Patricia

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and the state’s Attorney General Patricia Madrid announced Monday they will vigorously continue to oppose the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) decision to open parts of the Otero Mesa to oil/natural gas leasing. They said BLM is ignoring the state’s alternatives and appeal of the decision.

El Paso Corp. announced that Patricia A. Shelton will leave her position as president of the company’s western pipeline group at the end of the year and be replaced by James J. Cleary, who has been president of ANR Pipeline since the Coastal merger. The company did not say why Shelton is leaving. She joined the company in 1979 and has been president of the western pipeline division since January 2001. Before that, she served as president of El Paso Natural Gas Co. “Her leadership was pivotal in the integration of El Paso Natural Gas Company and Colorado Interstate Gas Company into the Western Pipeline Group following the Coastal merger,” said John W. Somerhalder, president of El Paso’s Pipeline Group. Prior to assuming his role as president of ANR, Cleary was executive vice president of Southern Natural Gas Co. Stephen C. Beasley, who has been president of Tennessee Gas Pipeline since February 2000 will lead both Tennessee and ANR as president of El Paso’s Eastern Pipeline Group. Beasley has served as vice president of marketing and business development for Tennessee.

El Paso Corp. announced that Patricia A. Shelton will leave her position as president of the company’s western pipeline group at the end of the year and be replaced by James J. Cleary, who has been president of ANR Pipeline since the Coastal merger. The company did not say why Shelton is leaving.

Patricia K. Swanke has been named vice president, operations,for The Dayton Power and Light Co., effective immediately. Swankebegan her career at DP&L in 1990 and has held variouspositions, most recently as managing director of gas and electrictransmission and distribution operations.

FERC Chairman James J. Hoecker has named Susan G Pollonais ashis advisor on gas and oil issues, replacing Patricia W. Jagtiani,who has accepted a position with the Natural Gas SupplyAssociation. Pollonais has served as a public utility specialist inthe Office of Pipeline Regulations Division of Litigation since1997. From 1993 to 1997 she was a gas regulatory consultant andproject manager for Northern States Power.