BP Appoints Bob Dudley Former Mississippian as CEO of Gulf Coast Restoration

Posted in BP British Petroleum,Deepwater Horizon,Gulf Coast,Louisiana Maritime News on June 23, 2010

BP has set up a new Gulf Coast Restoration Organization unit, headed by former Mississippian Robert Dudley, to manage its response to the biggest oil spill in U.S. history. Dudley, who was born in New York and raised in Mississippi, reports to BP Chief Executive Officer Tony Hayward.

Robert Dudley will head a new unit formed by BP Plc to manage the company's response to the biggest oil spill in U.S. history. Dudley wouldn’t say if BP would resume deep water drilling in the Gulf of Mexico after a Federal judge lifted a White House moratorium.

BP’s new appointment is an effort to clean up its image and take the spotlight off chief executive Tony Hayward, the BP CEO whose insensitive gaffes have infuriated Americans.

As head of the unit, Dudley, 54, is managing the cleanup, government relations and evaluation of environmental damage, BP said today in a statement. Hayward said that BP needed “a more sustainable organization” to see through its response to the spill, which was triggered by an April 20 rig explosion.

BP is committed to Hayward as its leader, Dudley said this morning on NBC’s “Today” show. Hayward was criticized by White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel for taking a yachting trip last weekend.

“We were always going to set up the organization,” Dudley said on NBC. “We have across the Gulf Coast, people that are there, temporary, rotating in and out. We’re going to bed this down now. We’re in for the long haul and we’re going to make sure that it’s sustained and efficient.”

The new managing director was asked on NBC’s “Today” show Wednesday if  BP would start drilling again. Dudley wouldn’t say if  BP would resume deep water drilling in the Gulf of Mexico after a Federal judge lifted a White House moratorium.

Dudley says they will “step back” from the issue while they investigate the April 20 rig explosion that killed 11 workers and triggered the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history.

BP is the largest oil and gas producer in the Gulf.

Source:
Bloomberg
Huffington Post