NK Verma at OVL
Fifty two-year old Narendra Kumar Verma, a general manager in charge of ONGC frontier basins, will be the next director exploration at ONGC Videsh.
PETROWATCH learns that on (Wednesday) June 29 the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) interviewed 15 candidates and recommended Verma’s name to replace Joeman Thomas who currently holds the job. Joeman is also interim OVL managing director and steps down on December 31.
PB Pandey, group general manager at ONGC’s Baroda office, was seen as Verma’s main competitor. Of 15 candidates, 13 were from ONGC, one from Reliance Industries and one from Petrocon (formerly Videocon).
“Verma had an edge,” said an ONGC source. “He is a geologist while Pandey is a geophysicist.
” Verma’s last five year ACR (Annual Confidential Report), we hear, was ‘good’ and also went in his favour. “Verma knows his subject well,” adds a contractor.
“He is a risk taker and likes new technology and software that enhances production.”
