The NewsRoom
Release: #3612
Date: February 21, 2007

MMS Recognizes 22 in Energy Industry for Corporate Leadership

Recipients to be Honored in Houston on April 17th

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Minerals Management Service (MMS) today announced the recipients of the 2006 Corporate Leadership Award (CORLA), a MMS award presented annually to energy industry individuals who perform an act or service that enhances MMS’s mission objectives.

 “This year’s CORLA winners truly provided MMS with the professionalism, cooperation and support essential to the success of our offshore and minerals revenue management programs,” said MMS Director Johnnie Burton. “As the agency responsible for regulating oil and gas production on the Outer Continental Shelf and collecting all federal and Indian minerals revenue, it is imperative that we continually strive to improve our methods and enhance our knowledge base. Today’s award-winners have helped MMS, certainly, but their suggestions will also benefit the American public.”

The CORLA Award is one of four honors presented annually as part of the MMS Industry Awards Program, which recognizes outstanding achievement by offshore energy producers and contractors in the areas of safety, pollution prevention, conservation and revenue management. The other three MMS Industry Awards are the Safety Awards for Excellence (SAFE), Stewardship Awards, and the Safe Operations and Accurate Reporting (SOAR) Award.

By stimulating offshore energy companies to strive for excellence and rewarding their achievements, the MMS Industry Awards program ultimately benefits the American public. The offshore energy industry is motivated to improve safety and environmental processes on a continual basis, which allows MMS inspectors to focus their efforts on higher risk activities. The awards also encourage offshore energy companies to continually improve their reporting procedures, which benefits MMS by facilitating faster disbursement of funds to the American public.

  • Maggie Barrios Grigsby, Chevron, U.S.A.
    Exceptional cooperation with MMS to promote safe operations, accelerate hurricane recovery, and maintain a safe and clean operating environment.
     
  • Michael Bradshaw, Danos & Curole Marine Contractors, LLC
    Outstanding commitment and leadership in improving crane operations and supporting and promoting personnel safety in the Gulf of Mexico.
     
  • Bill Briggs, Renee DiGirolamo, Anthony Fasone, Kirk Foreman and Scott Smith,  Conoco Phillips
    Exemplary expertise, knowledge, and explanation of Madden Field downstream transportation and processing facilities, supporting MMS’s first onshore natural gas royalty-in-kind project.
     
  • Cort Cooper, Sandra Fury, Paul Versowsky and Dave Wisch, Chevron U.S.A.; Pat O’Connor, BP Exploration and Production; Frank Puskar, Energo; Charlie Williams, Shell; and Evan Zimmerman, Delmar
    Exceptional achievements in assessing the lessons learned from Ivan, Katrina, and Rita, and planning for future storm events by developing improved standards and operating practices.
     
  • Horace Howard, Rowan Companies Inc.
    Exceptional leadership and commitment in the promotion of safety and environmentally sound oil and gas drilling operations in the Gulf of Mexico.
     
  • Tad LeBlanc, Baker Energy
    Proactive leadership in maintaining personnel safety and promoting regulatory compliance on production facilities in the Gulf of Mexico.
     
  • Huong Nguyen, Merit Energy Company
    Exceptional openness, responsiveness, and integrity in resolving onshore Federal compliance issues, providing cooperation to MMS in meeting its FY 2006 contemporaneous compliance goals.
     
  • Joel Plauche, Apache Corporation
    Invaluable leadership in developing Safety and Environmental Management Systems, and effective auditing procedures to minimize risks to personnel and the environment.
     
  • Paul J. Prodoehl, Transco Pipeline
    Invaluable contributions to MMS’s natural gas Royalty in Kind program, providing MMS with data to timely and accurately identify and invoice volumes.
     
  • Blaine Segura, BP America, Inc.
    Outstanding contributions in the development of innovative ideas and products that will help minimize debris and protect marine mammals and other fauna.
     
  • Wayne Weicks, Shell Exploration & Production Company
    Outstanding achievements assisting MMS in improving incident reporting procedures and improving the timeliness, reliability, and accuracy of important accident and spill data.

CORLA Award candidates are identified through nominations made by MMS Offshore or Minerals Revenue Management offices or employees. A nomination identifies the candidate, indicates the award category (i.e., corporation or corporation employee), describes how the act or service performed by the nominee benefits MMS, and verifies that the candidate meets all the other award qualifications.

The nominations are then sent to the CORLA Award Selection Committee for review by senior MMS officials. The committee bases CORLA award recipient determinations on the relevance and significance of the beneficial act or service, and other factors.

More information on the MMS Industry Awards program as well as registration information for the 2006 MMS Industry Awards Ceremony is available at: http://www.mms.gov/awards/.

Relevant Web Site:
   MMS Main Website

Media Contacts:
   Nicolette Nye    703/787-1011

MMS: Securing Ocean Energy & Economic Value for America
U.S. Department of the Interior

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