Australia: WestSide Welcomes New CEO

Coal seam gas  producer WestSide Corporation announced the appointment of international oil and gas sector executive Mike Hughes as CEO to lead the company during its next exciting growth phase. Hughes is a seasoned oil and gas industry executive who has previously worked as Gas Supply Director for Santos Limited’s Gladstone Liquefied Natural Gas (GLNG) project.

WestSide Chairman Angus Karoll saidHughes had an international track record of building and operating successful oil and gas businesses in Asia and Australia and invaluable local experience gained while working within Queensland’s emerging export CSG to LNG industry.

“Mr Hughes brings a wealth of commercial, operating and project development experience to WestSide at a critical point in its next phase of growth which is expected to deliver new gas supply agreements and associated field development activity at Meridian SeamGas,” Karoll said.

“He has over 20 years’ experience in the international oil and gas industry, playing an instrumental role in building and running the South East Asian operations of integrated global energy company Hess Corporation before joining the GLNG project in 2009.”

“The emerging market dynamics strongly favour WestSide as an independent Coal Seam Gas producer, with its large uncontracted 2P (Proved and Probable) reserves position at Meridian, spare infrastructure capacity, and proximity and access to markets via our connection into the Queensland Gas Pipeline,” Karoll said.

Hughes, who has a MA in Mathematics from Oxford University and is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, said he was delighted to be joining WestSide at such a pivotal point in the company’s development.

“Westside is uniquely positioned to take advantage of the rapidly expanding Queensland gas market, with a material reserves position located close to major pipelines supplying the market,” Hughes said.

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LNG World News Staff, September 12, 2013; Image: WestSide