June 2015, Vol. 242, No. 6

Features

Business Roundup

Association News

The Society of Petroleum Engineers, Aberdeen, Scotland section, named Shankar Bhukya chairman, replacing Ross Lowdon who left due to re-location to Houston.

The National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) Board of Directors elected Cindy B. Taylor chair and Kevin McEvoy vice chairman for 2015-16 at the annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

Personnel Changes

TMK IPSCO, U.S. subsidiary of global pipe manufacturer TMK, named Joel C. Mastervich vice president and COO. He is responsible for all operations, including the 12 manufacturing plants in the U.S. and Canada.

Synodon Inc. announced that company founder Adrian Banica has decided to relinquish his duties as president for personal reasons. He will remain a director of the corporation. Banica founded Synodon in August 2000 and guided Synodon during 10 years of research and development of a proprietary remote gas sensing instrument called realSens™. Under Adrian’s leadership, the company began generating revenue in 2010 and had its first profitable quarter in the quarter ending Oct. 31, 2014. In related news Nimal Rodrigo was appointed COO and Deborah Rodrigo was appointed CFO.

“We are pleased that Nimal, who has served as the Company’s CFO for the past seven years has accepted the responsibilities of COO and that Deborah, who has also served the Company as Controller for past seven years has been promoted to CFO” said Paul van Eeden.

American Energy Partners, LP hired Scott D. Sachs as senior geoscience executive advisor, James C. Johnson as senior marketing and midstream executive and Traci D. Cook as chief accounting officer.

Magellan Midstream Partners, L.P. elected Stacy P. Methvin to the board as an independent director.

HammerHead, a Charles Machine Works Company, said Brian Metcalf will depart to become CEO at the Ring-O-Matic organization in Pella, IA. He joined HammerHead in April 2007 as director of International Sales and was named president and CEO in December 2007. During his tenure he oversaw the transition from Champlain Capital Partners private equity group to Charles Machine Works.

Rick Johnson, CEO of Charles Machine Works, will be interim president of HammerHead until a new president is named.
Wood Group Mustang made the following executive promotions: Edmund-Hugo Lunde, executive vice president; Brent Owen, senior vice president, Project Delivery Functions; Mike Dear, CFO; Patricia Liles, vice president, Human Resources; and Michele McNichol, CEO.

Anadarko Petroleum Corp.’s Board of Directors named Christopher O. Champion as vice president, chief accounting officer and controller, succeeding M. Cathy Douglas, who is retiring after 35 years with the company.

Columbia Pipeline Group (CPG), a business unit of NiSource Inc., named Bruce L. Connery vice president of Investor Relations for CPG and Columbia Pipeline Partners. CPPL completed its initial public offering on Feb. 11 and is expected to separate from NiSource to become a stand-alone, publicly traded pipeline, midstream and storage company. Randy G. Hulen will remain vice president of Investor Relations for NiSource after the separation. Connery formerly headed investor relations for El Paso Corp.

Robert D. McGrew, previously T.D. Williamson vice president and CFO, was elected by the board as president and CEO. He will be responsible for operating performance and strategic direction.

Robert Halpin was promoted to senior vice president and CFO of Crestwood Midstream Partners LP.

Robert D. Biagiotti, was named vice president and chief customer officer of Baltimore Gas & Electric Co. He has held numerous technical and leadership positions in his 24 years at BGE.

TÜV Rheinland Industrial Solutions appointed Monty McDonough operations manager for the Gulf Coast Region and Ken Taylor senior regional sales representative for the Birmingham, AL area.

ABS Group of Companies, Inc. named Todd Grove president and CEO. He served as senior vice president and chief technology officer for ABS Group’s parent company, American Bureau of Shipping. ABS named Howard Fireman as senior vice president and chief technology officer.

Michael G. Hutchinson joined the Board of Directors of ONEOK Partners, L.P. Gil J. Van Lunsen retired from the board after 10 years of service.

Chad Forbes joined Fairbanks Morse Engine, an EnPro Industries company, as director of Energy, responsible for leading the global commercial effort in the oil, gas and power sectors.

EnLink Midstream, LLC and EnLink Midstream Partners, LP appointed Andrew A. Deck as senior vice president of the Permian Basin. He will partner with the Gas and Liquids Business Unit leadership teams to identify and execute commercial projects that support EnLink’s growth strategy in West Texas.

Buckhorn Energy Services, LLC named Kash Kelloff vice president of Operations.

The Hobart Institute of Welding Technology said Blaine Lowry joined the instructor staff and Josh Moniaci, Joel Baden and Jeremy Bartley were added as skill instructors.

Willbros Group, Inc.’s Board of Directors elected Phil D. Wedemeyer to the board. He has over 35 years of public accounting firm experience and service.

Chesapeake Utilities Corporation Board of Directors appointed John R. Schimkaitis as chairman. He has served as a director of the company since 1996 and vice chairman of the board since 2010. He succeeds Ralph J. Adkins, who has served as chairman and will continue to serve as a director.

Miranda C. Hubbs was elected to Spectra Energy Corp.’s Board of Directors.

Company News, Mergers & Acquisitions

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Compressor International Corporation has begun operation at its facility in Pearland, TX, near Houston. The complex, also known as Pearland Works, handles packaging, shipping, storage, service and maintenance of compressors and mechanical drive steam turbines. The facility is the first U.S.-based manufacturing and service location for the Japanese-owned company. The company will expand the site to offer testing and full manufacturing capabilities.

Tesmec USA, Inc. has an agreement with Glynn General Corp. (GGC) to provide extended powertrain warranty on new trenchers sold to U.S. and Canadian end users.

EN Engineering has opened an office in the San Francisco Bay area at 3000 Executive Parkway in San Ramon, CA.
In front of 350 people, including family, friends and peers, Ron Halderman of Mears Group Inc., Horizontal Directional Drilling, was inducted into the North American Society for Trenchless Technology (NASTT) Hall of Fame, Class of 2015. Award presentations were made at NASTT’s No Dig gala dinner March 17 in Denver. Three individuals were recognized for outstanding contributions to the advancement of the trenchless technology industry and the NASTT organization.

Industry leaders nominated Halderman for his contributions and participation in NASTT educational seminars; numerous industry-related papers both written and presented as well as his innovative, patent-holding procedures used by HDD contractors and consultants.

AEG Power Solutions opened an office at 11490 Westheimer, Suite 850, in Houston, TX 77077. Kevin Dunn is sales manager, Oil Gas and Petrochemicals USA and will be based in Houston.

FS-Elliott Co., LLC completed its service center at the headquarter campus in Export, PA. The center houses the Global Services group and allows visitors to get a close look at the internal components of a centrifugal compressor.

At a recent City Hall meeting with Mayor Annise Parker, Siemens managing board member Lisa Davis announced the opening of a new oil and gas headquarters in Houston. The new location, serving the global oil and gas sector, will be in the West Memorial Drive office in the city’s Energy Corridor as will Siemens’ Oil & Gas and Marine Business Unit.

GTI International, a subsidiary of Gas Technology Institute, has acquired Davis Energy Group, a professional R&D and energy consulting firm serving residential and commercial markets in California.

Dresser-Rand was honored with the 2015 Gulf Coast Oil & Gas “New Technology Development of the Year” award for its LNGo™ natural gas conversion system. The system allows for very small stand-alone plants that are portable and can be moved to support changing requirements and needs. Sized to produce 6,000-8,000 gallons of LNG per day, the LNGo system can be used in upstream, midstream and downstream applications.

International Frontier Resources Corporation has formed a Mexican subsidiary, Petro Frontera S.A.P.I de CV that will allow for the study of, and bidding on, assets in Mexico’s initial oil and gas energy reform bid round in 2015.

Ritchie Bros. sold over $57 million of equipment and trucks at its unreserved public auction in Houston. Over 3,800 items were sold and 4,200 people registered to bid in person or online. Buyers from outside Texas purchased $32 million-PLUS (57%) of equipment and trucks, and equipment was sold to buyers from as far away as the United Arab Emirates, Bolivia, Indonesia, and Nicaragua.

Obituary

Gerald A. Snyder, 87, died April 13 in St. Petersburg, FL. He began his pipeline career in 1949 and became owner of Pace Pipeline Company in Greensburg, PA in 1960. Snyder served on the Pipe Line Contractors Association’s Board of Directors for several years and as president in 1980-81. He was made an honorary member in in 1993. He leaves his wife of 65 years, Janneta; daughters Debbie (George) Stump (PLCA president 1997-98), Heather Ochalek and Holy Stump; and three great grandchildren.

Forbes, Fairbanks Morse Engine

Mastervich, TMK IPSCO