Steve Cossé, president and CEO of Murphy Oil Corp., intends to step down following the completion of the company's previously announced plan to spin off to its stockholders its US downstream operations into an independent and separately traded company.

Revenues for the group of publicly-traded US-based companies tracked by Oil & Gas Journal and Oil & Gas Financial Journal grew in the final quarter of 2012.

Southwestern Energy Co. (NYSE: SWN) has agreed to acquire natural gas properties located in Pennsylvania prospective for the Marcellus Shale from Chesapeake Energy Corp. (NYSE: CHK) and its partners for approximately $93 million.

Anadarko Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: APC) has made another oil discovery in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico. The Phobos-1 well encountered approximately 250 net feet of oil pay in Lower Tertiary-aged reservoirs.

Bill Barrett Corp. (NYSE: BBG) has named R. Scot Woodall as CEO and president of the company, effective April 16.

Energy infrastructure company Williams has named John Dearborn as senior vice president of NGL & Petchem Services. Dearborn will oversee Williams' and Williams Partners' natural gas liquids and olefins business and operations.

The Pittsburgh-based Center for Sustainable Shale Development is attracting lots of attention these days. The Center is intended to be a way in which environmental groups, foundations, and major oil and gas companies could work together to support common-sense measures to protect air and water from pollution in the Appalachian region.