Joeman at OVL
Joeman Thomas is likely to be appointed interim managing director of ONGC Videsh following oil minister Jaipal Reddy’s decision to confirm present head RS Butola as chairman of IndianOil.
Thomas joined OVL’s board as director exploration on Feb 20, 2007 and is best known for spearheading the acquisition of OVL’s assets in Sudan from Talisman Energy. A senior OVL source says Thomas, 59, will step into the post, as he is the most senior director on the OVL board.
However, he retires in December this year, making him ineligible to apply for the full-time post when the PESB formally announces the vacancy following Butola’s exit. Another internal contender, OVL director operations S.
Roychaudhury, is likewise ineligible for the full-time post of OVL managing director, as he retires in June 2012. Among promising candidates to replace Butola are OVL director finance SP Garg, aged 55, and PK Bhowmick, head of the KDMIPE research institute in Dehradun, and now spearheading ONGC’s shale gas programme.
SP Garg was appointed OVL finance director in 2008.