BUSINESS BRIEFS

MODEC has appointedNobuhiro Yaji as president and co-CEO.

The company has also appointedShashank Karve as MD and COO as well as chairman and CEO of MODEC International Inc.

Kenji Yamada has been named chairman and continues as CEO of MODEC Inc.

Wave Imaging Technology has appointedTom Wood as VP of sales and marketing.

CSIP has appointedDavid Scott-Frame and

Julian Moore as embedded software engineers focusing on the company’s underwater manipulator arms.

ClerkMaxwell has appointedGuy Cook as subsea and pipelines director. Cook will focus on bringing operations, construction, and detailed design knowledge into the front-end of projects.

BP has appointedRobert Dudley as a director, effective April 6, 2009. As a MD of the BP Group, he will assume responsibility for broad oversight of the company’s activities in the Americas and Asia.

Thales has appointedMichelangelo Neri as division country director in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In his new position, Neri will coordinate all marketing and sales activities for Thales’s Security Solutions and Services business in the region.

Apache Corp. has namedRoger B. Plank as president. The company has also appointed John A. Crum as co-COO and president–North America, and Rodney J. Eichler as co-COO and president–International.

Transocean has appointedRamon Yi as VP and treasurer.

MicroSeismic has appointedMalcolm Macaulay as VP of international sales. Macaulay previously served as the company’s international sales manager.

ABS has appointedSean T. Connaughton as corporate VP for government affairs. Connaughton previously served as US maritime administrator.

International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC) has nominatedNaresh Kumar as a member of the organization’s executive committee. Kumar, who serves as MD for Jindal Drilling & Industries and president of Petrotech Society, will serve a three-year term.

The Greater Lafourche Port Commission has namedChett Chiasson as successor to executive director Ted Falgout. Chiasson is the current director of economic development and will be the second director in the port’s history. Falgout is scheduled to retire on Dec. 31, 2009.

Xodus Group has appointedNick Lodge and Francis Barrett to the company’s subsea division as senior consultants.

NCS Survey has appointedAndrew McMurtrie as business development manager. McMurtrie has responsibility for further developing business with NCS Survey’s existing customer base both in the UK and overseas, as well as developing relationships with new customers.

TGS-NOPEC Geophysical Co. (TGS) has appointedRod Starr as GM, Asia Pacific. Tanya Johnstone has been promoted to regional manager – Indonesia and Australasia. The company also has appointed Iain Buchan as regional manager – South and Southeast Asia and Peter Baillie as chief geologist for an expanded region that now includes Africa and the Middle East in addition to Asia-Pacific.

Newfield Exploration has appointedLee K. Boothby as president, effective immediately. The company expects to name Boothby to the additional role of CEO in May, where he also will stand for election to the board of directors. Boothby will succeed David A. Trice, who plans to retire.

Knight has appointedDouglas (Doug) W. Smith to the company’s corporate sales team in Houston.

BJ Services has appointedRyan Elder as business development manager – Middle East and Russia for the company’s tubular and completion assembly service line.

The Industry’s Technology Facilitator (ITF) has promoted technology managerDavid Liddle, to operations director. Liddle will be responsible for the development of the organization’s strategy. The organization has also appointed Tony Zaccarini as business development manager.

InterMoor do Brasil has namedOsvaldo Lorca as project director for its Rio de Janeiro office. He will be responsible for project management.

The Minerals Management Service (MMS) has appointedRon Brinkman as senior staff geophysicist for its resource evaluation office. Brinkman will oversee seismic compliance and policy issues for the Alaska, Gulf of Mexico, and Pacific MMS regional offices.

Knight Manufacturing has appointedPhillip Thomas Mitchell as GM. Mitchell will manage Knight’s manufacturing division and focus on developing its workforce.

OPITO – The Oil & Gas Academy has appointedMike Duncan as skills director. The organization has also appointed Peter Crowther as technical specialist and Sam Howard as corporate communications manager.

ONGC has appointedSudhir Vasudeva as director. He succeeds N K Mitra.

Severneftegazprom has appointedAlexander Popov as director general.

Geomodeling Technology has appointedKevin Donihoo as VP of sales and services.

Pegasus International has appointedBill Washington as director of business development. He will be responsible for leading the strategic business development activities for the company’s offshore division. The company also has appointed Randy Monson to its business development team.

Rowan has appointedJohn J. Quicke, a managing director and operating partner at Steel Partners, to the company’s board of directors.

Pöyry has addedConor Crowley, Neil Smith, and Peter Henderson to the company’s board of directors.

Baker Hughes has appointedRussell J. Cancilla as VP of HS&E, and security.

The Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board has appointedStuart Pinks as CEO.

Aker Solutions has appointedGary Mandel as executive VP of the company’s process and construction business area. He replaces executive VP Jarle Tautra who moves to a similar position in the energy development and services business area.

PIPC has appointedBen Tye as the firm’s global practice lead. He is joined by Helen Ratcliffe.

Total has appointedMarc Blaizot to the company’s corporate management committee.

Eni Norge has appointedLeonardo Stefani as MD. Former MD, Agostino Maccagni, will return to Eni’s E&P headquarters in Milan.

The Kuwaiti government has appointedSheikh Mohammad Al-Salem Al-Sabah as oil minister; he replaces Mohammad Al-Olaim.