Syntroleum names new president, COO; makes other key appointments

By OGJ editors

HOUSTON, Sept. 18 -- Jack Holmes Jr. has joined Tulsa-based Syntroleum Corp. as its new president and chief operating officer effective Oct. 1. Holmes assumes the role of president from Kenneth Agee, Syntroleum's chairman and CEO, who had assumed the additional responsibilities of company president following the resignation of Mark Agee in June of this year.

In addition, Syntroleum named Kenneth R. Roberts vice-president, finance, planning, and administration, and chief financial officer; and Jeff Bigger, vice-president, engineering.

Holmes comes to the company with 33 years of experience in the oil and gas industry. Before joining Syntroleum, he served as chief operating officer for El Paso Merchant Energy Co., a unit of El Paso Corp., Houston. Before that, Holmes served as president of El Paso unit El Paso Production Co.

Before working for El Paso, Holmes served as president and chief operating officer for Houston-based Zilkha Energy Co. before it was acquired by Sonat Inc., Birmingham, Ala. (OGJ, Dec. 1, 1997, p. 36). Following the merger, Holmes served as president and CEO of Sonat Exploration, Sonat's wholly owned subsidiary in Houston. Holmes began his career with Exxon Co. USA in 1969.

With more than 25 years of experience in the petroleum industry, Roberts has been with Syntroleum for 5 years, serving as manager, business development. Prior to that, he served as chief financial officer for the Caspian Pipeline Consortium in Moscow and senior project finance consultant for Oman Oil Co.'s India refinery project development in Houston.

Before that, Roberts worked for 12 years holding numerous positions with ARCO Oil & Gas Co.

Bigger succeeds Chuck Bayens, who is leaving the company. For the last 2 years, Bigger served as the firm's business development manager, and he has 23 years of experience in the petroleum industry. Before joining Syntroleum, he was gas-to-liquids technology manager for BP PLC predecessor ARCO, among holding other positions with units of the company.