People
Alliant Energy promoted Lisa M. Barton to the newly created role of president and chief operating officer. Barton will serve as CEO of the company’s two public utility subsidiaries, Interstate Power and Light and Wisconsin Power and Light, along with Alliant Energy’s customer experience, sustainability and regulatory strategies. She most recently served as executive vice president and COO of American Electric Power. Barton began her career at Northeast Utilities (now Eversource) and rejoined the company in 2002 after working with consulting firms and serving as a lobbyist and senior counsel to clients across the gas and electric utility sector. She joined AEP in 2006. Barton holds a bachelor’s of science degree in electrical engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and a Juris doctorate from Suffolk University Law School.
UGI Corporation has promoted Christopher R. Brown to vice president, Finance, and chief financial officer (CFO) of UGI Utilities. In this role, Brown reports to newly appointed UGI Corporation CFO Sean P. O’Brien, who replaced Ted Jastrzebski on June 1 after his retirement. Prior to joining UGI Corporation, O’Brien held leadership positions at DCP Midstream including group vice president and CFO (2012 to 2023), Senior vice president, treasurer (2011 to 2012) and vice President, Financial Planning and Analysis (2009 to 2011). Prior to joining DCP Midstream, he held financial positions at Duke Energy and Duke Energy Generation Services. A certified public accountant, he has more than 25 years of financial and energy industry experience. Brown previously served as vice president and general manager of Rates and Supply at UGI Utilities. He joined UGI in 1997 and has worked in Engineering, Marketing, Rates and Gas Supply, Customer Accounting, Call Center and Field Operations, as well as serving as market manager at UGI Utilities sister company AmeriGas. He also served as senior director of Operations, UGI Utilities South Region. Brown earned a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering from Lehigh University and an MBA from Lebanon Valley College.
Shantel Norman, formerly vice president of Operations for Texas Gas Service division of ONE Gas, has been promoted to managing vice president of field operations for ONE Gas. In her role, Norman oversees distribution and transmission field operations across the company. Norman succeeds Jim Jarrett, who retired after 30 years of service. Alejandro “Alex” Limón has been promoted to vice president of Operations for Texas Gas Service, succeeding Norman. Before her recent promotion, Norman spent five years as vice president of Operations. She holds a bachelor’s degree in applied science (BASc) degree in natural gas engineering from Texas A&M University-Kingsville. Limón, who previously served as director of operations for compliance began his career in the natural gas industry in 1999 as a regional engineer manager. He holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from The University of Texas at El Paso.
Mayer Brown announced that Gabriel Salinas has rejoined the firm’s Houston office as a partner in the Corporate & Securities practice, where he will focus on M&A transactions and energy transition projects. He joins from Shearman & Sterling LLP, where he was part of the firm’s private equity group and co-head of the energy innovation group. Gabriel has extensive experience in M&A, joint ventures, project development and financing in the power, renewables, infrastructure and energy transition sectors. Prior to his latest role in private practice, Gabriel was the general counsel and chief compliance officer of Avant Energy, a midstream and renewables portfolio company of Riverstone Holdings.
Motion Industries, Inc., a distributor of maintenance, repair and operation replacement parts and provider of industrial technology solutions, announced the promotions of Joe Limbaugh to executive vice president and chief operations officer and James Howe to executive vice president and chief commercial officer/chief technology officer, effective June 1. Limbaugh has been with Motion for 40 years. In 2021, he was promoted to executive vice president to lead strategic initiatives to improve customer service and increase productivity. In addition to his current responsibilities leading Marketing, Supply Chain, DC/FC Operations, Real Estate and Enterprise Excellence, he will assume responsibility for operations in all the Mi solutions businesses. Howe has more than 30 years with Motion. He was promoted to executive vice president in 2021 with responsibility for eCommerce, Strategic Pricing, Sales Excellence and Corporate Accounts. He will continue to lead in these areas with the added responsibility of Human Resources.
Philadelphia Gas Works named Melanie McCottry chief of staff and senior vice president, Corporate Communications and External Affairs, Denise Adamucci senior vice president, Customer and Regulatory Affairs, and Robert K. Smith senior vice president, Operations and Supply Chain.
EnerMech appointed Ian Spenceley as Operations and Maintenance (O&M) and Asset Management director. With more than 30 years’ oil and gas experience, Spenceley’s will add further weight to the firm’s asset integrity management, O&M and shutdown and turnaround (TAR) capabilities. Based in the UK and reporting to Carl Mook, regional Director for Europe, Spenceley will also focus on bringing additional value to clients. From a marine and mechanical engineering background, including chief engineer in the Merchant Navy, Spenceley has senior leadership and operational experience in the upstream, downstream petrochemical, refining, and asset management industries. He has worked around the globe for companies including BP, Shell, Petroleum Development Oman Woodside and SOCAR.
Companies
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) selected a Crescent Midstream-supported carbon sequestration project off the coast of Louisiana to help demonstrate the feasibility of transporting and permanently storing CO2 on a commercial scale.
The project is one of the largest offshore CO2 storage projects in the United States and is expected to hold up to 300 million tonnes of CO2. As part of the project, Crescent will apply its onshore and offshore pipeline construction and operations experience to demonstrate the safe transport of CO2 from emitters to permanent underground storage.
Crescent, which plans to repurpose an existing 110-mile pipeline corridor it owns and operates, is collaborating on the project with Cox Operating and its affiliate Carbon Zero US LLC, Repsol, Crescent Resource Innovation, the Southern States Energy Board (SSEB), Louisiana State University and Southern University at Shreveport.
“Large-scale carbon capture and sequestration has enormous potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and we look forward to helping demonstrate that off the Louisiana Gulf Coast,” Jerry Ashcroft, CEO of Crescent Midstream, said.
DNV, the independent energy expert and assurance provider, has opened a new technology center on Groningen’s Zernike campus in The Netherlands that is equipped with the latest testing equipment to support its research into the decarbonization of energy systems.
The Technology Centre will articulate research and technology qualification for the energy sector around several axis, aiming to demonstrate and qualify low-carbon technologies, optimize and repurpose existing gas infrastructure, lead research on hydrogen & H2-derived fuels, and conduct safety analyses and failure investigations.
The new Groningen facility is part of DNV’s network of technology that leverage the group’s experience to drive innovation and standardization by bringing industry players together in joint industry programs to develop trusted guidelines, recommended practices and standards. This ultimately enables the reliable operation of critical assets and systems, by establishing operational limits and assuring performance through the lifetime of oil and gas, renewables, and other assets.
Paradigm Flow Services (part of the Paradigm Group) announced it has split into two entities by establishing separate focused subsidiaries, Paradigm Flow Services and Paradigm Fire Protection Services.
Paradigm Flow Services will focus on production enhancement operations, providing technologies which remove blockages and restrictions, along with its specialist technology. Paradigm Fire Protection Services will be entirely focused on Fire Protection services, providing all related fire protection engineering and support, including its patented digital dry deluge testing service.
Both subsidiaries will fall under the current Paradigm Flow Services Limited entity, which is being renamed Paradigm Flow Technologies.
“Now is the right time to split the Flow Services business, when considering the tremendous opportunity for each subsidiary to leverage its true value given the difference in services, technologies, and customer profiles, group CEO Julian Manning said.
Associations
The American Petroleum Institute (API) announced that API Standard (Std) 1164, Pipeline Control Systems Cybersecurity, has earned Designation and Certification by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as a Qualified Anti-Terrorism Technology (QATTs) under the Support Anti-terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies Act of 2002, commonly referred to as the SAFETY Act.
The SAFETY Act Certification gives API members and others that use the management system approach of API Std 1164, 3rd edition important liability protections if a cyber terrorist attack impacts their pipeline operations. API Standard 780, Security Risk Assessment Methodology for the Petroleum and Petrochemical Industries, also earned the SAFETY Act Designation and Certification in 2020, identifying it as a QATT and providing the same protections for natural gas and oil facilities utilizing the standard.
API standards are developed under an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) accredited process, ensuring that API standards are not only technically rigorous, but are developed using consensus, due process and balance across stakeholder interests. API’s ANSI accreditation also facilitates acceptance of API standards by state, federal and increasingly international regulators.
To remind the world that “rust never sleeps,” the Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP) celebrated World Corrosion Awareness Day on April 24 to recognize the impact corrosion prevention and control professionals make and promote sustainable management practices for critical industrial assets like energy infrastructure.
Previous studies conducted by AMPP, a global nonprofit representing more than 32,000 members in the materials, corrosion control and coatings industries, have shown that the cost of corrosion tops 3.4% of the global gross domestic product (GDP). That’s more than US$2.5 trillion globally.
Obituary
Former Williams CEO Joseph H. Williams Dies at 89
Williams is remembering and honoring former chairman and CEO Joseph H. “Joe” Williams, who died April 27, 2023, at age 89 in South Carolina.
Williams spent 35 years at Williams, the last 15 as chairman and chief executive officer. The son of David Williams, one of the original co-founders of Williams, he followed his cousin John Williams as CEO and served in that role from 1979 to 1994, when he retired. He was the last member of the Williams family to head Williams.
“Joe was a great leader and set Williams up for long term success with his ability to focus on the horizon. He had the right mix of optimism for the future and hard nose questioning of the status quo to keep the organization both inspired and on its toes. His intellectual curiosity kept the company truly embracing change for the opportunities it offered,” said Alan Armstrong, Williams president and CEO. “The Williams culture of doing things right and taking care of the environment is alive and well today thanks to Joe’s strong leadership and foresight.”
Before taking the helm at Williams, Williams was executive vice president from 1968 to 1971 and president and chief operating officer from 1971 to 1978. When he became CEO, he was able to anticipate the challenges of the late 1980s and early '90s. By resetting goals and through restructuring, the company weathered a chaotic period in the pipeline and energy industries. Under Joe Williams’ leadership, Williams refined its investment strategy. It acquired Northwest Pipeline and embraced technology as Williams became the first to use satellite communications for field operations.
In the late 1980s, Williams marshaled efforts to purchase the 29,000-acre Barnard Ranch, allowing Oklahoma’s fledgling Nature Conservancy to create its flagship sanctuary, the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve. It now encompasses 40,000 acres and is home to 2,500 bison which roam 23,500 acres of open range. It is also home to research of native grass species and wildlife.
Williams, who also served as chair of the state and then the national Nature Conservancy, was honored in 2015 for his work when the Conservancy renamed the Osage County treasure as the Joseph H. Williams Tallgrass Prairie Preserve.
Additionally, his legacy is recognized at Tulsa’s Gathering Place. The main hall of the Williams Lodge, where community events and social functions take place, is named the Joseph H. Williams Community Room.
He is survived by his wife, Terry, three sons and two stepdaughters, Joseph H. Williams, Jr., Peter B. Williams, James C. Williams, Margot T. Rose, Jennifer B. Ross and seven grandchildren. P&GJ