Energy Players

Richey joined Anadarko in 1987 as manager of treasury operations. He was named treasurer later that year and was named vice president in 1995. Prior to joining Anadarko, Richey held corporate planning, finance, and treasury positions with three oil and gas companies, beginning in 1974. Reporting to Richey will be Lance Lauck, general manager, corporate development and Jerry Windlinger, general manager, US business development.

Gwin brings more than 20 years of experience, most recently having served as CEO of Community Broadband Ventures LP in Austin. Earlier in his career, Gwin spent more than 10 years at Prudential Capital Group, including managing director for the firm’s energy investments worldwide. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst.

Larson joined Union Pacific Corp. (UPC) in 1980 as a corporate auditor. Three years later he moved to the UPC oil and gas subsidiary. In 1998, he joined the investor relations department at Union Pacific Resources (UPR), which merged with Anadarko in 2000. He was assigned the leadership role for Anadarko’s investor relations department in November 2003. Joining the existing investor relations team will be John Colglazier as manager, investor relations.

Anadarko develops, acquires, and explores for oil and gas resources. As of year-end 2004, the company had 2.37 billion boe of proved reserves. Anadarko’s operational focus in North America extends from the deepwater Gulf of Mexico, up through the Canadian Rockies, and onto the North Slope of Alaska. Anadarko’s international operations are focused on its major positions in Algeria, Venezuela, and Qatar.

First Calgary Petroleums adds new CFO, COO; restructures management

First Calgary Petroleums Ltd. has appointed John van der Welle as finance director, vice president of finance, CFO, and director and Shane O’Leary as COO. The company has also restructured the management team.

Mr. van der Welle is a chartered accountant with over 20 years’ experience working in finance and business development in the international oil and gas industry, most recently as finance director for Premier Oil. Prior to Premier Oil, he served as finance director of Hardy Oil & Gas and group treasurer for Enterprise Oil. Mr. van der Welle will be based in London where First Calgary Petroleums Ltd. will be establishing an office.

During his 6 years at Premier Oil he oversaw the company’s financial turnaround and led the equity and debt financing of major capital projects together with the US$670 million corporate restructuring of the company. He had general management responsibility for Premier’s overseas production companies as well as his duties as finance director. While at Enterprise Oil he was involved in acquisitions and financings including the US$1.4 billion acquisition of the oil and gas assets of Texas Eastern and associated £564 million equity fund raising. van der Welle commented, “First Calgary has enjoyed impressive exploration success and has significant reserves in Algeria awaiting commercialization. I look forward to working with chief executive Richard Anderson, and new COO Shane O’Leary, and the First Calgary team.”

O’Leary’s initial focus will be the commercialization and development of the company’s Ledjmet Block 405b in Algeria. He has over 25 years of diverse technical and commercial experience in the oil and gas industry, leading projects in North America, Middle East/Africa, Caspian, and South America. He has worked for companies including EnCana, BP, and Amoco and has experience with large international gas projects including contractual arrangements, negotiations, project planning, budgeting, financing, and government advocacy. O’Leary joins FCP from EnCana where he was most recently vice president with responsibility for Brazil. Prior to EnCana, he worked for BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc. developing a gas to liquids facility in Alaska. Before that, he worked for Amoco for 14 years. At Amoco Egypt, O’Leary was vice president of business development where he led the commercialization of over 500 million cfd of domestic gas sales and initiated an LNG project to export gas to Mediterranean markets. He holds a BS in chemical engineering from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario and an MBA from The University of Western Ontario.

In conjunction, First Calgary has made management appointments. Martin Layzell, formerly vice president of exploration, has been appointed senior vice president and Algeria Country manager with primary responsibility for the management of the company’s joint ventures with Sonatrach, the national oil company of Algeria. He will be based in London. Roger Whittaker, formerly exploration manager, takes up the position of vice president of exploration. He will lead the company’s exploration team based in Calgary. Garry Worth, formerly executive vice president, has been appointed vice president of business development and will continue to be based in Calgary. Kenneth Rutherford, formerly vice president of finance and CFO, will continue to serve the company as a senior advisor assisting management on special projects.

The company has also appointed Raymond Antony as chairman of the board of directors. He is a chartered accountant and has been a director of FCP since 1996. He also serves as a director of a number of other public companies.

First Calgary Petroleums Ltd. is a Calgary-based oil and gas company actively engaged in exploration and development activities internationally.

Ralph Cunningham new COO at Enterprise Products Partners

Enterprise Products Partners LP has elected Dr. Ralph S. Cunningham to serve as group executive vice president and COO of the general partner. Cunningham retired in 1997 from CITGO Petroleum Corp., where he served as president and CEO since 1995. Previously, he held senior management positions at Huntsman Corp., Texaco Chemical, Clark Oil & Refining, and Tenneco. He previously served as a director of the general partner of Enterprise Products Partners LP from 1998 until March 2005, and of EPCO Inc. from 1987 to 1997. He recently served as chairman of the board and director of the general partner of TEPPCO Partners LP and recently resigned those positions. Additionally, Cunningham serves as a director of TETRA Technologies Inc., EnCana Corp., and Agrium Inc. Enterprise Products Partners LP is a publicly traded energy partnership with an enterprise value of over $14 billion. The company provides midstream energy services to producers and consumers of natural gas, NGLs, and crude oil. Enterprise transports natural gas, NGLs, and crude oil through 32,500 miles of onshore and offshore pipelines and develops midstream infrastructure in the deepwater trend of the GoM.

Gulfport Energy appoints James Palm to CEO

James D. Palm has joined Gulfport Energy Corp. as CEO, a position previously held by Mike Liddell. Liddell will continue to serve as chairman of the board and a director of Gulfport. Palm received a BS degree in mechanical engineering in 1968 and a MBA in 1971, both from Oklahoma State University. Following three years of service as a Naval Officer, Palm worked from 1971 through 1973 at the corporate headquarters of Gulf Oil Corp. in Pittsburgh, Pa. He then returned to Oklahoma, where he worked at McAlester Fuel Co. Palm then worked for Ricks Exploration Co. where he began his career as a manager of operations and was later promoted to vice president of operations and then to vice president of exploration and operations. In 1995, Palm founded Crescent Exploration LLC, an independent oil and gas company operating in Oklahoma and the Texas panhandle. He currently serves as a member of the Industry Advisory Committee of the Oklahoma Corp. Commission. He is a past president of the Oklahoma Independent Petroleum Association and also previously served as chairman of the Oklahoma Energy Resources Board. Gulfport is an independent oil and gas exploration and production company with its principal properties located in the Louisiana Gulf Coast area. The company seeks to achieve reserve growth and increased cash flow from operations through low risk development activities on its existing properties and other acquisition opportunities.

Humphreys to replace retiring Ed Galante as senior VP at ExxonMobil

Exxon Mobil Corp.’s board of directors has elected D. D. (Don) Humphreys as senior vice president and treasurer of the corporation. He steps in for Ed G. Galante, who after 34 years of service, has retired.

Humphreys, 57, currently vice president and treasurer of Exxon Mobil Corp., will be a member of the corporation’s management committee. During his near 30-year career with the ExxonMobil, he has served in various assignments - both domestic and international. He joined Exxon Chemical Co. in 1976. Ten years later, he transferred to Exxon Corp. in New York as senior financial advisor in the controller’s department. In 1988, he moved to Exxon Co. International as financial reporting manager and later served as assistant general auditor. In 1990, Humphreys became upstream controller of Exxon Co. USA. In 1993, he moved to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, as financial director of the Esso companies in Malaysia. He became an assistant treasurer of Exxon Corp. in January 1997 and was elected vice president and controller in July 1997. Concurrent with the merger with Mobil, Humphreys was named vice president and controller of Exxon Mobil Corp. In July 2004, he was named vice president and treasurer of Exxon Mobil Corp. He earned a BS degree from Oklahoma State University in 1971 and served in the US Army from 1972-1974. He earned an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1976.

Manner brings background to Westside Energy as vice president and COO

Westside Energy Corp., an oil and gas company with operations focused on the acquisition, exploration, and development of natural gas in the Barnett Shale play in North Texas, has appointed Douglas Manner to vice president and COO. Manner will be responsible for the company’s drilling and production operations and will continue to serve as a member of Westside’s board of directors. He has more than 25 years of experience in the oil and gas industry and most recently was senior vice president and COO of Kosmos Energy LLC, a private energy company exploring for oil and gas in the offshore regions of West Africa. Prior to Kosmos Energy, Manner served as president and COO of White Stone Energy. Additionally, Manner has served as chairman and CEO of Mission Resources; and as chairman, CEO and president of Bellwether Exploration. Prior to Bellwether, he served as vice president and COO of Gulf Canada Resources Ltd. Manner’s previous experience includes 15 years with Ryder Scott Petroleum Engineers. Manner also serves as a director of three other public oil and gas companies. Manner holds a BS degree in mechanical engineering from Rice University.

Anderson joins Protiviti as managing director

The Houston office of Protiviti Inc. has a new managing director. Lisa D. Anderson joins the company as managing director of its financial reporting risk services practice. She will be responsible for the firm’s monitoring of new Financial Accounting Standards Board standards and pronouncements and for alerting clients of changing requirements. She will also provide consulting services regarding proactive financial reporting and disclosure risk management.

Anderson has 23 years of consulting and accounting experience. Prior to joining the firm, she helped lead the Sarbanes-Oxley services team as a managing director at Jefferson Wells International. Previously she was a national account partner in the Management Assurance Services Practice at KPMG LLP. She began her accounting career with the Houston office of Arthur Andersen & Co.

Anderson is a certified internal auditor and a certified public accountant. She received her BS degree in accounting and business administration cum laude from St. Louis University.

Protiviti is a provider of independent risk consulting and internal audit services. The firm also offers a full spectrum of internal audit services. Protiviti, which has more than 40 locations in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Robert Half International Inc.

DME board of directors appoints King to CEO

The board of directors of the Dubai Mercantile Exchange (DME), the joint venture between the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) and Dubai Holding, has appointed Gary R. King to CEO. King has more than two decades of experience across the energy and finance sector, working for leading companies such as Neste Oy (national oil and energy company of Finland), Morgan Stanley, and the Emirates National Oil Co. (ENOC). In the private equity sector, he was instrumental in developing the Standard Bank/GIB GCC energy fund, one of the first products of the Dubai International Financial Centre, and most recently was seconded into the treasury and commodities joint venture between Macquarie Bank and Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank. “With the appointment of Gary as CEO of the Dubai Mercantile Exchange we have set strong foundations to the Dubai Mercantile Exchange project, providing it with a diverse and experienced leadership,” said Ahmad Sharaf, chairman of the DME. “Gary is a key player in the energy and finance sectors in the Middle East. He brings extensive experience to the exchange and has full support from the DME board of directors and the joint venture partners. He will contribute in making the DME a world class, frontrunner international exchange. The leadership of the DME combines more than 65 years of management experience in the commodities, financial and energy sectors, a substantial guarantee for the consolidation of the DME,” said Mr. Sharaf. King is a graduate of the University of London with a BS degree in petroleum exploration geology and an MSC DIC in petroleum exploration geology.

New appointments for Kivisto, Bietz at MDU Resources

Nicole A. Kivisto, 32, financial analyst IV of MDU Resources Group Inc., has been promoted to controller. Kivisto will provide overall management for the internal financial control and financial planning functions. She will also provide assistance to the operating companies in developing and maintaining an effective internal control structure.

Kivisto has been with MDU Resources since 1995, starting as a financial analyst in the corporate accounting department. She was promoted to a financial and investor relations analyst in the investor relations department, in which she prepared presentations for the financial and investment community and assisted in shareholder relations. In 2003, she was promoted to her current position in the corporate planning department. She earned an accounting degree from Moorhead State University.

Steven L. Bietz, executive vice president and COO of WBI Holdings Inc., has been named president of WBI Holdings. John K. Castleberry will remain in the position of CEO of WBI Holdings. WBI Holdings is an indirect subsidiary of MDU Resources Group Inc. with operations in natural gas transportation, underground storage, gathering pipeline services, and natural gas and oil production.

Bietz began his career with the corporation in 1981 at Montana-Dakota Utilities Co., the MDU Resources’ utility division, as a tax analyst. He transferred to Williston Basin Interstate Pipeline Co., an operating unit of WBI Holdings, in 1985 as a staff accountant. Through a series of promotions he advanced to positions of increased responsibility including a promotion to controller in January 1994, vice president - administration in February 1997, and to executive vice president and COO in September 2002. He holds a BA degree in business administration from Jamestown College and completed a computer information systems major at the University of Mary.

Newfield Exploration names additional vice presidents

Newfield Exploration Co. promoted six managers to vice president. W. Mark Blumenshine was promoted to vice president - land. Prior to this assignment, he was manager - land. Blumenshine joined Newfield in 2001 and has helped lead an expansion in the company’s acreage base. Prior to joining Newfield, he worked for Dominion Exploration & Production Co. Blumenshine is a graduate of the University of Texas with bachelor’s degrees in petroleum land management and business administration.

Mona Leigh Bernhardt was promoted to vice president - human resources. Prior to this assignment, she was manager - human resources. Bernhardt joined Newfield in 2000. Prior to joining Newfield, she worked for Exxon. Bernhardt graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in public relations and holds a MS degree in organizational communications from Purdue University.

Stephen C. Campbell was promoted to vice president - investor relations. Prior to this, he served as manager - investor relations. Campbell joined Newfield in 1999 after working for Anadarko Petroleum Corp. He is a graduate of Texas A&M University with a degree in journalism.

James J. Metcalf was promoted to vice president - drilling. He is responsible for the company’s global drilling operations. Prior to this, Metcalf served as manager - drilling and has been an employee of Newfield since 1995. Prior to joining Newfield, he worked for Tenneco Oil E&P and two Gulf Coast independents as VP operations. Metcalf holds a degree in petroleum engineering from Marietta College.

Mark Spicer was promoted to vice president - information technology. Prior to this assignment, he was manager - information technology. Prior to joining Newfield, Spicer worked for Amerada Hess Corp. Spicer holds degrees in geological and petroleum engineering from New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology.

James T. Zernell was promoted to vice president - production. Prior to this promotion, he was manager - production. Zernell is responsible for managing the company’s production in the US and overseas. Zernell joined Newfield in 1997 and prior to this worked for ARCO Alaska and Tenneco Oil E&P. Zernell holds a degree in petroleum engineering from Penn State University.

Newfield Exploration Co. is an independent crude oil and natural gas exploration and production company. Newfield’s areas of operation include the GoM, the US onshore Gulf Coast, the Anadarko and Arkoma Basins of the Mid-Continent, the Uinta Basin of the Rocky Mountains, and offshore Malaysia. The company has international development projects underway in the UK North Sea and in Bohai Bay, China.

Noble names Roche vice president of Noble Technology

Kevin D. Roche has been named vice president of Noble Technology in addition to his current position of general manager of Noble Drilling Canada Ltd. In his expanded role, Roche will be responsible for the company’s worldwide technology efforts including advanced drilling related products and the continued production of aluminum alloy drilling riser. Roche, who has over 27 years of industry experience, has been with Noble since 1994. He holds a BS degree in mechanical engineering from Memorial University of Newfoundland. Noble Corp. provides diversified services for the oil and gas industry. Contract drilling services are performed with the company’s fleet of 60 mobile offshore drilling units located worldwide. This fleet consists of 13 semisubmersibles, 3 dynamically positioned drillships, 41 jackups, and 3 submersibles. In addition, the company has contracted to purchase two new F&G JU-2000E enhanced premium jackups, with scheduled delivery of the first unit in the third quarter of 2007 and the second unit in first quarter of 2008. Approximately 80% of the fleet is currently deployed in international markets, including the Middle East, Mexico, the North Sea, Brazil, West Africa, India, and the Mediterranean Sea. The company provides drilling-related products and services, labor contract drilling services, well site and project management services, and engineering services.

Dotson to retire; Lindsay and Orr named EVPs at Helmerich & Payne

George S. Dotson will retire from Helmerich & Payne Inc. effective March 1, 2006, after a 35-year career. Dotson began his career with the company in 1970, and was named vice president of the company and president and COO of International Drilling Co., the company’s drilling subsidiary, in 1977. In 1990, he was elected to the company’s board. Upon his retirement, Dotson will provide advisory services for a period of at least one year and will continue to serve as a director until the expiration of his current term in March 2007.

In related news, effective March 1, 2006, following the retirement of Dotson, John Lindsay and Alan Orr will assume additional responsibilities and serve as executive vice presidents for Helmerich & Payne International Drilling Co. Lindsay will become executive vice president, US and international operations, and Orr will serve as executive vice president, engineering and development. Both positions will report directly to the CEO.

Lindsay joined the company in 1987 as a drilling engineer. He has since served in various positions including operations manager for the company’s mid-continent region and division manager of US land operations. In 1997 he was appointed to vice president, US land operations, for Helmerich & Payne International Drilling Co. Lindsay earned a BS degree in petroleum engineering from the University of Tulsa.

Orr joined the company in 1975 as a roughneck. In his 30-year career, he has held various supervisory positions in the company’s domestic and international operations. In 1992, he was appointed vice president and chief engineer for Helmerich & Payne International Drilling Co. Orr graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1973, with a BS degree in general engineering.

Helmerich & Payne Inc. is a contract drilling company that owns 90 US land rigs, 11 US platform rigs located in the Gulf of Mexico, and 27 international rigs. Included in the fleet are 50 H&P-designed and operated FlexRigs(R). The company has reached contractual agreements with customers that will result in the construction of 50 additional FlexRigs.

Deily elected to board at Chevron Corp.

San Ramon, Calif.-based Chevron Corp. has elected Linnet F. Deily, former deputy US trade representative (USTR) and ambassador, to the Chevron board of directors. Deily, 60, served as chief of mission of the USTR in Geneva, Switzerland. She led the US delegation at the World Trade Organization, including supervising the team in the Doha Round of trade negotiations. Prior to joining the USTR, Deily was vice chairman for Charles Schwab Corp. She supervised the company’s strategic direction and integration of Schwab’s various enterprises and served on the company’s management committee. She previously served as president of Schwab’s institutional management business and as president of the Schwab Retail Group. Prior to joining Schwab, Deily was chairman of the First Interstate Bancorp Retail Council, president and CEO of the First Interstate Bank of Texas, and held other various positions in international banking. She was a member of the Advisory Council to the Federal Reserve Bank’s board of governors, representing the 12th District. In 1967, Deily earned a bachelor’s degree in government from the University of Texas at Austin. She received a master’s degree in international management from the University of Texas at Dallas in 1976. Currently, Deily serves on the board of directors for Lucent Technologies. Chevron subsidiaries conduct business in approximately 180 countries around the world, producing and transporting crude oil and natural gas, and refining, marketing, and distributing fuels and other energy products.

Larry White joins OpenSpirit as VP of sales and marketing

Sugar Land, Tex.-based OpenSpirit has appointed Larry White as vice president of sales and marketing. “Larry brings 35 years of experience to our global sales and marketing organization,” says Dan Piette, president and CEO of OpenSpirit. White most recently served as the global account manager at Input/Output Inc. with responsibility for a number of super major accounts, including ExxonMobil, BP, ConocoPhillips, Occidental, Chevron, and Apache, as well as many independent oil company accounts. Prior to this, White served as president and CEO of Bell Geospace and vice president of The Americas at Landmark Graphics. He started his E&P career at Schlumberger in 1971 as an offshore field engineer and spent the next 19 years in various functions, including the leading of two divisions, marketing and technical manager for Wireline Atlantic, and region sales manager. White holds a BS degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Florida. The OpenSpirit Corp. began operations in July 2000 as an independent software company focused on providing integration solutions for upstream applications and data. The OpenSpirit application integration framework allows interoperability between multiple vendors’ applications and data.

Energy Solutions expands staff with Young, Bash, Riggs

Young has joined Energy Solutions as product manager for the PipelineTransporter® and TransactionManager® applications. He started his career with El Paso Natural Gas and spent over 10 years in areas ranging from customer service to commercial/marketing. Young then worked for GulfTerra Energy LP and Enterprise Products. As a product manager, he will be responsible for managing the future direction and marketing of PipelineTransporter and TransactionManager. Young earned a BBA from the University of Texas at El Paso.

Bash has taken on the role of director of marketing for Energy Solutions after eight years with BMC Software where she worked in numerous marketing roles. Bash will be responsible for all aspects of brand management, advertising, demand generation, and communication including press activity. She received undergraduate degrees from the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Houston and holds a MBA from Rice University.

Riggs has rejoined Energy Solutions as vice president of North American sales with more than 20 years of global sales experience. He started his career as a product manager for Baker CAC, a Baker Hughes company, and moved to sales management, including several years in the United Arab Emirates. Riggs then worked for Scientific Software Intercomp, a company that formed Energy Solutions, Aspen Technology, and most recently for TEST Automation and Controls as an international sales manager. He will be responsible for growing the company’s North American revenues. Riggs has a degree in applied science, electronics technology, from Ohio University in Lancaster, Ohio.

Founded in 1976 and headquartered in Houston, Energy Solutions International supplies pipeline management technologies for the oil and gas industry. Energy Solutions serves more than 500 clients in over 70 countries through its offices in the US, UK, India, China, and Canada.

Fitzpatrick, Muckleroy new independent directors for The Exploration Co.

The Exploration Co. has unanimously approved the appointment of two new independent directors-Dennis B. Fitzpatrick, president and CEO of D.B. Fitzpatrick & Co. Inc., an investment management firm based in Boise, Idaho., and Jon Michael Muckleroy, who has extensive experience as a director, senior executive, and consultant for a number of energy-industry firms.

Fitzpatrick has been a financial consultant to several companies and a faculty member teaching finance at the University of Idaho and other universities. He is a chartered financial analyst and holds a doctorate in finance and international economics and a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Colorado and an MBA from the University of Santa Clara.

Muckleroy has managed a private oil and gas investment portfolio since leaving Enron Liquid Fuels in 1993, where he was chairman and CEO. He received a bachelor’s degree in finance and marketing from Southern Methodist University.

Both new directors also will serve as members of the board’s audit, compensation, and governance and nominating committees. “With these appointments, the board will consist of seven directors, five of whom are independent,” said president and CEO James E. Sigmon.

The Exploration Co. is an independent oil and gas enterprise with interests primarily in the Maverick Basin of Southwest Texas. Its business strategy is to acquire undeveloped mineral interests and internally develop a multi-year drilling inventory through the use of advanced technologies, such as 3-D seismic and horizontal drilling.

Faubel and Wolley head up organizational changes at Baker Hughes

William P. Faubel will succeed David H. Barr, who was acting as interim president of Baker Atlas since August 2005, as president of Baker Atlas. Faubel will report directly to Barr, group president of drilling and evaluation. The company is also appointing Charles S. Wolley president of Centrilift, succeeding Faubel. Wolley will report directly to Douglas J. Wall, group president of completions and production.

James R. Clark, Baker Hughes president and COO, said, “I am pleased to announce the appointment of Wil Faubel as president of Baker Atlas and welcome Charlie Wolley as the new president of Centrilift. Both Wil and Charlie bring strong leadership skills and proven track records of success and promoting our core values to their new positions. Under Wil’s leadership Centrilift posted record financial performance levels in four of the five years of his tenure. Charlie Wolley has been instrumental in furthering the technology success of Hughes Christensen.”

Faubel has held the position of president of Centrilift since May 2001. He joined Baker Hughes as a field engineer for Hughes Christensen in 1977. Since then he has held a variety of sales and management positions in both domestic and international regions, including vice president of marketing for Hughes Christensen. He received his BS degree in mechanical engineering from Southern Methodist University.

Before this appointment, Wolley held the position of vice president of manufacturing and technology at Hughes Christensen. He joined Baker Hughes in 2004 after 27 years of experience with Dresser Valve and Control, Van Leeuwen Pipe and Tube Corp., Leslie Controls, Spence Engineering, and Watts Industries where he held a variety of senior leadership positions. He received his BS degree in operational research and an industrial engineering degree from Cornell University.