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BP-Azerbaijanâ€™s President to serve as Chair of International Association of Oil & Gas Producers

19 June 2013 10:37 (UTC +04:00)

Baku. Ali Ahmadov – APA-Economics. The International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (OGP) has elected Gordon Birrell to serve as Chair of its Management Committee. He was elected at the Association’s recent Annual General Meeting, held in Brisbane, Australia.

OGP’s members include most of the world’s leading publicly-traded, private and state-owned oil & gas companies, oil & gas associations and major upstream service companies. OGP members produce more than half the world’s oil and about one third of its gas. Mr. Birrell, who has represented BP on OGP’s Management Committee for the past four years, became BP’s Regional President for Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey in 2012. Previously, during the course of a career that spans more than a quarter-century in the upstream oil and gas industry, Mr. Birrell held a variety of senior roles with special focus on the management of safety, operational risk and production both onshore and offshore. He is a chartered engineer, a Fellow of the Institute of Engineering and Technology and has an MBA from Warwick University.

‘Fortunately, there is enough oil and gas in reservoirs both onshore and offshore to satisfy the world’s demands and expectations. It is the role of OGP, with its emphasis on safety and sustainability, to help enable exploration and production for the benefit of society. In this way, the Association is dedicated to renewing, prolonging and expanding the industry’s license to operate.’ On taking office, Mr. Birrell saluted the work of his predecessor, Brad Corson of ExxonMobil.

‘During Brad Corson’s term of office, OGP made enormous progress in further defining and promoting industry’s interests on vital issues such as well safety, Arctic exploration and gas from shale. We also recognise his accomplishments in strengthening the Association through increased membership and enhanced technical competencies and processes. OGP and the industry it represents have benefited greatly from his insightful leadership.’ Serving alongside Mr. Birrell are the Management Committee’s newly-elected Vice Chairs, Ian MacDonald of Chevron and Michel Contie of Total. Mr Joep Coppes of Shell has stepped down as Vice Chair after having made a significant contribution in that capacity during his four years in office.