The Offshore Technology Conference Board of Directors has elected a new chairman and vice chairman for 2014-2015.

GulfStar Group was named the winner of the Energy Deal of the Year Under $500 million at the 5th Annual International M&A Advisor Awards for the acquisition of Custom Rubber Products by The Flexitallic Group.

The Energy Industries Council (EIC), a trade association for UK companies that supply goods and services to the energy industries worldwide, has appointed The Right Honourable the Lord Howell of Guildford as president. Lord Howell is a senior member of the House of Lords, and has held ministerial positions for Energy, Transport and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in two Conservative Governments.

Chesapeake Energy Corp. has named Robert Douglas (Doug) Lawler, senior vice president of international and deepwater operations at Anadarko Petroleum, as CEO and a member of the Board of Directors, effective June 17.

Philippe R. Probst, a current board member of PA Resources, has been named interim CEO of the company.

Following the appointment of Andrew Mackenzie CEO, BHP Billiton in mid-April, the company made senior management changes that took effect last week.

Gulfstream Services Inc. (GSI), an oilfield rental company providing high pressure equipment for the international oil and gas industry, has named Billy Marcel as manager of global operations – decommissioning services division.

Transocean’s ultra-deepwater semisubmersible rig, Sedco Express (EXS), was working offshore Nigeria for customer ENI when it received news of a nearby fuel tanker on fire. 

Steptoe & Johnson PLLC has added seventeen attorneys to the firm’s office at The Woodlands, Texas, near Houston.