Eastern Star Gas Limited has appointed David Archer as a non executive director following settlement of the acquisition of the additional 32.5% interest in the Coal Seam Gas Rights in PEL 238, including the Gunnedah Basin Coal Seam Gas Project, from Hillgrove Resources Limited.

Archer has held executive and non-executive roles in a number of Australian companies and is Managing Director of Hillgrove Resources Limited, a listed resources development company currently investigating the potential re-development of the Kanmantoo Mine in South Australia.

Company Secretary, Patrick Sam Yue, said the board looks forward to working with Archer as it moves to the phase of independent gas reserves certification in the Gunnedah Basin Coal Seam Gas Project in which Eastern Star Gas now has 65% interest.

David Archer has joined the board of Eastern Star Gas.

The winner of SPE’s prestigious South East Asian Young Petroleum Engineer of the Year for 2006, Alex Parks, has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Otto Energy.

Parks joined Otto on 4 December after holding senior management positions over the past five years with Troy-Ikoda Australasia as managing director and RPS Energy (Australia/SE Asia) as technical director of geoscience and engineering.

“Alex has extensive technical and management experience in projects in Europe, North Africa, North America, the FSU, SE Asia (specifically the Philippines), Australia and New Zealand”, Otto Chairman Rick Crabb said.

The company has also appointed Bruce Elsholz as its Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Elsholz has been involved in the oil industry as a financial controller and company secretary for almost 30 years, with companies based in Australia and Canada.

“The appointment of a CEO and a CFO marks the company’s growth since listing about two years ago”, Crabb said. “Otto has built an exciting exploration and near-production portfolio which requires an executive team of oil professionals to manage and to guide the company into its next phase of growth.”

He said Otto is expected to become a producer of oil and gas in the Philippines and in Turkey, while expanding its significant exploration portfolio. Dr Jaap Poll will be relinquishing his position as Managing Director and becoming an executive director assisting the new CEO.

Alex Parks and Bruce Elsholz have joined Otto Energy as the company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, respectively.

Tony Rudge has been appointed senior geoscientist with Central Petroleum after specialising on seismic re-processing analysis of the Amadeus Basin.

Managing Director, John Heugh, said Rudge has a masters degree in geophysics and over 10 years of relevant experience.

“Tony is a valuable addition to the technical strength of the Central team, adding to Dr Henry Askin’s 35 years of international experience with Shell, including five years as head of Shell’s global seismic acquisition and analysis team at the Hague”, Heugh said.

Sun Resources has promoted Bill Ashby to managing director after he joined the company as general manager and Executive Director on 1 July, 2006.

Company Secretary Allan Woods said Ashby has had some 22 years of professional experience in the oil and gas industry in Australia and north and south America.

“He has had a distinguished career in technical management of operated ventures in a number of companies, namely Ampolex, and through takeover of that entity in Mobil, and of late in Conoco-Phillips, Australia, before joining Sun Resources in July”,
Wood said.