Energy Players

Two Marathon Oil Corp. executives with decades of company service between them, have elected to retire from the company. Clarence P. Cazalot, Jr., chairman, president and CEO of Marathon Oil Corp. has elected to retire on Dec. 31, 2013, after almost 14 years leading Marathon Oil and 41 years in the oil and gas industry. Cazalot will continue as executive chairman through Dec. 31, 2013. Cazalot joined Marathon in March 2000. He became chairman oil Marathon Oil Corp. (NYSE: MRO) following the spin-off of Marathon Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: MPC) in mid-2011. Prior to Marathon, Cazalot served as vice president of Texaco Inc. and president of Texaco's worldwide production operations. News of Cazalot's retirement comes one week after Thomas K. Sneed, Marathon Oil Corp.'s vice president and chief information officer announced his retirement plan set for Sept. 1, 2013 following more than 32 years of service. The Marathon Oil board of directors has elected Lee M. Tillman to the board of directors and to succeed Cazalot as president and CEO effective Aug. 1, 2013. Tillman most recently served as vice president of Engineering for ExxonMobil Development Company where he was responsible for all global engineering staff engaged in major project concept selection, front end design and engineering. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering with honors from Texas A&M University and a PhD in chemical engineering from Auburn University. The board of directors intends to nominate Dennis H. Reilley, currently Marathon Oil lead director, as non-executive chairman upon Cazalot's retirement. Bruce A. McCullough will succeed Sneed as vice president and CIO. Sneed will serve as vice president of IT Services until Sept. 1 to facilitate an orderly transition. McCullough joins Marathon Oil from Anadarko Petroleum Corp. where he most recently served as director, Global Business Systems. McCullough has worked in the information technology field, primarily in the oil and gas sector, since graduating from Baylor University with a bachelor's degree in computer science.

Encana names Suttles as president, CEO

Encana has appointed Doug Suttles as its president and CEO and a director of the Calgary-based company. Doug Suttles has 30 years of oil and gas leadership experience. Most recently, Suttles has served as COO, BP Exploration & Production. He is a mechanical engineer and a 2008 recipient of the University of Texas Mechanical Engineering Distinguished Alumni Award. Randall D. Eresman, the company's previous president and CEO, retired from the company in January after nearly 35 years with the company and its predecessor, Alberta Energy Co. Ltd. Clayton Woitas, an Encana director, took over as interim president and CEO while the company conducted its search for Eresman's successor. Woitas, who remains as a director of the company, is the designated future chairman of the board.

Luquette to retire after 35-year career at Chevron

Chevron Corp. has named Jeff Shellebarger president of Chevron North America Exploration and Production Company, effective August 1, 2013. Shellebarger succeeds Gary Luquette, who will retire from Chevron after 35 years of service. Shellebarger is currently managing director of Chevron's IndoAsia Business Unit. Since joining Chevron in 1980, Shellebarger has held a variety of upstream positions in the US, Angola and Indonesia. Luquette has led Chevron's North America Upstream business since 2006. He previously held key exploration and production positions in Louisiana, California, United Kingdom and Indonesia. As the head of the company's North America upstream business, Luquette opened new frontiers by advancing Chevron's presence in the Deepwater Gulf of Mexico and acquiring significant shale gas positions in Pennsylvania and Canada. Luquette will stay with the company until September 1, 2013 to transition his responsibilities.

SandRidge continues leadership transition

After nearly a year of scrutiny focused on SandRidge Energy Inc. founder and now-former CEO Tom Ward, the Oklahoma City-based oil and natural gas company is transitioning its leadership team. Ward, who founded the company in 2006, had, until June 19, served as chairman and CEO, has departed the company based on the Board of Directors' decision that "despite Ward's many contributions to SandRidge, new leadership is in the best interests of the company and its shareholders at this time." James Bennett, who has served as CFO of SandRidge Energy since January 2011 and was promoted to president in March 2013, will retain his title as president and will replace Ward as CEO of the company. Lead independent director Jeffrey Serota will serve as interim non-executive chairman. Prior to joining SandRidge, Bennett was managing director for White Deer Energy, a private equity fund focused on the oil and gas industry. Bennett graduated with a bachelor's degree from Texas Tech University. Additionally, the company has appointed Eddie LeBlanc to the role of executive vice president and CFO. He fills the role of CFO vacated when Bennett was named CEO and president. LeBlanc brings to SandRidge broad financial experience in the exploration and production industry, at both private and publicly held companies, including having served as CFO at East Resources Inc., PostRock Energy Corp., Ascent Energy Co., Range Resources Corp., and Coho Energy Inc. He holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (formerly the University of Southwestern Louisiana) and is a certified public accountant and a chartered financial analyst.

Former Anadarko CEO joins Riverstone Holdings

Energy and power-focused private investment firm Riverstone Holdings LLC has added former Anadarko Petroleum executive James T. Hackett to the firm as a partner and co-head of the Houston office. From 2003 to 2012, Hackett was CEO of Anadarko Petroleum, where he served as chairman of the board of directors from 2006 to 2013. Hackett stepped down from Anadarko on June 4, 2013 as part of a long-planned succession process. Earlier in his career, he was chairman and CEO of Ocean Energy and, after that, president and COO of Devon Energy. He holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois and an MBA from Harvard University.

Subsea service firm DeepOcean hires new CFO

Dennis de Vreede will join DeepOcean Group Holding BV as its CFO on August 1, 2013. He will succeed Frank Eggink who will left firm on June 30, 2013. Dennis de Vreede joins from industrial real estate firm Prologis where he served as senior vice president, European finance director. Previously de Vreede was at Redevco, where he held the position of CFO. de Vreede earned a bachelor's degree from The Hague University of Applied Sciences. He received a master's degree and graduated as a registered accountant from Nyenrode Business University in The Netherlands. He is an alumnus of Harvard Business School after completing several Executive Education programs.

Senergy appoints new VPs

Senergy has appointed two new vice presidents. Ian Williamson and Dave Reed have been named to the respective VP roles in Contracts & Commercial, and Business Efficiency. Williamson will be based in the company's Queen's Terrace office in Aberdeen and Reed will operate from Kuala Lumpur. Williamson and Reed have been part of Senergy since the company's inception in 2005. Both were employees of Xcavo – a well engineering and performance management company – which merged with subsurface consultancy RML (Reservoir Management Ltd.) to become Senergy.

Chesapeake Energy names Craine as CCO

Patrick K. Craine, a partner with the law firm Bracewell & Giuliani LLP, is joining Chesapeake Energy Corp. as chief compliance officer (CCO). In this capacity, he will report to Chesapeake General Counsel Jim Webb and the Audit Committee of the company's board of directors. At Bracewell & Giuliani, Craine was a partner in the firm's White Collar Defense, Internal Investigations and Regulatory Enforcement practice, and counseled companies, boards, committees, officers, and directors in regulatory and compliance matters. Craine has also led numerous independent investigations for publicly traded companies. Before entering private practice, he served as an enforcement attorney with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). Craine was also actively involved in the SEC's and FINRA's oil and gas task forces. Craine holds a bachelor's degree from Wabash College, and a Juris Doctor from Southern Methodist University's Dedman School of Law.

Express Energy Services names Brunnert COO

Express Energy Services has named David Brunnert as executive vice president and COO. He will be based in Express' headquarters in Houston. Prior to joining Express, Brunnert, a 20-year industry veteran, served in various operational management positions with Weatherford International from 1997 through 2013, including vice president of drilling tools and intervention services, global general manager of drilling tools, global business unit manager of performance drilling tools and other engineering management roles. While at Weatherford, Brunnert created more than 25 patented technologies that are used in the oil and gas industry. His background also includes four years with the US Army Corps of Engineers where he was a paratrooper and combat engineer. Brunnert received his bachelor's degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point and his Master of Mechanical Engineering from the University of Houston.

Devon makes senior management appointments

Devon Energy Corp. has appointed David A. Hager to the position of COO. Hager has served as executive vice president, exploration and production since 2009 after serving on Devon's board of directors beginning in 2007. In addition, he served as COO of Kerr-McGee prior to its 2006 merger with Anadarko Petroleum Corp. Hager has over 30 years of oil and gas exploration and production experience. He holds a bachelor's degree from Purdue University and an MBA from Southern Methodist University. Tony Vaughn has been promoted to the position of executive vice president, exploration and production. Vaughn previously served as Devon's senior vice president, exploration and strategic services. Prior to joining Devon in 1999, Vaughn spent 12 years with Kerr-McGee. He holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Tulsa and a bachelor's degree from Oral Roberts University.

Archer joins TPH specializing in midstream

Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co. (TPH) has hired Scott W. Archer as managing director in investment banking. Archer will specialize in midstream and MLPs at the energy investment banking firm. He will be based in Houston. Archer joins TPH after 13 years with Bank of America Merrill Lynch's Global Energy & Power Group, where he focused primarily on Midstream and MLP energy companies. Archer received an MBA with honors from The University of Texas and received a BBA degree with dual majors in Honors Business and Finance also from The University of Texas.

Wells Fargo adds to Calgary energy practice

Perry Englot, Peter Borsos, and Dennis DaSilva have been added to the Calgary-based Energy practice in Wells Fargo's Corporate Banking Group. They have joined to lead the expansion of the bank's lending capabilities to the energy services and equipment sector, as well as support the company's growth strategy in Canada. Englot, Borsos and DaSilva are reporting to Bret West, head of Energy Services and Equipment. Englot has nearly 30 years of Canadian banking experience in the energy industry. Prior to joining Wells Fargo, he led a commercial banking team, focused on oilfield services. Borsos joins with nearly 16 years of banking experience, having recently managed a commercial banking group focused on middle market energy customers. DaSilva joins with nearly 12 years of banking experience, eight of which has been devoted to the energy services sector in Canada.

Doyle appointed chairman at Equal Energy

Equal Energy Ltd. has appointed Michael Doyle as chairman. Dan Botterill, the company's previous chairman did not stand for re-election. Two other directors, Roger Giovanetto and Peter Carpenter, also did not stand for re-election. Doyle also serves on the company's Compensation Committee and is chair of the Governance and Nominating Committee.

Buckeye Partners makes organizational changes

Buckeye Partners LP has appointed Khalid A. Muslih as president of Buckeye's International Pipelines and Terminals business unit. Muslih has been an integral member of the Buckeye executive team since 2007, having served most recently as Buckeye's senior vice president, corporate development and strategic planning. Muslih succeeds Mary F. Morgan, who retired from Buckeye at the end of June. In addition, Chris S. Pine has been promoted to vice president, corporate development and strategic planning. Pine joined Buckeye in 2009 and has served in various corporate development and business analysis functions during his tenure.

Lloyd's Register board appointments support energy business

Lloyd's Register has appointed Chris Finlayson, chief executive of BG Group plc, and Ellis Armstrong, ex-CFO of E&P at BP plc, as non-executive directors on the board of Lloyd's Register Group Ltd. Before joining BG Group, Finlayson gained over 33 years' technical and commercial experience in the oil and gas industry with Royal Dutch Shell plc where he was a member of the exploration and production leadership team, serving in Russia, Nigeria, Brunei and the North Sea. Armstrong joined BP in 1983, and has had an extensive career in offshore operational roles, commercial and planning roles, and leadership functions, ending his career with BP as CFO of exploration and production. He holds a BSc and PhD from Imperial College, and an MBA from Stanford Business School.

Greene's Energy Group names Yuille CFO of Testing and Services

Greene's Energy Group (GEG), a provider of integrated testing, rentals and specialty services, has promoted Mark Yuille to CFO of the Testing and Services business unit based in Houston. Prior to his new role, Yuille was CFO for GEG and earlier, served in various roles with GE. Yuille has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a specialization in Finance and Economics.