Personnel Moves and Promotions

Royal Dutch/Shell Group plans to appoint Rob J. Routs as group managing director in the Netherlands effective July 1, and will appoint Lynn Elsenhans as president of Shell Oil Products US and country chair effective June 16 to succeed Routs.

Routs succeeds Paul D. Skinner, who is retiring Sept. 30 after 40 years of service with Shell.

In addition, Judith G. Boynton will be appointed managing director of Shell Petroleum Co. Ltd. and a member of Shell Petroleum NV's presidium of the board, which includes leading executives from Shell's UK offices and Shell offices in the Netherlands. Thereby, Boynton becomes a group managing director of Shell, effective July 1.

Routs was appointed Equilon Enterprises LLC president and CEO in 2000, and after Shell's acquisition of Texaco Inc.'s interest in Equilon, he became Shell Oil Products US president and CEO (OGJ, Apr. 1, 2002, p. 34). In addition, he became Shell Oil Co. president and US country chairman on Sept. 1, 2002.

In 1999, Routs became president of Shell Global Solutions International. Previously, he was Shell Canada Oil Products president after working in various refinery management positions in Canada since 1978.

Elsenhans was named director, strategic planning, sustainable development, and external affairs, for Shell International Ltd. in London in July 2002. A former president and CEO of Shell Deer Park Refining Co., she has had assignments in oil products and chemical products manufacturing, marketing, and planning.

Her senior management assignments with Shell include manager natural gas in US E&P; manger lubricants in US oil products; vice-president refining, Equilon; and president of Shell oil products East, Singapore.

Boynton will retain her current positions as director of finance and chief financial officer for Shell. She joined Shell Group June 1, 2001.

Previously, she was executive vice-president, business development, and chief financial officer of Polaroid Corp., Cambridge, Mass. During 1978-98, Boynton held various finance, strategy, and merger and acquisition positions with BP PLC predecessor Amoco Corp., including vice-president and controller.

Upstream moves

Goodrich Petroleum Corp., Houston, has made a number of executive-level appointments: Henry Goodrich has been elected chairman-emeritus. Patrick E. Malloy III has been elected nonexecutive chairman. Walter G. Goodrich was appointed vice-chairman and will remain CEO. Robert C. Turnham Jr. has been named president and remains the company's chief operating officer. Mark E. Ferchau has been promoted to senior vice-president, engineering and operations. Douglas B. Selvius was promoted to senior vice-president, exploration. James B. Davis has been promoted to vice-president, engineering and operations. Henry Goodrich Jr. will assume the responsibilities of vice-president, corporate planning and business development. Kirkland H. Parnell was promoted to vice-president, finance and controller.

Patrick O'Brien has been named president and CEO of Casper, Wyo.-based American Oil & Gas Inc. O'Brien succeeds Alan Gelfand, who has resigned as American's president but will remain on the company's board.

O'Brien has 30 years of experience in the petroleum industry, with the majority of his experience being in the Rocky Mountain region.

Prior to working for American, O'Brien cofounded Tower Colombia Corp. and serves as the company's president. In 1980, O'Brien started Tower Drilling Co.

O'Brien also worked for the Dowell division of Dow Chemical Co., Colorado Interstate Gas Co., and Montana Power Co., where he served in various engineering and management positions.

Logan Magruder has been hired by Berry Petroleum Co. of Bakersfield, Calif., to serve as the company's acquisition consultant. In his new position, which became effective Feb. 1, Magruder evaluates and negotiates oil and natural gas opportunities for Berry in the Rockies and in the Midcontinent, the company said. Berry said it also will open a Denver-based office "to facilitate these efforts."

Prior to his appointment, Magruder served in Denver as vice-president, US operations, for Houston-based Calpine Natural Gas Co. Before that, Magruder worked 5 years for Denver-based Barrett Resources Corp., which was acquired in 2001 by Williams Cos. Inc. (OGJ Online, May 7, 2001).

Greg Ostendorf has been named director, information technology (IT), for Apache Corp., Houston. He has served as acting director since summer of last year.

Ostendorf joined Apache in 2001 as senior manager, applications in the IT group. Before that, he was with Unocal Corp. in various IT and accounting positions.

C. Jason Smith has been promoted to the position of manager, international operations, for Murphy Oi

Smith joined Murphy as a senior planning analyst in September 2000. Prior to that, he served in various operating roles for a major oil company.

Thomas L. Owsley has been elected president of Baltimore, Md.-based refiner Crown Central Petroleum

Most recently, Owsley, who has been part of Crown's management team for 20 years, served as senior vice-president, general counsel, and corporate secretary for the company.

Rosenberg has accepted the position of executive vice-president of Rosemore Inc., Crown's parent firm. Rosenberg has been in the management of Crown since 1986 and has served as president since 2001.

Murphy Oil Corp. reported that it would be making some organizational changes within the company.

W. Michael Hulse has been named executive vice-president, worldwide downstream operations. Separately, Charles A. Ganus has been named president of the newly formed Murphy USA Retail Marketing Co. Both moves will be concurrent with the retirement of Herbert A. Fox Jr., executive vice-president, worldwide downstream operations, on Apr. 1. Fox retires after having served with Murphy for more than 33 years.

Hulse joined Murphy in May 1990 as manager, crude supply. He held numerous positions before being named president, Murphy Eastern Oil Co., in April 1996. In November 2001, he was promoted to president, Murphy Oil USA Inc., a position he will retain in addition to his new worldwide responsibilities.

Ganus joined Murphy in March 1984 as an associate attorney. He has held numerous positions in Murphy's supply and marketing groups, most recently serving as senior vice-president, marketing, for Murphy Oil USA. Ganus will continue to be responsible for all retail operations and asphalt sales.

Other moves

Thomas E. Skains has been named president and CEO of Charlotte, NC-based Piedmont Natural Gas Co. Inc.

Skains has held the position of president and chief operating officer since February 2002. Prior to that, he served as senior vice-president, marketing and supply services.

Richard T. Williams has been elected CEO of Knoxville, Tenn.-based Tengasco. Williams, who currently serves as the company's chief operating officer, succeeds M.E. Ratliff, who has been CEO since 1998.

Ratliff will remain a member of the company's board. The position of chief operating officer has been terminated, and its duties assigned to the CEO.

James A Cisarik has been elected senior vice-president of Enterprise Products Partners LP, Houston.

Cisarik, with 20 years' experience in the natural gas pipeline industry, joined Enterprise in April 2001, after the company acquired Acadian Gas LLC from a unit of Shell Oil Co. Before that, he worked as senior vice-president for Coral Energy LLC, a unit of Shell. Prior to working for Coral, Cisarik held various positions with Tejas Gas Corp., which was acquired by Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP of Houston in late 2001 (OGJ Online, Dec. 17, 2001).

In his new position, Cisarik will oversee the company's commercial activities of its natural gas business.