuperAmerica LLC, Enon, Ohio. Kenney will coordinate the business development activities of the supply and transportation and refining and marketing groups; recommend new downstream ventures; and evaluate and develop recommendations regarding proposed major construction projects, expenditures, and operating changes related to pipeline and terminal ventures.
Kenney joined Marathon Oil Co. in 1976 and served in a number of managerial positions in auditing, treasury, and finance before being named vice-president, finance and administration, at Emro Marketing. In 1998, he assumed his current responsibilities.
Other moves
Unocal Corp. said that it will relocate about 250 jobs from its Lafayette, La., office to the Houston suburb of Sugarland over the next 10-12 months. The shift, says Unocal, will not affect its "significant presence" in Louisiana, where 50-100 workers will remain. The Lafayette office serves as operations base for Unocal's 33 Gulf of Mexico region fields, which include onshore fields in Texas, Louisiana, and Alabama and fields on the Gulf of Mexico shelf.
"This move will allow us to increase our growth focus on the gulf region," said Ken Butler, vice-president of Unocal Gulf Region USA. "In addition to lowering our costs for travel and office space, making this move will increase our exposure to new business opportunities and access to employment markets for geoscience and engineering professionals," Butler added.
Unocal said that the move will create some position redundancies but at presstime would not estimate how many employees would be affected , saying only that the cuts would be "minimal" in relation to the size of its gulf region workforce.
Sigmund L. (Sig) Cornelius has been elected to serve as treasurer of Conoco Inc. Cornelius replaces Miguel W. (Mike) Espinosa, who will retire in April after 35 years with the company.
Cornelius joined Conoco in 1980. Since then, he has held a number of positions in the company's natural gas and gas products unit. In 1989, he was named manager of natural gas sales in Houston. He was named manager, business development, for Conoco's upstream North America group in 1992. In 1994, he relocated to Calgary to serve as president and general manager of Conoco Canada Ltd.
He was named president of Conoco's UAE affiliate, Dubai Petroleum Co., in 1997. Most recently, he was assistant treasurer and general manager, mergers, acquisitions, and structured finance, a position he accepted in 1999.
Espinosa started at Conoco in the treasury department in 1965. He held positions in the company's subsidiaries in Spain and the UK before becoming treasurer of Conoco Europe Ltd. in 1972. Following that, he held a number of positions in the treasury department and was named assistant treasurer in 1981 and then treasurer in 1998.
"Mike has had a very distinguished career at Conoco," said Archie W. Dunham, Conoco chairman, president, and chief executive officer. "He provided instrumental leadership in the financial community that was critical to our success in gaining independence [from former parent Du Pont Co.] 2 years ago."
Robin A. Forté has been named executive vice-president of the American Association of Professional Landmen (AAPL). Separately, William D. Patterson has been named director of education and general counsel. Fort? has more than 20 years of oil, gas, and landman experience. He also has 6 years of association work as former AAPL director of education. Midland, Tex., attorney Bill Patterson accepted the position of AAPL director of education and general counsel late last year.
The Houston Chapter of the Society of Independent Professional Earth Scientists has named its officers for 2001. They are C. Randall Schott, chairman; Patrick H. "Pat" McKinney, chairman-elect; Patrick J. Shannon, secretary; and C.G. "Bud" Tyner, treasurer.