Cobalt International Energy Inc. appointed Gregory S. Sills as executive vice president and chief development officer with accountability for the planning and execution of Cobalt's worldwide projects. This appointment is effective January 27, 2014.
Sills brings more than 34 years of industry experience in global upstream project management to the company.
He will have an integral leadership role in Cobalt's growth from an exploration focus, to an exploration and production focus, with world class project execution leading to sustainable production and cash flow. His initial areas of emphasis will include leading the development and execution to first production of Cobalt's prolific Cameia field in Block 21 offshore Angola, as well as the conceptual design, appraisal and planning efforts associated with Cobalt's Lontra pre-salt oil discovery in Block 20 offshore Angola.
In addition, he will assume responsibility for Cobalt's ongoing preliminary development planning for the company’s North Platte discovery in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico.
Mr. Sills' extensive project experience includes serving as project manager for some of the industry's preeminent projects including the Atlantis project in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico and the expansion of the world's largest processing plant in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. The Atlantis project is recognized as one of industry's largest, most challenging, and most successful deepwater development projects.
"Sill's vast project experience is a perfect fit at this time for Cobalt. Our unprecedented exploration success over the past few years has provided us with a very deep inventory of viable projects. Sill's leadership will be vital as we move these projects to initial production later in this decade", said Joseph H. Bryant, Cobalt's chairman and CEO. "In particular, his specific experience delivering large complex projects on time and on budget is among the best in the industry."
Sills will be based in Cobalt's Houston headquarters.