PERSONNEL MOVES AND PROMOTIONS: Murphy Oil makes executive changes

Deming

Murphy Oil Corp. announced that Claiborne P. Deming, president and chief executive officer of the company since 1994, will retire effective Dec. 31. Deming will be succeeded by David M. Wood, who currently serves as Murphy’s executive vice-president, worldwide exploration and production operations.

Deming will continue as a member of Murphy’s board and will succeed William Nolan as chairman of the board’s executive committee. Nolan will remain board chairman.

Wood joined the company in 1994 and has held several positions including vice-president and senior vice-president of frontier E&P and president of Murphy Exploration & Production Co. In January 2007, Wood became executive vice-president with responsibility for the company’s E&P operations. He will assume his new duties as president and CEO effective Jan. 1, 2009.

Upstream moves

Patrick Romeo was appointed president of Royal Dutch Shell PLC operations in France. He succeeds Christian Balmes.

Romeo held various posts in the group’s downstream sector, including coordinator of the overall downstream businesses in the Middle East, based in Dubai.

Pacific Asia Petroleum Inc., Hartsdale, NY, has appointed Richard Grigg as senior vice-president and managing director.

Grigg has served as the company’s managing director of its Beijing office since October 2007. He has 38 years of experience in the petroleum industry as well as extensive management and operational experience.

Prior to joining Pacific Asia, Grigg was chief operating officer for Sino Gas & Energy, based in Beijing, and responsible for all activities of the company within China.

Norwood Resources Ltd., Nicaragua operator based in Vancouver, BC, has named David Grellman as vice-president, operations.

Grellman will implement and manage Norwood’s corporate drilling objectives and develop a practical and effective infrastructure to support all aspects of its drilling, testing, and production operations.

He will also be responsible for the company’s health, safety, and environmental policy and will ensure its compliance with Nicaraguan and international oil field standards and practices. Grellman has 36 years’ experience with Exlog, Cities Service Oil Co., and Occidental Oil & Gas Corp.

Santos Ltd. has appointed David Knox chief executive officer. Knox has served as the Melbourne-based company’s acting chief executive since Mar. 25.

Knox said he looked forward to leading Santos as it pursued its vision of becoming the leading Australian company supplying energy to Australia and Asia.

Knox joined Santos in September 2007 as executive vice-president, growth businesses. He was responsible for growth in Santos’s emerging new businesses including LNG, geoscience and other new ventures, and Indonesia.

St. Mary Land & Exploration Co. has appointed Kenneth Knott vice-president, business development and land. He also has been appointed assistant secretary.

Knott has worked for St. Mary since 2000 and most recently held the position of land manager for the Gulf Coast region. He will be responsible for St. Mary’s land administration and business development activities and will be based in the Houston office.

Other moves

BG Australia has appointed Les Guthrie president, LNG, to manage the company’s interests in the Queensland Curtis LNG project. Guthrie will oversee planning, environmental assessment, design, and construction of the proposed LNG plant at Gladstone, about 500 km north of Brisbane, and will be responsible for its ongoing operations and growth on behalf of BG Australia and Queensland Gas Co. Ltd.

Guthrie has extensive worldwide experience in project management and was previously BG Group’s general manager of projects, based in the UK, where he was responsible for project execution across the Group’s global portfolio.

Oneok Inc. has named James Wilson as regional vice-president and Eric A. Grundman as vice-president, administration, at its Texas Gas Service division.

Wilson served as the director, gas supply, for TGS. He has held various accounting, managerial, and field operations positions since joining the company in 1989.

Grundman began his career with TGS in 1995 as a community affairs manager for the Austin area before becoming manager, government affairs, for TGS and Oneok in Texas. He served as manager, process improvement and quality assurance for TGS.

Abu Dhabi National Energy Co. PJSC has appointed Frederic Lesage to serve as managing director, TAQA North. Lesage succeeds Tim Granger effective Sept. 30.

With more than 17 years of industry experience, Lesage most recently served TAQA in the role of GVP, integration and optimization.

Joseph Israel has been promoted to chief operating officer of Alon USA. He previously served as vice-president, mergers and acquisitions.

Israel will be responsible for the integration and business planning of the company’s refining and asphalt businesses.

Joe Concienne will assume the role of senior vice-president, refining and supply. Concienne will have operating responsibilities for all of Alon’s refineries with each refinery manager reporting directly to him. He most recently served as senior vice-president of refining and transportation.

Michael Oster will become senior vice-president, M&A. He previously was general manager of commercial transactions.