By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Mar. 31 -- Citgo Petroleum Corp., Houston, appointed Frank Gygax chief operating officer, effective Apr. 1. Gygax succeeds 35-year Citgo veteran Jerry Thompson, who will retire. Gyrax's appointment is one of several promotions following Thompson's departure.
Previously Gygax served as Citgo's vice-president of refining. Before that, he served as president of Sincor, a joint venture of Petroleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA), TotalFinaElf SA, and Statoil ASA, and as general manager of PDVSA's Paraguaná refining complex.
Separately, Al Prebula was named vice-president of refining. He joined Citgo in 1992 as general manager of technical services at the Corpus Christi, Tex., refinery. He was named vice-president of that refinery in March 1996 and continued in that role until 1999 when he became vice-president of the Lake Charles Manufacturing Complex in Lake Charles, La. Before joining Citgo, Prebula worked for Exxon Corp. for 24 years.
Randy Carbo has been named vice-president, Lake Charles Manufacturing Complex. He joined Citgo in 1976 as a process engineer of this facility and later served as vice-president and general manager of the Corpus Christi refinery.
Eduardo Asseff succeeds Carbo as vice-president and general manager, Corpus Christi refinery. Asseff transferred to Citgo from PDVSA in April 1999. At PDVSA, he held several positions of increasing responsibility in the project, process engineering, maintenance, and operations areas.
Bill Hatch, Citgo vice-president of supply and distribution since September 2004, will assume additional responsibility as vice-president of supply and marketing. He joined Citgo in 1975 at the Lake Charles refinery as a process engineer.
