People in the industry

Ved Prakash Mahawar has taken over as onshore director of Oil & Natural Gas Corporation Ltd. (ONGC), India’s E&P conglomerate, effective Aug. 1. Mahawar is now directly in charge of country-wide onshore operations at ONGC. He brings more than 33 years of experience in multifarious drilling and operational functions to his new role. Additionally, ONGC Videsh Ltd. has appointed Sudhir Sharma to director of exploration. He brings three decades of industry experience, in India and abroad. Most recently, Sharma was country manager and legal representative of OVL’s operations in Colombia. 

The Canadian government has appointed Steven Kelly as a full-time member of the National Energy Board (NEB) for a term of seven years, effective Oct. 13. Kelly brings more than 30 years of expertise in working with conventional and unconventional energy resources. Previously, he undertook technical, commercial, regulatory and strategic consulting projects for Canadian and international clients, focusing on regional and global crude oil and petroleum markets. 

Alex Cestero has been appointed senior V.P., general counsel and secretary of Frank’s International N.V. Most recently, Cestero served as V.P., co-general counsel and corporate secretary at Weatherford International plc. He brings an abundance of experience to his new role, having spent his entire career serving in both public and private law firm settings within the oil and gas industry. 

The Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG) has announced the results of the 2015-2016 board of directors’ election. Selected by a vote of active SEG members, Bill Abriel has been named president-elect. Abriel worked with Chevron for 36 years before retiring in May 2015. He was the geophysical lead for Chevron projects in many basins around the world, concentrating on North America, China, Australia, South America, Russia and Eurasia. 

The board of directors of Akastor ASA, has announced that Kristian Røkke has been appointed CEO of the company. He will succeed Frank O. Reite, who will take over as Aker’s CFO. Røkke has experience in offshore service and shipbuilding from several companies in the Aker group. He has spent eight years at Aker Philadelphia Shipyard, most recently as chairman of the board, and previously as president and CEO. Røkke will continue as chairman of Aker Philadelphia Shipyard ASA and as a board member of TRG Holding AS, American Shipping Company ASA and Philly Tankers AS.

This year, the Louisiana Gulf Coast Oil Exposition (LAGCOE) honors Leon Charles Moncla, Jr., as LAGCOE Looey 2015. The honor is in recognition of Moncla’s more than 45 years of service in the oil and gas industry. The announcement was made by LAGCOE Executive Director Angela Cring at a luncheon held Aug. 3, at the Petroleum Club of Lafayette, La. Moncla is the 35th LAGCOE Looey recipient.

TimkenSteel has promoted Carolee Vanicek to director of tube manufacturing. She will lead operations at the Gambrinus Steel Plant in Canton, Ohio. Vanicek joined the company in 1996, and previously served as senior product manager for tube-based products. She holds a BA degree in mechanical engineering from Lehigh University and an MBA from Malone University. 

BG Egypt has appointed Khaled Kacem to president. Kacem brings 23 years of industry experience to the new position. He has held a number of technical, engineering, operations and management roles in Tunisia, UK and Egypt. Prior to his appointment to president, Kacem was general manager and managing director of Rashid Petroleum Company. Kacem succeeds former BG Egypt President Arshad Sufi, who continues his career with the company as chairman.

Ceona has announced that John Smith has stepped down as chairman of the company’s board, due to ill health. A chartered mechanical engineer, Smith led the strategic process that formed Subsea 7. He served as the inaugural CEO until 2007, when he joined Clough as CEO. Ultimately, Smith joined Ceona in the initial stages of its growth strategy and has remained a significant contributor to the organization. Smith is also a past president of the International Marine Contractors Association, and served as chairman of Benthic Geotech and Competentia.

Joanne Keilloh has been named group QHSE coordinator for Seatronics Ltd., an Acteon company. Based in Aberdeen, Scotland, Keilloh will lead the QHSE function within J2 Subsea, a Seatronics sister company. She will be responsible for supporting the companies’ global bases in driving QHSE strategy and culture alongside local QHSE representatives. Keilloh brings extensive QHSE experience to her new role, as she worked previously for Bibby Offshore and DOF Subsea. 

Effective July 1, Julian Ford has been appointed CCO of Altaaqa Global. He will be responsible for ensuring that the company achieves revenue growth targets and overall commercial success, and facilitating the formulation and implementation of innovative global commercial strategies. Ford helped introduce the concept of power project rental to governments of developing economies, and was instrumental in taking the rental power concept to different regions across the globe.

Tendeka has appointed Scott Watters to COO.  He brings more than 20 years of experience in operations, line management and business development to his new role. Prior to joining the company, Watters served as Weatherford’s country manager for Saudi Arabia, and as executive director of Nobel Oil. Tendeka has also appointed Annabel Green as CTO. Green previously worked in numerous technical and management positions within the service sector, with responsibility developing and commercializing sand face completion technologies.

Greene’s Energy Group LLC CEO Robert Vilyus has elected to retire from the company and the board of directors in September. Effective immediately, Frank Matthews assumes the role of president and COO of the company, and will be added to the board of directors. Matthews has more than 30 years of experience with Weatherford International. Most recently, he was global V.P. of tubular running services & drilling tools. Before his promotion, Matthews served as president of well testing and wellhead services, the largest of Greene Energy Group’s business units. Additionally, the company has named Brian Cooper key account manager, focusing on the Permian basin region. Cooper brings nearly a decade of industry experience to his new role, having begun his career as a drilling engineer for several E&P companies, a sales engineer for a major service company and, most recently, as business development manager for Enventure Global Technology. Cooper is expected to bring an abundance of knowledge to the integrated testing company. 

Dave Hager has been elected president and CEO of Devon Energy Corp, effective Aug. 1. Hager succeeds retiree John Richels. Hager joined the company in 2009, when he was named executive V.P. of E&P. Previously, he served as a member of the company’s board of directors. Hager brings 35 years of industry experience to his new role within the company.