Rockhopper Exploration Appoints New Leadership

Rockhopper Exploration, an established oil-and-gas company, has announced the appointment of Simon Thomson as the incoming nonexecutive chair, taking over from Keith Lough effective from October 1.

Thomson's Impressive Background in the Oil and Gas Industry

With extensive experience in the oil and gas sector, Thomson previously served as the chief executive of Cairn Energy, now known as Capricorn Energy, from 2011 to 2013. His strong expertise in successful leadership of complex international arbitrations and legal disputes is evident through his accomplishment of collecting $1.2 billion in association with a dispute involving the government of India.

Appointment of Paul Mayland as Independent Nonexecutive Director

Additionally, Rockhopper Exploration has appointed Paul Mayland as the incoming independent nonexecutive director, taking over from John Summers on the same date. This appointment is anticipated to significantly contribute to securing final investment decisions for offshore energy projects due to Mayland's impressive expertise in this area.

Ongoing Arbitration: Ombrina Mare Dispute

The company also mentioned that it is eagerly anticipating leveraging Thomson's experience in the ongoing arbitration concerning Ombrina Mare. The arbitration process began in 2017 after the Italian government decided not to award Rockhopper a concession covering the Ombrina Mare oil field. Last August, a panel determined that Italy breached its obligations under the energy charter treaty. Italy subsequently requested a provisional stay of enforcement and applied to annul the 190 million euro ($207.2 million) award.

In mid-July, Rockhopper confirmed that the stay of enforcement preventing legal action against Italy related to the concession award would be lifted once relevant escrow arrangements are finalized.