Named

Analysts at BMO Capital Markets named the Eagle Ford Shale in South Texas the “play of 2010” in a research note this week. But it could also be called the “now and later” play among North American shale prospects: It offers oil and condensate for now and dry gas for later when prices improve.

In the article “Slim Chance of Severance Tax in Pennsylvania” (see Daily GPI, Sept. 10), NGI incorrectly named the Republican candidate for Pennsylvania governor. His name is Tom Corbett. NGI regrets the error.

Puget Sound Energy (PSE) has named Executive Vice President Kimberly Harris, 46, as the utility’s new president. Harris joined PSE in 1999 and has held several leadership positions during the past 11 years — most recently serving as executive vice president and chief resource officer, responsible for all of PSE’s energy resources, including project development and contract management, energy efficiency services and federal government relations. Prior to that she was a senior vice president for regulatory policy and energy efficiency. Harris also has been PSE’s vice president of regulatory and government affairs, associate general counsel and director of load resource strategies.

Puget Sound Energy (PSE) said Wednesday its board named Executive Vice President Kimberly Harris, 46, as the utility’s new president.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) slightly upgraded chances of a tropical wave heading toward the Gulf of Mexico becoming the season’s first named tropical storm, and peak temperature forecasts in the 80s and 90s remained in place for most regions. But even with the additional supportive input of the previous day’s 4.8-cent rebound by July futures, cash prices were a little softer at a small majority of locations Thursday.

Rapid City, SD-based Black Hills Corp. has named board member John Vering as interim president and general manager of its oil and gas exploration and production unit. Vering is being moved in temporarily to run Black Hills Exploration & Production (BHEP) to replace existing management at BHEP, which the parent company acknowledged has had “disappointing” results. Vering is a former CEO of Union Pacific Resources Inc., a Canadian affiliate of Union Pacific Resources Group, a $7 billion oil and gas company prior to its acquisition 10 years ago by Anadarko Petroleum Corp. While reiterating that Black Hills senior management still thinks the oil and gas business has value for Black Hills shareholders, CEO Dave Emery said BHEP results have been “disappointing, and we are pleased that Vering has agreed to lead the effort to strengthen our long-term strategic plan and make improvements with an objective of achieving stronger financial and operational results.”

Terrence L. Ruder, a senior vice president of Oklahoma City-based Devon Energy Corp., has been named chairman of the Natural Gas Supply Association (NGSA) for a two-year term. At Devon, Ruder oversees the Marketing & Midstream Division. He has served as NGSA’s vice chairman, and is a member of the Natural Gas Council, the Gas Processors Association and the Texas Pipeline Association. Steve Kirchhoff of ExxonMobil has been tapped as NGSA’s vice chairman, and Clay Bretches of Anadarko Petroleum is the new secretary/treasurer. R. Skip Horvath will continue as president and CEO of the association.

El Paso Corp. CFO D. Mark Leland has been named president of the company’s newly created Midstream Group. Leland, also an executive vice president at El Paso, formerly was COO of GulfTerra Energy Partners LP, the company’s former midstream master limited partnership. “The North American natural gas industry is undergoing a period of rapid evolution, presenting new opportunities for synergies among our existing Pipeline and E&P [exploration and production] businesses and a midstream unit,” said CEO Doug Foshee. “We intend to reenter the midstream business at a measured pace.” John R. Sult, currently senior vice president and Chief Accounting Officer, was promoted to CFO of the Houston-based company. Sult is to remain CFO of the general partner for El Paso Pipeline Partners LP and will become a new member of the executive committee. Dane E. Whitehead, currently senior vice president and CFO of El Paso Exploration & Production Co., was promoted to senior vice president, Strategy and Enterprise Business Development. Whitehead, who also joins the executive committee, will be responsible for strategy and market analysis, acquisitions and divestitures, planning, investor and media relations and risk management. Susan B. Ortenstone, currently senior vice president, Human Resources and Administration, will become senior vice president and Chief Administrative Officer, where she will be responsible for all administrative service functions, including human resources, information technology, communications and community relations, and administrative services. Sult is to assume the role of CFO when El Paso files its 3Q2009 Form 10-Q. The other promotions are scheduled to take effect by year’s end.

Steven Schoenfeld, a long-time futures trader, has been named director of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s Division of Market Oversight (DMO), succeeding Richard Shilts. Shilts, who has been DMO director since February 2006 and at the CFTC since 1974, will now become deputy director. Schoenfeld currently is president of consulting firm Global Index Strategies. Prior to Global Index, Schoenfeld was chief investment officer of Global Quantitative Management at Northern Trust; managing director at Barclays Global Investors; investment officer at the International Finance Corp./World Bank; and a futures trader at the Singapore Exchange. He has worked with futures and stock exchanges worldwide, including Tokyo, Paris, London, Hong Kong, Tel Aviv, Bangkok and Budapest. He will be moving to Washington, DC, from New York. The DMO handles the designation of new markets, the review of new futures and option products, the monitoring for and detection of market manipulation, and the protection of customers from market abuses.