October 2017, Vol. 244, No. 10

Company & Association News

Business News

PHMSA

Drue Pearce was named deputy administrator for the federal Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). Pearce was a state senator for Alaska and federal coordinator for the Alaskan Natural Gas Transportation Projects. She was director of government affairs at Holland & Hart LLP, focusing on energy, natural resource and manufacturing industries. She was also senior advisor to the Department of the Interior and was on the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council. In 2007 she was keynote speaker for Pipeline & Gas Journal’s Pipeline Opportunities Conference.

On Sept. 12 President Trump announced he will nominate Howard R. “Skip” Elliott as administrator of PHMSA. Elliott, now group vice president of Public Safety, Health, Environment and Security for CSX Transportation, has expertise in hazardous materials transportation safety, homeland security, railroad policing, crisis management, environmental compliance and operations, occupational health management and continuity of
business operations.

Don Santa, president and CEO of the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA), praised Elliott’s nomination. “Elliott, if confirmed, would bring extensive experience and leadership in safety, security, operations and emergency management to PHMSA.”

FERC

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Chairman Neil Chatterjee named James P. Danly FERC’s new general counsel. He was with the energy regulation and litigation group at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher and Flom LLP.

David Morenoff, who served as FERC general counsel since February and previously was general counsel and acting general counsel, will resume duties as deputy general counsel.

Chatterjee also named Anthony Pugliese as FERC chief of staff. He was a senior White House advisor on transportation, including pipeline safety and regulatory issues. He previously worked for Pugliese Associates, a Harrisburg-based lobbying firm that focuses on regulatory and legislative consulting.

Along with Pugliese, Chatterjee has brought on policy adviser Andrea Spring, legal adviser Mindi Sauter and technical adviser Eric Vandenberg, all of whom have held previous positions at FERC. Sauter was a legal and policy adviser to former Commissioner Tony Clark. Rounding out Chatterjee’s staff are confidential assistant Tracy Adamsky and executive assistant Michelle Brown.

New FERC Commissioner Robert Powelson has brought in two staffers from his previous post with the  Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission. April Ballou, one of his two legal advisers, was his counsel and later chief of staff on the PUC. She was formerly an attorney in the Office of the General Counsel working on energy market issues. Powelson’s other legal adviser is Brett Rendina, most recently an associate with the law firm McGuireWoods. From 2013-15 he was counsel to Powelson at the PUC. Powelson also named Meghan Estenson, a FERC program analyst, as his confidential assistant.

Willbros Group

Willbros Group, Inc. promoted Jeffrey B. Kappel and S. Brett Luz to key financial positions. Kappel was named senior vice president and chief financial officer and Luz was named vice president and chief accounting officer. Both positions were previously held by Van A. Welch, who tendered his resignation effective Aug. 30. Kappel has 11 years of experience in the engineering and construction industry. He previously  worked for Technip, the Shaw Group and PwC. Luz has been with Willbros for six years and was promoted from the position of corporate controller, Financial Reporting.

RNG Coalition 

The Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas (RNG Coalition) named Sanjay Srikantiah federal affairs manager in Washington, D.C. He worked in strategic planning and budgeting roles at the State Department from 2009-15.

PFERD

PFERD Inc. appointed Michael Roche as account manager, Pipeline Market. He will report to Jon-Michael Raymond, vice president, Sales. Roche is responsible for developing working relationships with pipeline-channel customers in the U.S. and Canada. Previously he was product manager for PSS Companies in Houston.

Tennessee Gas Association

The Tennessee Gas Association announced its 2017-18 officer and directors, along with the 2017 Silver Flame Award recipient at its 55th Annual Meeting attended by 330 natural gas industry professionals. Officers are: John “Joey” Sauls, account manager for Enbridge, Inc., president; Brooke A. Sinclair, CHMM, CSP, manager, Safety, Security & Technical Services for Knoxville Utilities Board, first vice president; Braxton Williams, senior vice president, Gas Division for Jackson Energy Authority, second vice president; Rob Neil, president of Powell Clinch Utility District, treasurer, and Sasha Benjamin, director of Human Resources of Oak Ridge Utility District, secretary.

Ben P. Andrews, III, general manager and CEO for the Oak Ridge Utility District, received the TGA Silver Flame Award. He has over 30 years of experience in natural gas distribution. He is on the TGA board of directors, is president of the National Association of Gas Consumers, a member of the Technical Pipeline Safety Standards Committee and serves on the Federal Advisory Committee on Pipeline Safety for the U.S. DOT.

IDEA

Tim Peer, BOND’s vice president of District Energy, was appointed to the board of directors of the International District Energy Association (IDEA) which has members in 26 countries. Peer heads BOND’s District Energy market sector, which helps develop strategies for natural gas delivery systems and substations.

NextDecade Corp., a Woodlands, TX-based company focused on LNG export projects, appointed Patrick Hughes vice president, Corporate Strategy.

TRC 

TRC named Susan Slattery vice president of Project Services, responsible for proposals, contract administration, procurement and project controls for Engineering and Field Services within the oil and gas sector.

HazTek Safety

HazTek Safety Management named Ralph Borgess regional operations manager for its newly formed Mid-Atlantic region. He has 20 years of experience in the construction industry with 11 years dedicated to health and safety management. Borgess joined  HazTek in 2007.

BCCK Holding

BCCK Holding Co. appointed Matt Amilian director of business development to support company growth in the Oklahoma, Appalachian and Rocky Mountain regions. He is based in Edmond, OK and joins BCCK from Condit Co. where he was gas-processing market manager. He is vice president of the Mid-Continent Gas Processors Association (GPA) Midstream Chapter and a member of the Rocky Mountain and Permian Basin GPA Midstream chapters.

BCCK also appointed Tony Canfield vice president of Engineering to support its growth in the process and mechanical engineering fields. He will be based in Midland, TX and joins BCCK from DCP Midstream, where he was project engineering manager in the Midland area.

ADV Integrity 

ADV Integrity, Inc. recently launched to work with technology companies serving the gas and liquid transmission pipeline market. ADV Integrity President Chris Alexander, Ph.D., said, “We are excited about working with technology companies at both the technical and business development levels. In the first several months of operation we are already working with more than 10 technology companies representing a wide range of services including pipeline repair, in situ monitoring, inspection, and joining methods.”

ARB Midstream

ARB Midstream, LLC added an experienced crude oil and intermediates trading team, formerly of Colonial Oil Industries Inc., to lead the company’s Gulf Coast marketing and trading activities. The new team is led by Ashutosh Redkar and William Breaux and is headquartered in ARB’s new Houston offices. Both are former executives of Colonial Oil. “ARB’s strategy is to develop a crude oil and intermediates asset and trading platform throughout the North American inland corridor, from Western Canada down to the Gulf Coast, and to provide fully integrated wellhead-to-refinery economics to producers and refiners,” said Adam Bedard, CEO at ARB Midstream, LLC.

NDT Global

NDT Global announced two senior appointments – Aogan O’hAolain, chief financial officer, and Diarmuid Leahy, in the new role of chief people officer – to its global operation. O’hAolain joins the company with over 20 years’ experience, leading finance teams in multiple geographic regions. Taking over the people operations organization at NDT Global, Leahy is an internationally experienced manager, having spent over 25 years working in broad-based senior management roles, across different industries and geographies, most recently with Marathon Oil in the U.S. He is based in NDT Global’s Dublin offices.

ARK Field Services

ARK Field Services, LLC, Winter Haven, FL opened a new office and equipment yard in LaPorte, TX to better serve clients in the Houston area. The office, at 321 N. Highway 146, is located near the Houston Ship Channel. The location enables an expansion of ARK’s AC Mitigation and Corrosion Control design, installation, testing and maintenance services to the energy industry. The firm, along with its partner, ARK Engineering & Technical Services, Inc. has seven locations around the country.