Gulfport Energy Corp. has hired James D. Palm as chief executive officer, a position held by Mike Liddell, who will continue to serve as chairman and a director of the Oklahoma City-based company.
Palm is the founder of Crescent Exploration LLC, an independent oil and gas company that operates in Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle.
Previously Palm served in various positions, including operations manager, vice-president of operations, and vice-president of exploration and operations at Ricks Exploration Co. in Oklahoma City. He also worked at Gulf Oil Corp. in Pittsburgh, Pa., and McAlester Fuel Co. in McAlester, Okla.
Upstream moves
Cohort Energy Co., a subsidiary of J-W Operating Co., Addison, Tex., named Gene C. Daley president. Daley succeeds Paul Westerman, who was promoted to chief operating officer.
Prior to joining Cohort, Daley worked as an independent consultant for 3 years. He has 33 years of oil and gas experience.
Daley is the founder of Carter Resources Inc., which was sold to Intercoast Energy Co. and later to KCS Medallion Resources.
First Calgary Petroleums Ltd., Calgary, has appointed Shane O’Leary as chief operating officer, effective January 2006.
O’Leary will initially focus on development of Ledjmet Block 405b in the Berkine basin in Algeria, where appraisal wells discovered a new pay zone of Middle Triassic age and indicated extension of several pools in Menzel Ledjmet East gas-condensate field (OGJ Online, Feb. 16, 2005).
Prior to joining First Calgary, O’Leary served as vice-president, Brazil, at EnCana Corp. He also worked for BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc. developing a gas-to-liquids facility and for Amoco Corp. for 14 years.
Newfield Exploration Co., Houston, has promoted several managers to the position of vice-president.
James T. Zernell, previously manager of production and health, safety, and environment, becomes vice-president, production. He joined Newfield in 1997 and previously worked for ARCO Alaska Inc. and Tenneco Oil E&P.
James J. Metcalf, drilling manager, was named vice-president, drilling. Metcalf joined Newfield in 1995 after working for Tenneco Oil E&P and two Gulf Coast independent producers.
W. Mark Blumenshine, manager, land, becomes vice-president, land. He joined Newfield in 2001 after working with Dominion Exploration & Production Co.
Geocan Energy Inc., Houston, has named Rick Musial as vice-president, exploration.
With more than 23 years of geological experience, Musial will spearhead the firm’s exploration and development program for 95,800 net undeveloped acreage.
Musial has worked as a senior geologist and exploration manager for various companies. He has drilled over 250 exploration and development wells, including over 90 horizontal wells in a wide variety of geologic plays.
Dominion Exploration & Production Inc. has hired Alison B. Whiteley as managing director, planning and engineering, a new position.
Prior to joining Dominion, Whiteley served as senior manager of business development for EOG Resources in Houston. She has also served as a production and reservoir engineer for Chevron Corp., as a senior petroleum engineer for Tenneco Oil E&P, and an assistant reservoir engineer for Marathon Oil Corp.
Reef Exploration Inc., an independent based in Richardson, Tex., has appointed G.D. Degan Jr. as manager, drilling operations.
In his new position, Degan, who has 35 years of oil and gas experience, will supervise the planning of initial design and the drilling through completion of all oil and gas wells.
Prior to his current appointment, Degan was production superintendent in Yemen with Yemen Hunt Oil Co. of Dallas.
Transeuro Energy Corp., Vancouver, BC, signed an integrated project management contract with High Arctic Energy Services LLC that retains Phil Magor as country asset manager for Transeuro’s exploration of four blocks in Papua New Guinea.
Magor has 25 years’ experience in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.
Separately, national geologist Gerard Manggal has joined Transeuro after 17 years with the Papua New Guinea ministry where he was principal operation geologist. He has field experience in the Highlands region.
Other moves
Saad F. Al-Dosari has been appointed executive director of the Rabigh Development Project, which is converting a 400,000 b/d topping refinery at Rabigh, Saudi Arabia, into an integrated refining and petrochemical complex, effective Nov. 1 (OGJ, Aug. 8, 2005, Newsletter).
Al-Dosari, a 32-year employee of Saudi Aramco, joined the company in October 1972 as an engineer. Al-Dosari then worked with the company as a project manager with the Ras Tanura refinery modernization project.
In 1988, Al-Dosari became acting manager of the purchasing department at Aramco Services Co. in Houston. He was then named manager of the Central Arabia development project in December 1990.
In August 1995, Al-Dosari was appointed general manager of refinery projects. In June 1996, he became general manager of southern area projects and in December 1999 was named general manager of area projects.
In April 2005, he began acting as executive director of the Rabigh development project before being permanently named to that position.
