Royal Dutch/Shell Group, Phillips Petroleum Co., and Devon Energy Corp. each recently promoted executives to key international positions.
Alan Parsley, currently CEO of Shell Development (Australia) Pty. Ltd., has been appointed chairman of Shell Australia Ltd., effective Oct. 1. He also will become chairman of Shell Refining (Australia) Pty. Ltd. and Shell Co. of Australia Ltd. Parsley succeeds Peter Duncan, who will retire Sept. 30.
Parsley has served at his present position since April 1999. In January 1996, he was named director, new business development, of Shell EP International Ventures BV/Inc., The Hague. Parsley joined Shell in 1969 and has served in various executive positions worldwide. He left Shell from 1977-89 to work for British National Oil Co., which later became Britoil.
W.B. (Bill) Berry has been promoted by Phillips Petroleum Co. from vice-president, exploration and production, Eurasia-Middle East, to senior vice-president of that unit. In 1997, Berry was named vice-president, international exploration and production, new ventures, after directing Phillips's operations in China since 1992.
The Chinese government recognized Berry in 1996 as an outstanding foreign expert. Previously, he managed international drilling and production and also managed corporate planning and budgeting.
David J. Sambrooks has been named international division vice-president and general manager for Devon Energy Corp., Oklahoma City. Previously, Sambrooks served as Devon Energy's production manager, South America.
Before Devon Energy merged with Santa Fe Snyder Corp., Sambrooks served as general manager, international business development and Western Hemisphere production for Sante Fe Snyder. Sambrooks began his career with Sun Exploration & Production Co., which later became Dallas-based Oryx Energy Co.
Upstream moves
Robbie Rice Gries was named the first woman president of the American Associa- tion of Petroleum Geologists. Gries served as AAPG president-elect for 2000-01. She began her career teaching geology at Wichita State University and in 1973 joined Texaco Inc. in Denver. She formed Priority Oil & Gas in 1992. She oversaw the merger of two Colorado companies in 1993 and served as director and vice-president of the merged companies for 1 year. Since 1995, she has been Priority president and CEO.
Michael L. Rafael was appointed president, CEO, and chairman of Barnett Energy Corp., Dallas, at the same time as Boyd Energy Corp. announced a company restructuring and name change to Barnett Energy. Rafael succeeded Boyd Branch, who resigned as president but remains on the board.
An oil and gas consultant for more than 15 years, Rafael has studied the Barnett shale play of North Texas since 1997. He entered the industry in 1980 and has drilled more than 250 oil and gas wells. Rafael is a past president of the Kentucky Independent Petroleum Producer's Association.
Downstream moves
Tommy Berry has been appointed CEO of Meteor Marketing Inc., a subsidiary of Capco Energy Inc., Orange, Calif. Previously, Berry was vice-president, marketing, for Total Petroleum Inc. and a petroleum industry consultant for Price- waterhouseCoopers LLP.
He brings more than 20 years of industry experience to Meteor Marketing, an independent distributor of refined petroleum products.
Fran Keeth has been named president of Shell Chemical LP. She succeeds Jerry Golden, who retired after 31 years service with the Royal Dutch/Shell. Keeth also will serve as executive vice-president, customer fulfillment, for Shell Chemicals Ltd. Previously, Keeth was executive vice-president, finance and business systems, for Shell Chemical.