Brent J. Smolik, currently president of ConocoPhillips Canada, will take over as president of El Paso Exploration & Production Co. on Nov. 1, replacing Lisa Stewart, who resigned in August. Smolik earned a bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering from Texas A&M University in 1983 and worked for ARCO as a drilling and reservoir engineer. In 1990, he joined Burlington Resources as a reservoir engineer and acquisition coordinator. He went on to hold engineering supervisory and management positions in the Denver, Offshore, San Juan and Gulf Coast Divisions. He then served as vice president, chief engineer in Houston until relocating to Calgary in 2004, where he became president of Burlington Resources Canada. Following the merger in March, he remained in Calgary and became president of ConocoPhillips Canada.

William R. Cordes, president of Oneok Inc. subsidiary Northern Border Pipeline Co., will retire effective April 1. Cordes had been CEO of Northern Borders Partners LP before it became a Oneok subsidiary. Cordes’ career in the natural gas industry spans more than 36 years and includes positions as president of Northern Natural Gas Co. and Transwestern Pipeline Co. His retirement coincides with the effective date of the transfer of operating responsibility of Northern Border Pipeline Co. from Oneok Partners to a subsidiary of TransCanada.

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