Energy Players

Investment bank Cascadia Capital LLC is expanding the focus of its sustainable industries practice group to include energy, the environment, and sustainable technologies sectors. The firm has appointed William Nicoloff as managing director within the sustainable industries group. Nicoloff will concentrate on the oil and gas sector, including E&P companies, pipeline and storage companies, refineries, and oil service companies. He joins Cascadia with over 18 years investment banking and transactional experience in the oil and gas sector. Prior to joining Cascadia Capital, he was a managing director at Bentley Associates LP in New York where he led the Power & Energy team, with a heavy emphasis in the oil and gas industry.

Limbacher resigns as CEO of Rosetta Resources

Rosetta Resources Inc. has made changes to its executive leadership including the resignation of its chairman, CEO and president, Randy L. Limbacher. Limbacher had served as Rosetta's CEO and president since 2007. He will be succeeded as chairman, CEO, and president by James E. Craddock, who has served as Rosetta's senior vice president of drilling and production operations. In addition, John D. Clayton will be appointed as executive vice president and COO. He previously served as Rosetta's senior vice president of asset development. Craddock joined Rosetta as vice president, drilling and production operations in April 2008 and was named senior vice president, drilling and production operations in January 2011. He has more than 30 years of industry experience in exploration and production operations. Prior to joining Rosetta, he was COO for BPI Energy Inc. For more than 20 years, he previously held technical and management positions with Burlington Resources. He received a bachelor's degree from Texas A&M University. Clayton joined Rosetta as vice president, asset development in March 2008 and was named a senior vice president in January 2011. He has more than 25 years of industry experience in the industry. Prior to joining Rosetta, he held various leadership and managerial positions with Burlington Resources and ConocoPhillips. He has a bachelor's degree from Louisiana State University.

Louis Raspino fills Chesapeake board vacancy left by Hargis resignation

V. Burns Hargis has resigned from the board of directors at Chesapeake Energy Corp. Louis A. Raspino has been elected to fill the vacancy and has been appointed chairman of the audit committee. He will stand for election at the 2013 annual meeting of shareholders in June. Raspino's career has spanned almost 40 years, most recently as president and CEO of Pride International Inc. until its merger with Ensco plc in May 2011. He started his corporate career in 1978 with The Louisiana Land & Exploration Co. where he rose to the level of SVP/CFO and member of the Office of the Chairman. Raspino helped lead the company's strategic transformation that ultimately enabled a merger in 1997 with Burlington Resources. After serving as vice president of finance for the Halliburton Co., he then became senior vice president and CFO of Grant Prideco Inc. He was named senior vice president and CFO of Pride in 2003 and was promoted to president and CEO in 2005. He began his career in 1973 as a Certified Public Accountant with Ernst & Young. He serves on the board of Dresser Rand Corp. where he is chairman of the compensation committee and a member of the audit committee. In 2012 he became an investor in and board member of Forum Energy Technologies, where he serves on the nominating, governance and compensation committee. Raspino earned a bachelor's degree from Louisiana State University and a Master of Business Administration from Loyola University. He has remained a Certified Public Accountant since 1973.

Person joins Klüber Lubrication North America

Ron Person has joined Klüber Lubrication's North American operations as director of business development for oil and gas. Person has more than 20 years of experience in the oil and gas industry. Prior to joining Klüber, he was a global subsea manager for BP Lubricants. He holds a bachelor's degree from Texas A&M University, where he was a member of the Corps of Cadets, accepting a commission into the US Army.

Black Elk names first general counsel

Black Elk Energy Offshore Operations LLC, an independent oil and gas company, has named its first general counsel, Marizza Piché. She joins the company with over 20 years of legal experience in the oil and gas industry, most recently as general counsel with Boa Marine Services Inc. Piché has a bachelor's degree from the University of Texas and JD from Texas Southern University. Her experience includes formalizing and negotiating contracts, Time Charters and Master Service Agreements. Piché has also worked extensively with outside counsel on virtually every aspect of the industry as it relates to the acquisition, exploration, development, production, marketing, divesture and financing of crude oil and natural gas. She is also experienced in the formation, operation, liquidation and restructuring of oil and gas companies.

2H Offshore names Jewell, Ha as London office directors

2H Offshore Inc., an Acteon company, has named Glen Jewell and Hanh Ha as additional directors of its London office. Ha's primary activity sector will be flexible riser, flowline and umbilical engineering, and Jewell's focus will be drilling and production risers and conductor systems. Jewell joined 2H Offshore Inc. after completing his master's degree at Surrey University. For the past three years, Jewell has worked as an engineering team leader with responsibility for a number of engineering projects and contributing to the day-to-day running of the company's London office. Ha earned a master's degree from Manchester University. He joined 2H Offshore Inc. in 2011 with 10 years of previous subsea engineering experience in the delivery and execution of field developments with flexible riser, flowline and umbilical systems.

Burke named president of Rowan Companies

Rowan Companies plc has named Thomas P. Burke, the company's current COO, to president. He will remain COO. W. Matt Ralls will continue to serve as the company's CEO until his retirement in mid-2014, when it is anticipated that Dr. Burke will succeed him as the company's CEO and Matt Ralls will assume the role of executive chairman. Burke was appointed COO of the company in July 2011. He joined the company in December 2009 and served as the president and CEO of LeTourneau. He holds a DPhil (PhD) from Trinity College, Oxford and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Brenham Oil & Gas appoints president, COO

Brenham Oil & Gas Corp., a subsidiary of American International Industries Inc., has appointed Bryant Mook as president and COO of Brenham. He will also service as a company board member. Mook, a petroleum engineer and geologist, obtained his undergraduate degree from Southern Methodist University and a master's degree from Colorado School of Mines.

SIGMA3 names Deering as director of software quality

SIGMA3 Integrated Reservoir Solutions Inc. has appointed Todd Deering as director of software quality. With more than 12 years of experience in developing, deploying, and operating the systems, Deering will oversee quality assurance and change management across all of the company's software technology products. He joins SIGMA3 from JP Morgan Chase, where he led the investment bank's Risk Technology Performance & Automation team. Deering holds a Bachelor of Science in Integrated Science & Technology - Energy from James Madison University.

Saxon Energy Services names new president, CEO

Saxon Energy Services Inc. has named Derek Normore to replace M.J. (Mick) McNulty as president and CEO. McNulty has left the company to pursue personal interests. Normore brings extensive international oilfield service experience developed through a 32-year career managing several of Schlumberger's global businesses, regions and initiatives. Most recently, Normore served as president of Pathfinder. Prior to joining Pathfinder in 2011, Normore was an Integration Project Manager following the merger between Schlumberger Ltd. and Smith International Inc. Normore also joins the company's board of directors. Saxon is privately owned by Schlumberger, First Reserve, and certain current and former Saxon managers.

Oil and gas partner Harris joins SNR Denton in Los Angeles

John J. Harris has joined SNR Denton's Los Angeles office as a partner in the Oil and Gas practice and the firm's Energy, Transport and Infrastructure sector team. Harris has more than 30 years of experience representing oil and gas producers, working interest owners, land and mineral owners, financial institutions and public agencies on oil and gas, energy and environmental matters. He received his JD from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, and his bachelor's degree from the University of California at Santa Barbara.

HB Rentals promotes Nagel to VP

HB Rentals, a Superior Energy Services company, has promoted John Nagel to vice president of product development. Based in the corporate headquarters in Broussard, La., Nagel will be responsible for the design and development of HB Rentals' fleet including engineering, manufacturing and quality control. Nagel is a former US Coast Guard Marine Safety Inspector and has more than 40 years of experience in specialized equipment inspection and maintenance.