Personnel

A June 3 blowout at an EOG Resources well in Clearfield County, PA, was caused primarily by untrained personnel and a failure to use proper well control procedures, according to a report issued by Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

A June 3 blowout at an EOG Resources well in Clearfield County, PA, was caused primarily by untrained personnel and a failure to use proper well control procedures, according to a report issued Tuesday by Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

Tenaska Marketing Ventures (TMV)/Tenaska Marketing Canada, one of the top natural gas marketers in North America, has promoted several personnel to align its geographic and functional activities and consolidate decision-making authority into each area’s management structure. Terry Cameron was promoted to senior vice president, north, where he will oversee the midwestern and eastern market areas. Mark Whitt takes over as senior vice president, west, where he will oversee western activities. David Schettler is the new senior vice president, south, where he will oversee the Midcontinent and southern U.S. region. Marty Titus was promoted to senior vice president, risk and structured products, which includes risk management, project marketing, deal structuring and valuation functions. John Obermiller, as senior vice president, finance, will manage TMV’s mid- and back-office activities. The five new senior vice presidents will report to President Fred Hunzeker. Tenaska also promoted Janet Corritore to vice president, gas scheduling; Kristen Gould, to vice president, Tenaska Marketing Canada; and Chris Forsman to regional director, Midcontinent.

Schlumberger Ltd., the world’s largest oilfield services company, is laying off 1,000 contractors, operating staff and support personnel across North America because of the deteriorating conditions in the natural gas and oil sector. If market conditions don’t improve, the company warned it could reduce its workforce even more.

Energas Resources Inc. has reactivated oil and natural gas production in the Parkway Project in Kentucky after gas testing met pipeline requirements. The company’s field personnel have converted two of the first four wells to electric pump jacks utilizing a timing system to stabilize flow rates and pressure. The two wells have produced approximately 66 MMBtu/d of natural gas and 2 b/d of oil since May 23. Energas is now reevaluating the development strategy and proposed treatment methods for the Parkway Project.

Florida Gas Transmission did not extend an Overage Alert Day notice beyond Friday.

Gas prices fell about 20 cents last week at most points East of the Rockies despite the loss of about 8 Bcf of gas production because of shut ins in the Gulf of Mexico due to Hurricane Claudette. While about 2.7 Bcf/d of supply was knocked out on Tuesday when the hurricane made landfall on the central Gulf Coast of Texas near Matagorda Bay, nearly all of the supply was back on stream by Friday.

Draper added that with the pull out, there will be “significant reductions” in personnel, but he did not have any specific figures. The downsizing of merchant activity also will reduce AEP’s working capital needs, according to CFO Susan Tomasky. She said specific guidance would soon be ready, but added, “clearly, the working capital needs for 2003 [will be] reduced significantly.”

Williams’ once mighty pipeline empire has been decimated by the corporation’s financial troubles and its executive personnel have been cut as well, according to a notice appearing Tuesday on the Northwest Pipeline electronic bulletin board.