ConocoPhillips appoints Devine to board
ConocoPhillips has elected Caroline Maury Devine to serve as a board member. Richard Auchinleck notified the board of directors that he does not intend to stand for re-election as a director of the company at the end of his current term. Devine also currently serves on the boards of JBT Corp. and Valeo, as a member of the nominating committee of Petroleum Geo-Services ASA and as a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Devine began her career by serving the US government for 15 years in positions on the White House Domestic Policy Staff, in the US Embassy in Paris and in the Drug Enforcement Administration. In 1988 she joined Mobil Corp., holding various corporate positions responsible for shareholder relations and governance issues, as well as international government relations. She then served as president and managing director of a Norwegian affiliate of ExxonMobil from 1996 to 2000. Devine will serve on the Audit and Finance Committee and the Public Policy Committee of the ConocoPhillips board.
President of Texas Alliance of Energy Producers to retire
Alex Mills will retire from the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers effective December 31, 2017, as president and chief of staff. Mills became President of the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers in 2000, following the merger of the North Texas Oil & Gas Association (NTOGA) and the West Central Texas Oil & Gas Association (WeCTOGA). Mills moved to Wichita Falls in 1994 as executive vice president of NTOGA after living eight years in Washington DC where he served as vice president of the Independent Petroleum Association of America, the national organization for the independent oil and gas industry. He also served as executive vice president of the West Central Texas Oil & Gas Association in Abilene from 1981 to 1986. He is a frequent speaker on energy topics, including speaking engagements at Texas Tech University and has participated in the Distinguished Lecture Series at the Dillard Business School at Midwestern State University. Texas Governor Ann Richards appointed him to the Interstate Oil & Gas Compact Commission in 1994 and Governor George W. Bush re-appointed him in 1995.
Ruiz Sternadt named CEO for Dresser-Rand business
Paulo Ruiz Sternadt has been appointed CEO of the Dresser-Rand business, part of Siemens Power and Gas Division. He succeeds Judith Marks who will leave the company at her own request. Ruiz Sternadt brings leadership experience to the position, including more than 16 years with Siemens in multiple global roles in the US, Germany, Mexico, and Brazil. He most recently served as executive vice president of global solutions for the Dresser-Rand business and a member of its executive staff.
Arsenal Resources names Farmer president, CEO
Arsenal Resources, a growing pure play natural gas operator in the Marcellus basin, has appointed Jon Farmer as president and CEO, effective October 15, 2017. David Wood, who joined Arsenal Resources in 2014 as chairman and then CEO in 2015, will remain as chairman of the board. Farmer has been with Arsenal Resources since its formation in 2011. He most recently served as the company's president and COO. A graduate of the Advanced Management Program at Harvard, Farmer has spent his career at various Appalachian Basin operators, most recently Falcon Partners. He has a bachelor's degree in political science and holds a juris doctorate degree.
AEGIS Energy Risk names Sansbury COO
AEGIS Energy Risk, a provider of hedge advisory, execution, and back office services to the upstream oil and gas industry, has named Bryan Sansbury as its COO. Sansbury is a founding partner and has been an outside advisor to the firm since its inception in 2013. In his new role, Sansbury will be responsible for leading the operations, technology, and financial management of the firm. He joins AEGIS from Alight Solutions, where he most recently served as president of the Health & Wealth Solutions business. Prior to this role, he served as the COO and chief information officer of Aon Hewitt. Sansbury earned a bachelor's degree in finance from Berry College and is a Fellow of the CEO Perspectives Program through the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
ARB Midstream adds Vanderhoef to crude supply and trading team
ARB Midstream LLC has hired Alison Vanderhoef to the crude supply and trading team. Vanderhoef will be responsible for identifying new opportunities to acquire and market crude oil from various regions throughout North America. She will also work to identify and assess business development opportunities for midstream solutions including gathering and processing. Before joining ARB Midstream, Vanderhoef was a crude oil marketer for Petro China. She received her undergraduate degree from Texas A&M and an MBA from the University of Phoenix. Prior to Petro China, Vanderhoef worked for various companies in the energy space including Kodiak Oil and Gas, Whiting Petroleum, and Vitol. ARB Midstream is an independent, growth-oriented company, providing complete midstream and marketing solutions for crude oil, LPGs and refined products. ARB was formed with a strategic financing relationship with BV Natural Resources LLC, the energy division of Ball Ventures LLC.
Alley joins Silverback Exploration as CFO
Matthew Alley has joined Silverback Exploration II LLC as CFO. Alley brings more than 15 years of corporate and energy finance and investment experience to the Silverback team. In his new role, Alley is responsible for all financial functions of the company including structuring potential transactions, financial modeling and analysis, budgeting and reporting, and strategic planning. Prior to Silverback, Alley spent two years as CFO and vice president of finance with Palomar Natural Resources, an oil and gas operator with assets in the United States and Poland. Additionally, Alley was manager of corporate finance at Aspect Energy, an independent energy exploration and investment company, where he focused on corporate and financial matters relating to projects in the Gulf Coast and multiple unconventional basins in the United States, as well as international projects in Hungary, Kurdistan, and Italy. Alley holds a Bachelor of Science degree in economics and computer science from the University of Puget Sound. Silverback Exploration II is an independent oil and natural gas exploration company based in San Antonio. Silverback II is backed by a $500 million equity commitment from EnCap Investments LP.
RRC Commissioners appoint interim executive director
Texas Railroad Commission Chairman Christi Craddick and Commissioners Ryan Sitton and Wayne Christian voted unanimously to appoint Wei Wang to serve as interim executive director, effective Oct. 16, 2017. Wang currently serves as the agency's CFO. Wang will serve in this dual capacity while the Commission conducts a search for a permanent executive director to lead the agency's day-to-day operations.
EnLink Midstream names Jaggi SVP
EnLink Midstream has named Cynthia L. Jaggi as the new senior vice president - strategic process transformation, a new team within the company. Through Jaggi's leadership, EnLink's engineering and major projects teams improved processes, applying lessons learned from a "Project Playbook" spearheaded by Jaggi. She has held several key roles since she joined EnLink's predecessor company in 2006, most recently as senior vice president of engineering and operations services. EnLink provides integrated midstream services across natural gas, crude oil, condensate, and NGL commodities.
INEOS Shale appoints Coyle as CEO
INEOS Shale has today announced Ron Coyle, the former Commercial Director of INEOS Phenol, has been appointed CEO of INEOS Shale. Coyle brings over 20 years of experience to the UK shale gas company. Coyle began his career in the US military where he reached the rank of Army Captain. After completing his term, he earned an MBA from Emory's Goizeuta Business School, joined INEOS Phenol in 1998 and became its Commercial Director in 2010. INEOS Shale is now ready to move into an operational phase. INEOS Shale plans to begin drilling test wells in the short-term.
New managing director named at ClearWELL
Flow assurance and production optimization specialist, ClearWELL Oilfield Solutions, has appointed a managing director as the company looks to increase its international footprint. Alasdair Fergusson brings more than 25 years of oilfield management and marketing experience to ClearWELL, having worked for major service companies in Europe and the Middle East. Most recently he held the Paris-based position of Business Manager Europe and Africa, Production Technologies at Schlumberger's M-I SWACO. Before joining Schlumberger, Alasdair was Director Eastern Hemisphere, Engineered Chemistry for Weatherford, based in the UAE. He was also responsible for managing the ClearWELL product line, then distributed exclusively by Weatherford. This was preceded by a 10-year stint at Baker Hughes in production chemistry, drilling fluids and completion tools businesses. The appointment follows FrontRow Energy Technology Group Ltd.'s acquisition of 50% of ClearWELL from previous owner MSL Oilfield Services, which retains the remaining 50%.
Beyond Limits appoints new head of oil and gas technologies
Beyond Limits, an artificial intelligence (AI) and cognitive computing company, has appointed Dr. Shahram Farhadi as the head of oil and gas technologies at the company. Before joining Beyond Limits, Dr. Farhadi worked with Occidental Petroleum Corp. on many projects including unconventional exploration and chemical flooding. Most recently he worked on simulations of a propulsion component for the Orion project. He holds a PhD in petroleum engineering from the University of Southern California. Launched in 2014, Beyond Limits secured $20 million in Series B funding from BP Ventures, the corporate investment arm of global energy business British Petroleum, earlier this year. The investment will accelerate the delivery of Beyond Limits' industrial-grade AI software aimed at providing the energy sector with operational insight, business optimization, and process automation across operations.
Tidewater president, CEO retires
Jeffrey M. Platt has elected to retire from his roles as CEO, president, and as a director of Tidewater Inc., effective October 15, 2017. The board of directors appointed Larry T. Rigdon as the company's interim CEO and president. Rigdon, who was appointed to serve on the board following the financial restructuring, has prior experience as an executive at Tidewater, retiring as executive vice president in 2002 after joining the company in 1992 with the merger with Zapata Gulf Marine Corp. Following his retirement, Rigdon founded and grew Rigdon Marine Corp. to 28 offshore service vessels and sold the company in June 2008. Rigdon currently serves as a director of Professional Rental Tools LLC. In light of Rigdon's interim dual role as CEO and president, he has stepped down from the audit committee and the board has appointed Steven Newman as his replacement. Tidewater is a provider of Offshore Service Vessels (OSVs) to the global energy industry.
Fortis Energy Services hires Alford as VP, operations
Jason Alford has joined Fortis Energy Services as vice president of operations. Alford has over 27 years' experience in the oil and gas industry, with more than 12 in a management role. Alford has spent time working in some of the largest oil and gas plays in the world including: Norway, Kuwait, Venezuela, Algeria, Libya, UAE, the Gulf of Mexica, North America, and Egypt, where he was the Country Manager for Boots & Coots, a Halliburton company. Fortis Energy Services is an oil and gas well servicing company with corporate headquarters in Michigan and operations throughout the Rocky Mountain and Northeast regions, specializing in well completions, down-hole repairs, maintenance, workovers and plugging and abandonment.
Elliott steps down as non-executive director of Royal Dutch Shell
Guy Elliott has stepped down as a non-executive director of Royal Dutch Shell plc. In a prepared statement, Royal Dutch Shell plc chair, Charles Holliday, said Elliott's decision to step down is "related to his involvement in legal proceedings regarding his former employment at Rio Tinto. We will miss his insightful counsel and leadership and would like to thank him for his seven years of valuable contribution to the Shell Board. We sincerely hope he satisfactorily resolves those proceedings and, that in that event, he would like to be considered for rejoining the Board."
Entek Energy appoints executive chairman
Entek Energy Ltd. has appointed the non-executive chairman, Mark McAuliffe, to the role of executive chairman and managing director. In a prepared statement the company noted that the view that process of reconfiguring the company's asset base away from unconventional oil and gas could be accelerated if there was an executive member of the board with the authority of managing director. The company believes the structure is the best way to pursue objectives during the asset transition and is not intended to be long term.
Shay joins board of Perpetual Energy
Perpetual Energy Inc. has appointed Ryan Shay to the board of directors. Shay brings over 20 years of experience in the oil and gas industry, retiring in June 2016 from his position as managing director, head of investment banking for Cormark Securities. Prior to transitioning to investment banking, Shay was Cormark's senior energy research analyst for eight years. Perpetual is an oil and natural gas exploration, production and marketing company headquartered in Calgary, Alberta. Perpetual operates a diversified asset portfolio, including liquids-rich natural gas assets in the deep basin of west central Alberta, heavy oil and shallow natural gas in eastern Alberta, with longer term opportunities through undeveloped oil sands leases in northern Alberta.
Frank elected to Chevron board
Chevron Corp. has elected John B. Frank to the company's board of directors, effective November 2, 2017. He will serve on the company's audit committee. Frank is vice chairman of Oaktree Capital Management LP, a firm he joined in 2001 as general counsel. Frank was Oaktree's managing partner from 2005 until 2014. Previously, Frank was a partner with the law firm of Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP. Prior to joining Munger Tolles in 1984, Frank served as a law clerk to the Honorable Frank M. Coffin of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. He holds a bachelor's degree in history from Wesleyan University, as well as a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Michigan Law School.
Sidley Austin adds five partners to energy capital markets team
Sidley Austin LLP will add a team of five partners to its Capital Markets and M&A practices, four of whom - David Buck, Jon Daly, Angela Richards and George Vlahakos - will be based in its Houston office, with the remaining partner - Bill Cooper - splitting his time between Houston and Washington, D.C. Buck, Daly, Vlahakos, Cooper will join Sidley November 1, while Richards will follow in early December. The addition of the group continues the firm's expansion in the energy sector and supplements its energy capital markets capabilities. Buck is a senior capital markets and M&A partner with a corporate and securities law practice emphasizing transactional and governance matters. Cooper concentrates his practice on complex capital markets transactions representing both issuers and underwriters on initial public offerings (IPOs), follow-on equity offerings, traditional private placements, Rule 144A offerings and private investments in public equity. Daly focuses his practice on corporate and securities law. Richards advises clients in the energy sector on various federal income tax matters, particularly on domestic business transaction planning. Vlahakos has experience in a broad range of transactional and corporate governance matters.
Gallegos succeeds Cole as Sidewinder CEO
Sidewinder Drilling LLC CEO Jon C. Cole has retired. J. Anthony Gallegos Jr. has been promoted to CEO and member of the board. Cole will continue to serve as chairman of the board. In addition, the company has promoted Scott A. Keller, who was formerly director of marketing, to vice president of marketing. Gallegos has over 25 years of experience in the land and offshore domestic and international contract drilling business. Prior to this promotion, for the past three years, Gallegos served as president and CFO with overall responsibility for the profitability and operating performance of the company. He was a founder of the company and served as senior vice president and CFO. Previously he served as vice president of business development of Scorpion Offshore. Gallegos is a veteran of the US Army and holds a BBA from Texas A&M University and an MBA from Rice University.
MRC Global Elects Adams to Board
Deborah G. Adams has joined MRC Global's board of directors. Adams has over 30 years of management and operational experience at Phillips 66 and its predecessor companies. She has held a variety of roles including procurement, corporate strategy, commercial and business development, information systems and engineering. Her global experience covers the energy value chain with a heavy focus on both midstream and downstream. From 2014 until 2016, Adams served on the executive leadership tteam at Phillips 66 as senior vice president of HSE, Projects and Procurement. She has also held various leadership posts including leading the international refining business for ConocoPhillips as well as serving on several of ConocoPhillips' joint venture boards. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, MRC Global, is a large distributor of pipe, valves, fittings, and related products and services to the energy industry.
Perpetual Energy appoints Shay as Director
Perpetual Energy Inc. has appointed Ryan Shay to the board of directors. Shay brings over 20 years of experience in the oil and gas industry, retiring in June 2016 from his position as managing director, head of investment banking for Cormark Securities. Prior to transitioning to investment banking, Shay was Cormark's senior energy research analyst for eight years. Perpetual is an oil and natural gas exploration, production and marketing company headquartered in Calgary, Alberta. Perpetual operates an asset portfolio of liquids-rich natural gas assets in the deep basin of west central Alberta, heavy oil and shallow natural gas in eastern Alberta, and undeveloped oil sands leases in northern Alberta.
MDU Resources names Hastings CEO of pipeline business
MDU Resources Group Inc. has named Trevor J. Hastings as president and CEO of WBI Holdings Inc., the company's pipeline and energy services business. Hastings joined MDU Resources in 1996 as a regulatory analyst at the company's utility business. Most recently, he held the position of vice president of business development and operations support at Knife River Corp. Hastings earned a bachelor's degree from the University of North Dakota. David L. Goodin had been serving as the interim president and CEO at WBI Holdings, in addition to his position at MDU Resources, since May 2017.
