Rosetta Resources names Limbacher president, CEO

Rosetta Resources, an independent oil and gas company, has named Randy L. Limbacher president and CEO. Limbacher will also serve as a member of the board. Limbacher was previously president, exploration and production – Americas for ConocoPhillips. Prior to that he was executive vice president, COO and board member for Burlington Resources. Limbacher succeeds Charles Chambers who served as acting CEO from July 9, 2007 until October 31, 2007. Chambers will return to his role as executive vice president of corporate development.

Indago Petroleum taps Bremner for CEO post

Indago has appointed Dr. David Bremner as CEO. Bremner has been a non–executive director of the company since October 2005 and has over 30 years experience in the industry. In 1997 David was appointed exploration director for Monument, a position he held until that company was sold in 1999. Since that time he has been engaged in international petroleum consultancy. He holds a bachelor’s degree and a PhD degree from the University of Glasgow. Martin Groak, who had been acting CEO, will revert to his former position as CFO.

Andrew Mackenzie to join executive team at BHP Billiton

BHP Billiton has appointed Andrew Mackenzie as group executive and chief executive non ferrous. Mackenzie will be a member of the group management committee. He will assume the role following the succession of Marius Kloppers from the position of group president non ferrous to CEO. Mackenzie has nearly 30 years working experience in minerals, metals, oil, and gas. He joins BHP Billiton from Rio Tinto, where he was chief executive, diamonds and industrial minerals. Previously he was group vice president, BP Petrochemicals. He spent 22 years with BP, primarily in the UK and North America in senior positions including head of capital markets in BP Finance, and chief reservoir engineer with oversight of oil and gas reserves and production. He is a non–executive director of Centrica. Mackenzie will be based in London. No start date has yet been fixed. His employment contract with Rio Tinto contains obligations in relation to a period of notice that he will observe.

Cheniere Energy makes officer changes

Houston–based Cheniere Energy Inc. has made changes in officers within the marketing and international businesses. Keith Meyer, a member of the company’s executive committee and president of Cheniere Marketing Inc., has decided to leave the company in order to pursue a new business venture focusing on alternative energy and biofuels development. Davis Thames will replace Meyer in this role. Drew Lynch will be promoted to senior vice president – business operations, Cheniere Marketing. Cheniere Marketing, the Cheniere Upstream group and the Origination groups based in London, Paris, and Houston, will become part of Cheniere International which will be headed by Jean Abiteboul, who has been appointed president of Cheniere International Inc.

Park Place Energy names Leslie new president, CEO

Park Place Energy has centralized its administrative and managerial functions to Calgary, Alberta. David Stadnyk will step down as president and CEO of the company. He will continue to serve the company as president of its newly–formed subsidiary, Park Place International, a company which will focus on developing opportunities for the company outside of North America. Eric Leslie, who serves as company secretary, will replace Stadnyk as president and CEO. Leslie has worked for both major and small independent companies including PanCanadian Petroleum Corp. (now EnCana Corp.), Amoco Canada Petroleum Co. Ltd., and Phoenix Resources Ltd. Leslie most recently served as president and CEO of Vanguard Exploration Corp. Park Place Energy’s primary activity is in oil and gas exploration in the North Sea, as well as the development and production of Canadian assets.

Endeavour’s Teague retires as executive VP, general counsel

Endeavour International’s executive vice president and general counsel, H. Don Teague, has retired. William L. Transier, chairman, CEO, and president commented, “He has been a valuable member of our executive team and played an integral role in our acquisition of producing assets in the United Kingdom and Norway. We wish him the very best during his retirement.”

RigNet makes executive management changes

RigNet has named Lars P. Eliassen as vice president and general manager of the company’s Europe Africa region; John Moffatt as vice president and general manager of the company’s Middle East region; and Hector Maytorena as vice president of global sales and marketing. Most recently Eliassen served as vice president of global sales, marketing, and new product development. Lars has more than 10 years’ experience in the oil and gas industry. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Rice University. Moffatt joins RigNet from Weatherford International. Maytorena joins RigNet from United Technologies, a global diversified services company where he most recently served as general manager, Southeast Texas for the company’s UTC Fire & Security. RigNet uses the satellite and networking technologies to provide solutions for broadband data, voice, and video communications, as well as real–time data management.

Tudor Pickering adds asset A&D business, top personnel

Tudor, Pickering, & Co. has added Maynard Holt as co–president. The energy investment and merchant banking firm will be known as Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co. Holt, who will lead the firm’s upstream advisory practice, will be co–president with Dan Pickering. Holt joins the firm from Goldman Sachs, where he was a managing director in the Natural Resources Group. The firm has also recently entered the asset acquisition and divestiture business with the addition of Ward Polzin. He joins as a managing director and will spearhead the development and growth of the upstream asset acquisition and divestiture practice from the firm’s Houston and Denver offices. Polzin previously was the US country manager at Enerplus Resources. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the Colorado School of Mines and an MBA from Rice University. Additionally, David Cunningham has been named managing director, investment banking, spearheading the firm’s effort in the oilfield services sector. Cunningham previously spent 10 years with Credit Suisse where he was a managing director in the Global Energy Group. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Texas Christian University and an MBA from The University of Chicago Graduate School of Business.

Mindy Stuart promoted to VP asset development at Bayou Bend Petroleum

Bayou Bend Petroleum has promoted Mindy Stuart to the position of vice president of asset development. Stuart has held various petroleum engineering positions in the Gulf Coast for 23 years. From 1998 through 2005, she was employed by Stone Energy Corp., most recently as the Gulf Coast exploitation manager. Prior to Stone, she was employed by Chevron for 11 years. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Louisiana State University.

Calvalley Petroleum adds to management team

Calvalley Petroleum has made new appointments to its management team in Calgary. Bill Cummins has been named CFO. Cummins has over 20 years of experience. Recently, he was the vice president, corporate finance and director of an independently owned brokerage firm. Cameron Dow, who has been the acting CFO for Calvalley since November, 2005, will continue to provide financial services to the company. Grant Harms has been named vice president of engineering and operations. He has 26 years of experience in the oil and gas industry. Most recently he co–founded and acted as the COO and vice president of production for Los Altares Resources Ltd., a private company that merged with Compass Petroleum. Harms has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Waterloo. Terry McCoy is now vice president of exploration. McCoy, a University of Calgary graduate, brings over 37 years of senior oil and gas executive experience. He has held the position of vice president of exploration and land at Murphy Oil Co. as well as vice president of exploration and land at Poco Petroleums Ltd. and Burlington Resources Canada Ltd. Geoff Martin has been named manager of geophysics. Martin graduated from Memorial University of Newfoundland with a bachelor’s degree and has a master’s degree from the American Graduate School of International Management. Lorne LeClerc has been tapped as manager of exploration. LeClerc holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Alberta.

Khushalani joins KPMG as principal

KPMG LLP, the US audit, tax and advisory firm, has added Samir Khushalani to its business performance services practice in Houston as a principal. Khushalani provides advisory services in the area of procurement and supply chain management primarily for clients in the oil and gas industry. He has over 15 years of experience. Prior to joining KPMG, Khushalani led the sourcing and procurement practice at Capgemini. He earned his master’s degree from Rice University.

Sonoran promotes Watkins to COO, Williams to CFO

Sonoran Energy Inc. has promoted two members of its management team. Former senior vice president of operations, Ralph Watkins and former senior vice president and chief accounting officer, Andrew Williams, will now serve as COO and CFO, respectively. Watkins has 24 years of experience in US and international oil and gas development, operations, and engineering management. Watkins holds a degree from Texas A&M University. Williams has 30 years of oil and gas finance and accounting experience. Prior to joining Sonoran in April, he served as a consultant with Sirius Solutions providing Sarbanes Oxley compliance services to oil and gas clients. Williams holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arkansas. Sonoran Energy is a US–based independent oil and gas company that explores, develops, and enhances the performance of high value oil and gas opportunities.

Meara retires as tax VP at Marathon, Landry to succeed

Marathon Oil Corp.’s vice president of tax, James F. Meara, retired after more than 25 years of service. Stephen J. Landry, was promoted from director of tax, compliance, and reporting to serve as his successor. Before joining Marathon in January 2007, he spent 22 years with Ernst and Young. He became a Tax partner for Ernst and Young in 1998 and transferred to the Houston energy practice in 2000. He received a bachelor’s degree from Loyola University of New Orleans.

Boundary Bay Resources appoints new president, CEO

Boundary Bay Resources Inc. has appointed Lee Borschowa as the new president and CEO of the company. He has held executive positions in a number of companies that have had property interests in different parts of North America. Borschowa has also joined the company’s board of directors, and is presently the sole officer and director of the company. Boundary Bay Resources Inc. intends to acquire working interests in established oil and gas production companies. Funds generated from domestic production will be used to acquire premium oil and gas properties with both proven reserves and upside exploration potential.

DeKraai named to Willbros board

Willbros Group Inc. has named Arlo B. DeKraai to its board of directors. DeKraai serves as president and CEO of Integrated Services Co. LLC, which was recently acquired by Willbros. DeKraai has nearly 35 years of experience in the downstream oil and gas construction, turnaround, and maintenance industries. He will serve as a Class III director. Willbros Group Inc. is an international engineering and construction contractor providing engineering, construction, engineering, procurement and construction, and operations and maintenance services to the upstream and downstream markets and government entities worldwide.

Oilexco makes senior management changes

Gerry Roe has retired as its COO of Calgary–based UK North Sea operator Oilexco Inc. He remains a director of Oilexco North Sea Ltd. Rod Christensen was appointed senior vice–president, exploration, and David Marshall was appointed senior vice–president, operations and general manager of Oilexco North Sea.

Larson joins Noble as VP investor relations

Noble Energy Inc. has named David R. Larson as vice president of investor relations. Larson joins Noble Energy after an industry career at Union Pacific Resources and successor Anadarko Petroleum, where he worked in an investor relations role since 1998 having last served as vice president, investor relations and financial planning. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Iowa. Noble Energy is an independent energy company operating throughout major basins in the US with international operations in Argentina, China, Ecuador, the Mediterranean Sea, the North Sea, West Africa, and Suriname.

Five United Heritage board members resign

Walter G. Mize, C. Dean Boyd, Joe Martin, Charles Garrett, and Bill Wilkins have resigned from United Heritage Corp.’s board of directors. The company is finalizing its search for their successors. Midland, Tex.–based United Heritage Corp. is focused on the development of onshore oil and gas assets. The company has four leases covering 10,500 acres in the Wardlaw field located in Edwards County, Tex.

Technip appoints Harrison to new general counsel post

Technip has appointed John Harrison to its executive committee as general counsel. Prior to his appointment, Harrison was general counsel of the Defence and Security Division of EADS. Harrison brings international experience to Technip having started his career in 1991 at the international law firm Clifford Chance, working consecutively in their London, New York and Paris offices. From 1998 onwards he held senior legal positions in Airbus and in the EADS Group. He holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from the University of McGill, Montrèal, Canada.

Devon Energy elects Ricciardello to board

Devon Energy Corp. has named Mary Ricciardello to its board of directors. Her term as a Devon director will expire in 2008. She spent 20 years with Reliant Energy Inc., serving in various financial management positions including comptroller, vice president, senior vice president, and chief accounting officer. Ricciardello earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of South Dakota and a master’s degree from the University of Houston.

Rosneft makes management changes

Staff changes have taken place in the Rosneft corporate management. Vice presidents Valeriy Borisenko, formerly in charge of information technologies, and Alexei Kuznetsov, who was responsible for scientific affairs, development and strategic projects, have resigned. Mars Khasanov, Rosneft’s director for scientific affairs and head of the corporate scientific and technical center, will take over for Kuznetsov. The company IT segment will also be transferred under the responsibility of the vice president for scientific affairs. Vice president for refining and marketing, Alexander Sapronov, also tendered his resignation. This business segment will be temporarily transferred to Dmitry Bogdanov, vice president in charge of the commercial block.

Equator Exploration CEO steps down, Rand steps in; company makes board additions

Theodore Giletti has joined the board of Equator Exploration as a non–executive director. He is currently a director of Banco Africano de Investimentos, Luanda, and also Angola Capital Partners. In the past five years, he was a director of the Tanzania Pyrethrum Marketing Co. Wade Cherwayko has stepped down as the CEO of the company, but will remain on the board as a non–executive director. Philip Rand has been appointed to the position of chief executive. Further, Martin Adams was unable to offer himself for re–election as a director due to other business commitments.

Sparrows Offshore promotes Laird to Middle East area manager

Sparrows Offshore has promoted Michael Laird to business area manager, Middle East, in succession to Richard Wilson who was recently appointed vice president for Asia/Pacific and the Middle East. Laird assumes management responsibility over the key ADMA/OPCO, Dubai Petroleum, Total and Zadco accounts with an additional remit to pursue growth throughout the Middle East.

Geoscientist joins Geotrace team

Steve Svatek has joined Geotrace’s technical implementation and production testing group. Svatek will focus on the Geotrace Diamond project – a new software platform that processes and integrates all data types and formats involved exploration and production. Svatek has 35 years of experience in the oil industry. Prior to joining Geotrace, he held a position with Hydro/Spinnaker as an internal processor.