Hired

Cantor Fitzgerald LP has hired an energy industry veteran with 10 years experience — including stints at Sempra Energy and TXU Corp. — to lead the expansion of the firm’s energy commodities desk. The New York-based energy group will include brokerage and advisory services in markets for natural gas, power, crude oil, refined products and coal.

Harbert Distressed Investment Master Fund Ltd., the largest stockholder of NorthWestern Corp., has hired Lehman Brothers and the law firm of Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP to advise it on the feasibility of a proposal by a coalition of municipal entities called Montana Public Power Inc. (MPPI) to buy NorthWestern.

With oil and natural gas at record prices and production levels falling, BP plc is on a massive recruiting drive, and has hired 13 search firms to hire 400 new geologists, reservoir engineers, drilling specialists and other technicians to boost its North American operations from the Gulf of Mexico to Canada by the end of the year.

Southern Star Central Corp. announced Thursday that it has hired Lehman Brothers to help it explore strategic alternatives for its Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline company, including potentially forming a master limited partnership, selling the company, holding an initial public offering or other options.

Southern Star Central Corp. announced Thursday that it has hired Lehman Brothers to help it explore strategic alternatives for its Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline company, including potentially forming a master limited partnership, selling the company, holding an initial public offering or other options.

FirstEnergy Corp. last week announced plans to hire up to 3,000 employees through 2007, with approximately 1,600 expected to be hired in 2005 and 2006. FirstEnergy companies currently have more than 13,000 employees in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.

Following up on announced plans to search for strategic alternatives, Magnum Hunter Resources Inc. said Monday it has hired Deutsche Bank Securities and Merrill Lynch & Co. as financial advisers. Founding CEO Gary Evans announced his retirement last week, and said the next management team would take the company to a new level (see Daily GPI, Oct. 8).

Fort Worth-based producer Quicksilver Resources Inc. has hired Diane Weaver to direct investor relations. In addition, Weaver’s duties will include oversight of the company’s media relations and community relations activities. She replaces John Gremillion, who has retired. Weaver, who is a certified and licensed public accountant in the State of Texas, has more than 20 years of oil and gas financial, risk management, tax and regulatory experience. She spent 19 years with Union Pacific Resources Group (UPR) prior to its 2000 merger with Anadarko Petroleum Corp. At UPR, Weaver served as manager of regulatory affairs and senior assistant corporate secretary. Recently she was a senior financial reporting accountant for producer XTO Energy, also based in Fort Worth.

Anadarko Petroleum shares jumped more than 5% Wednesday to $44.93 on a report by Reuters that the company has hired Credit Suisse First Boston to negotiate with potential buyers. Anadarko would not confirm the details of the report.