Energy Players

Lárus Welding has been appointed CEO of Glitnir, after Bjarni Ármannsson stepped down after 10 years. Welding has been managing director for Landsbanki’s London branch since 2003. Welding holds a degree from the University of Iceland. In addition, Torsteinn M. Jónsson was elected new chairman of Glitnir’s board of directors.

Yarrington named Chevron treasurer; Krattebol retires

Yarrington

Chevron Corp. has named Patricia E. Yarrington corporate vice president and treasurer, replacing David M. Krattebol, who is retiring from the position after 36 years with the company. Yarrington joined Chevron in 1980 and has held a variety of finance and managerial positions in Chevron Products Co., Chevron USA Production Co., Chevron Research and Technology Co., and Chevron Corp. She became a vice president of Chevron Corp. in 2000. Yarrington assumed her previous role in 2002. She is a member of the board of directors for Chevron Phillips Chemical Co. Replacing Yarrington as corporate vice president, policy, government and public affairs, is Rhonda I. Zygocki, who previously held the position of corporate vice president, health, environment and safety. She was appointed managing director of ChevronTexaco Australia Pty Ltd. in 2001 prior to being named to her previous position in 2003. Succeeding Zygocki as corporate vice president of HES is Charles A. Taylor, who previously served as general manager, asset management, Chevron International Exploration and Production Co. in Lagos, Nigeria.

Gary Adams joins energy group at Deloitte & Touche

Deloitte & Touche USA LLP has added Gary A. Adams as US oil and gas leader for Deloitte’s Energy & Resources industry group. Adams will be responsible for strategic oversight of the major investments Deloitte is making to continue to grow its oil and gas practice. Adams has over 20 years of professional services experience as an oil and gas specialist. Prior to joining Deloitte, he was the global upstream oil and gas practice leader for IBM, after serving as upstream oil and gas practice leader for PricewaterhouseCoopers prior to the acquisition of that firm’s management consulting practice by IBM in 2002. In oil and gas, Deloitte provides services to upstream, midstream, and downstream companies, service and drilling companies, and integrated multinational oil and gas majors.

Austral Pacific appoints new senior executives

Austral Pacific Energy Ltd. has appointed Thompson Jewell as the company’s CEO and Derek Gardiner as CFO. Jewell has some 30 years of experience in the international oil and gas industry, having worked in the Middle East, the US, the UK, Australia, and Canada. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Alberta. He has held a variety of technical and senior executive roles in previous positions with Amoco and Santos. He will also become a member of the board. The company’s board of directors has also appointed Derek Gardiner as the new CFO, replacing Bruce McGregor who resigned to pursue other opportunities. Gardiner has worked in the oil and gas industry since 1987 where he has held senior planning and finance roles for Shell in New Zealand, Brunei, Malaysia, and Australia. Gardiner joins Austral from Shell Development Australia where he has been finance and planning manager, a member of the management team, and a director of the company.

Lakey joins Delta Petroleum as senior VP of operations

Delta Petroleum Corp., an independent energy exploration and development company has named Carl Lakey senior vice president of operations. Lakey was most recently responsible for El Paso Production Co.’s operations and engineering team for Western Onshore. Before joining El Paso, he worked at ExxonMobil in a variety of staff and leadership positions involving production, operations, facilities and processing. Lakey received a bachelor’s degree from the Colorado School of Mines.

Chancellor makes executive appointments

Pampa, Tex.-based Chancellor has appointed Bradley W. Fischer as president, CEO, and a director of the corporation following the resignation of former CEO, Robert Gordon. Gordon remains on the board of directors. Fischer will also serve as president and CEO of Chancellor’s two Gryphon subsidiaries. Gryphon Production Co. LLC will be the official operator of the new companies. Fischer brings over 30 years of upstream experience in both domestic and international business. He was formerly president and CEO of CMS Oil and Gas Co. and a senior VP of Ashland Exploration. Alan M. Wright takes over as executive vice president and CFO of Chancellor and the Gryphon companies. He has a bachelor’s degree from Cornell and was formerly EVP and CFO and administration officer of CMS Energy Corp.

Summers appointed Caspian Energy president

Caspian Energy Inc., Toronto, has appointed Charles J. Summers, the company’s COO, to the additional post of president. William A. G. Ramsay, who has resigned as president, will continue as CEO and chairman of the company. Caspian Energy operates oil and gas exploration and development properties in Kazakhstan.

Sondex names Legrand director of group manufacturing

Legrand

Sondex has named Dominique Legrand director of group manufacturing. In this position Legrand will be based at the Sondex headquarters in Hampshire, UK. He will be responsible for overseeing the company’s manufacturing strategy, strengthening communication, and spreading best practice in terms of productivity, delivery, and quality. Legrand has more than 20 years of international manufacturing experience. He has held management positions in various industries with companies like SAGEM and JDS Uniphase. Legrand has a degree from the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. Sondex designs, manufactures, and markets downhole instrumentation and tools to oilfield service companies.

Baker Hughes names Stephen K. Ellison president of Baker Atlas

Baker Hughes Inc. has appointed Stephen K. Ellison to president of Baker Atlas and vice president of Baker Hughes Inc. succeeding Paul Butero who was recently appointed president, INTEQ. Ellison reports to Martin Craighead, group president, drilling and evaluation. Ellison previously served as vice president, Baker Atlas Middle East and Asia Pacific. Ellison holds a bachelor’s degree from Oxford University. Baker Hughes is a provider of drilling, formation evaluation, completion and production products and services to the worldwide oil and gas industry.

DNO names new ops chief

DNO ASA appointed Ivar Brandvold to the newly created position of COO in DNO ASA. Brandvold joins DNO from Norsk Hydro ASA, where he held the position as head of drilling, with responsibility for the global drilling operations of the company. Brandvold has broad experience from several senior positions at Norsk Hydro. He will oversee all upstream activities including the planning and execution of DNO’s exploration and development drilling across its operations in Norway, the Middle East, and Africa.

PSL appoints Henderson ops manager for Oman; Reid as QHSE manager

Based in Muscat, Ron Henderson will lead PSL Energy Services Ltd.’s expansion in Oman through the implementation of a recently awarded Hydraulic Workover contract with PDO. Henderson has worked on a wide range major intervention projects for international operators in Algeria, Gabon, Columbia, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the UK. He has transferred from PSL’s Aberdeen headquarters where he was project manager on the company’s Rack and Pinion development team. PSL is a provider of well intervention and process solutions in the Sultanate and neighboring countries. In related news, the company has appointed Stephen Reid as QHSE manager responsible for the Caspian region. He will be based in Baku and joins the Aberdeen oil and gas services specialist from Vetco Gray where he was risk management adviser.

Noble names Williams ops chief; Jackson chairman of the board

Noble Corp. has made David W. Williams the company’s senior vice president and COO, a position previously held by Mark A. Jackson, Noble’s president and CEO. Williams, who has 28 years of energy industry experience, joined Noble in September 2006 as senior vice president - business development of Noble Drilling Services Inc. and was subsequently named senior vice president - operations of Noble Drilling Services Inc. in January 2007. Prior to joining Noble, Williams served as executive vice president of Diamond Offshore Drilling Inc. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University.

Jackson

Additionally, Noble has named Mark A. Jackson as chairman of the board. Jackson holds a bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma Christian University. Noble Corp. is a provider of diversified services for the oil and gas industry.

BJ Services promotes Dunlap, Coleman

BJ Services Co. has appointed David D. Dunlap to executive vice president and COO. He will be responsible for the company’s operations on a global basis. Dunlap has been with the company for 22 years, most recently as the company’s vice president of international operations. The company has also promoted Ronald F. Coleman to vice president of North America pressure pumping operations. Coleman has been with the company for 29 years, responsible for the company’s US/Mexico operations. BJ Services is a provider of pressure pumping and other oilfield services to the petroleum industry.

Holly CEO gets additional role

Matthew P. Clifton, CEO for Dallas-based Holly Corp., has been selected for the added role of chairman. He succeeds Lamar Norsworthy, who has served as chairman since 1977 and as chief executive since 1971. Clifton joined Holly more than 25 years ago. Most recently, he served as president of the company from 1995 through 2005. Clifton also serves as chairman and chief executive for Holly subsidiary Holly Energy Partners LP, which began operations in July 2004.

Sonoran names Watkins, Williams to VP roles; adds Rafferty to board of directors

Sonoran Energy Inc. has appointed Ralph P. Watkins as its vice president of operations development, replacing Bill McFie, who is leaving to pursue other opportunities. Watkins previously served in various senior positions with BP, Occidental, Cairn Energy, and Killam Oil. He earned a degree from Texas A&M University. 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. In addition, Andrew Williams was named senior vice president finance and accounting. He will be assuming the financial management responsibilities of Frank Smith, who is departing the company to pursue other opportunities. Smith has also resigned from his board position. Williams brings 13 years’ experience with BP Amoco and consulting work for Hess, Philips Petroleum, Williams Pipeline, Citgo, and Exco Resources. In related news, Brian Rafferty has joined the company’s board of directors. Rafferty co-founded Taylor Rafferty, a global investor relations firm.

Rancher Energy adds to board as Stytsenko retires

Denver-based Rancher Energy Corp. has added 4 new members to its board of directors, raising to 6 the total number of members, including 5 independent directors. Andrei Stytsenko, a director since 2004, has left the board to pursue other interests. The new independent board members include: William A. Anderson, Joseph P. McCoy, Patrick M. Murray, and Myron (Mickey) M. Sheinfeld. Rancher Energy is an oil and gas exploration and development company with a targeted strategy to reinvigorate older, historically productive oil fields in the hydrocarbon-rich Rocky Mountain region of the US using CO2 injection and other hydrocarbon recovery techniques, including 3-D seismic data and directional drilling.