Burleson Cooke extends Marcellus reach; adds five to Pittsburgh office

The Houston energy law firm of Burleson Cooke has added five lawyers to its Pittsburgh office to better serve companies with an interest in the Marcellus Shale formation. Gene L. Jazwinski focuses his practice on real estate and title insurance has experience as corporate counsel and is the owner and manager of his own title and settlement company. Justin A. Rubenstein, licensed in both West Virginia and Pennsylvania, has assisted clients in coal mine regulatory compliance cases before federal and state agencies and in general business and corporate matters, including due diligence review, contract and lease drafting, and creditors' rights issues. Deb Freeland, who has more than 20 years of litigation experience, will focus on oil and gas title opinions. William Thomas Fahey III, licensed in both West Virginia and Pennsylvania, has corporate, real estate, and title-related experience, including land use, acquisition, zoning, and development. Robert M. Wilson, licensed in both West Virginia and Pennsylvania, has experience in real estate title insurance at an executive level and as in-house counsel for the Pittsburgh branch office of a national title insurance company.

JazwinskiRubensteinFreelandFaheyWilson

Ellis takes reigns at LINN Energy

LINN Energy LLC has named Mark E. Ellis president and CEO and has appointed him to the company's board of directors. As announced in June 2009, Michael C. Linn will remain an officer of LINN Energy LLC as executive chairman of the board of directors. Ellis joined LINN Energy in December 2006 and has served as president and COO since December 2007. He has more than 30 years of experience in the oil and natural gas industry. Prior to joining LINN Energy, he spent more than 20 years in senior leadership roles at Burlington Resources and ConocoPhillips.

Nelson joins Frontier Resources as VP, business operations

Kent E. Nelson has joined UK-based Frontier Resources International plc as vice president, business operations. Nelson has over 25 years of experience in business development, strategic planning, operations and management in the oil and gas industry. Nelson holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Texas and an MBA from the University of Houston.

GlobaLogix hires Litwin as VP, digital solutions

GlobaLogix Inc., a Houston-based oilfield automation company, has named Bruce Litwin vice president of digital solutions, focusing on customer issues such as data management and integration, improving collaborative capabilities and retaining knowledge from the energy industry's aging workforce. He joins GlobaLogix from his previous position as a global account manager at Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC), where he primarily focused on the company's work with a major oil and gas company.

Palantir Solutions grows teams in Houston, Calgary, Singapore

Palantir Solutions, a provider of economic/planning consultancy and software to the oil and gas community, has added new members to its global team. Steven King has joined the Houston office. King brings more than 30 years of oil and gas industry experience, both onshore and offshore. He will help introduce Palantir's consultancy and software to North American independents — predominantly those with shale gas interests. Nickolai Pazin has also joined the Houston office. He will focus on US regime fiscal modelling as well as applying his decision analysis experience to PalantirPS (portfolio services) specialist consulting. Pazin joins from family owned oil field services, Western Siberia where he was responsible for business planning. He was previously at Schlumberger where he held positions in fiscal modelling and product development. Purtini Joshi will serve in business development for the Singapore office. She was previously business development manager for Satyam Computer Services. Canadian sales expert and corporate account manager Allison Cuppen has joined the Calgary office. Cuppen will help the North American sales team expand the customer base and manage a portfolio of existing oil and gas customers.

KingPazinJoshiCuppen

Apache makes regional, worldwide leadership changes

BedingfieldChristmannApache Corp. has made changes in the leadership of its regional and worldwide exploration organizations. John Bedingfield, Australia region vice president and managing director of Apache Energy Ltd., has been named vice president — worldwide exploration and new ventures. John Christmann, vice president business development, was named vice president of Apache's new Permian Region based in Midland, Tex. Tom Maher, exploration manager for Apache Egypt Companies in Cairo, was appointed Australia region vice president and managing director of Apache Energy Ltd. Bedingfield joined Apache in 1998 and served in a variety of roles including West Mediterranean deepwater geoscience manager, exploration manager of Apache Egypt, and Australia region exploration manager. He holds a bachelor's degree and a master's degree from Northeast Louisiana University. Christmann joined Apache in 1997, serving in positions of increasing responsibility in business development until he moved to the Gulf Coast Region as production manager in 2003. He was named vice president - business development in 2004. He received his bachelor's degree from the Colorado School of Mines and an MBA from Southern Methodist University. Maher joined Apache in 1986 and served in various management positions including geoscience manager and exploration and development manager. He transferred to Cairo in 2002 as geological manager and became exploration manager in 2005. He holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Massachusetts, a master's degree from Miami University (Ohio), and an MBA from the University of Phoenix.

Preceeding structure change, Baytex names two VPs

BrownridgeRamsayIn preparation of its conversion from an oil and gas income trust to a corporation with a growth-and-income model, Calgary-based Baytex Energy Trust has made changes to its management team. Stephen Brownridge, currently vice president of the Heavy Oil Business Unit, has been named vice president of exploration. He joined Baytex in 1997. Brownridge will focus on guiding the company's geoscience efforts in existing resource plays, as well as generating new exploration and development projects. He has a bachelor's degree from the University of Manitoba and a master's degree from the University of Alberta. Richard Ramsay has joined Baytex as vice president of the Heavy Oil Business Unit. He was formerly COO of TAQA North Ltd. He holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Saskatchewan.

Western Gas Partners promotes Sinclair to CEO

Western Gas Partners LP has promoted Donald R. Sinclair to the position of CEO of its general partner. Sinclair continues as president and succeeds Robert G. Gwin, who will continue in his role as chairman of the board. Prior to joining Western Gas Partners LP as president of its general partner in October 2009, Sinclair was a founding partner and served as president of Ceritas Energy LLC, a Houston-based midstream energy company. He has nearly 30 years of experience in the midstream, marketing, trading, and risk management areas of the energy industry. Western Gas Partners is a limited partnership formed by Anadarko Petroleum to own, operate, acquire and develop midstream energy assets.

Seale to succeed retiring Colchin at Mustang Automation and Control

ColchinSealeDon Colchin, president of Mustang's Automation and Control business unit, has retired. Richard Seale, manager of projects for the business unit, will succeed him. In his new role, Seale will be responsible for the business unit's operations, long-term strategic growth plans, safety performance and customer delivery. Colchin joined Mustang in 1996 with a core group of automation professionals, including Seale, to develop Mustang's Automation and Control business unit. Seale has over 30 years' experience in the automation industry, and has held various positions in automation engineering and project management in refining, chemicals and offshore and onshore oil and gas.

Paradigm CEO retires

John W. Gibson, Jr. has retired from his position as CEO of Paradigm Ltd., a global provider of enterprise software solutions to the oil and natural gas exploration and production industry. Gibson served as the company's CEO for four and a half years.

Gastar amends bylaws, separates chairman, CEO

Gastar Exploration has amended the company's bylaws requiring the positions of CEO and chairman of the board be held by separate individuals, naming John R. Rooney chairman. Rooney is an existing member of the board. J. Russell Porter will continue to lead Gastar's business activities in his role as president and CEO. Additionally, Randolph C. Coley has joined the Gastar board and will serve on the Nominating, Corporate Governance and Audit committees. Coley is a retired partner with the law firm of King & Spalding and previously served as executive managing director and head of investment banking for Morgan Keegan & Co. Inc. The board is searching for one additional independent board member to be added to the nominated slate of directors at the 2010 Annual General Meeting of shareholders. These changes are being made as part of a corporate governance review by the board with the concurrence of one of its significant institutional shareholders, Palo Alto Investors LLC, which together with its affiliates own roughly 9.3% of the company's outstanding common shares.

CIT names Tobin acting CEO, CFO to retire in April

CIT Group Inc., a provider of financing to small businesses and middle market companies, has appointed current board member Peter J. Tobin acting CEO until a new CEO is appointed. He replaces Jeffrey M. Peek, whose resignation as chairman and CEO was effective January 15. Tobin will continue to serve as a director along with the company's four new directors. Michael J. Embler, Arthur B. Newman, Daniel A. Ninivaggi and R. Brad Oates have been appointed by the board to serve as directors. In Embler formerly served as the chief investment officer of Franklin Mutual Advisers LLC. Newman currently serves as senior managing director and co-head of the restructuring and reorganization advisory group at Blackstone Group LP. Ninivaggi serves as Of Counsel to the international law firm of Winston & Strawn LLP. Oates currently serves as chairman and managing partner of Stone Advisors LP. Additionally, the company's CFO, Joseph M. Leone, vice chairman and CFO, will retire after over 25 years of service.

Stream Oil & Gas selects new CFO

Stream Oil & Gas has appointed Danny Davis as CFO. Davis has spent most of his career in management consultancy roles in the energy business, principally with BP. Davis has an MBA from the UK's Cranfield School of Business. Stream's former CFO, Angela Huxham, will remain with the company as corporate secretary.

Shiels joins newly-formed Chesapeake entity as CFO

Chesapeake Midstream Partners LLC (CMP), the recently formed entity which purchased and operates Chesapeake Energy's Barnett, Permian, and Mid-Continent natural gas gathering and treating assets, has hired David C. Shiels to serve as the company's CFO. He joins CMP following a 22 year career at General Electric and ConocoPhillips. He most recently served as CFO of GE Security Americas. Shiels earned a bachelor's degree from Michigan State University.

Upon move to Denver, Petroflow names Miller CEO

In an ongoing effort to right itself, Petroflow Energy Ltd. is making additional changes, including naming Kyle R. Miller to the position of CEO, transitioning the corporate headquarters to Denver, and selling its Permian Basin properties to reduce debt. The company will close its Calgary office. Petroflow recently sold its Texas Permian Basin properties consisting of 3,640 gross and net developed acres for roughly $3.3 million.

Credo Petroleum elects new president, CEO

Credo Petroleum Corp. has elected Marlis E. Smith, Jr. as the company's president and CEO, succeeding James T. Huffman, who retired January 15, 2010. Smith has been involved in the oil and gas industry for 25 years. He is currently the owner of SmithCo Properties Inc. and a partner in Smith Drummond Holdings, both exploration and production companies based in Denver. Smith holds a bachelor's degree from Rice University and an MBA from the University of Denver. He was elected to Credo's board in April, 2009.

Bracewell names Wodka to head DC office

Nancy Wodka has assumed the role of managing partner of Bracewell & Giuliani's Washington, DC office. Wodka follows Michael Pate, who served as office managing partner for 12 years. Wodka, an energy attorney and longtime partner of the firm, has more than 25 years of experience in energy transactions and the development and financing of infrastructure projects.

Superior Well Services promotes Seyman to VP, ops

Superior Well Services Inc. has promoted Michael Seyman to vice president of operations. Seyman has been with Superior for seven years and has served as the company's technical manager, Rocky Mountain region manager and, most recently, director of technology. He brings over 30 years of oilfield experience to the position. He earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Pittsburgh.

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