Govt decides to re-advertise post of MD OGDCL

ABDUL RASHEED AZAD

ISLAMABAD: The government has decided to re-advertise the post of Managing Director (MD) of the Oil and Gas Development Company (OGDC) Limited, the country's largest oil and gas explorer.

Sources in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources told Business Recorder that in September the committee, headed by Petroleum Minister Dr Asim Hussain, failed to attract a suitable person for the vacant post of MD OGDCL.

The committee, however, recommended to the Prime Minister to appoint Azeem Iqbal Siddiqui as MD Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC), Arif Hameed as MD Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) and Asim Murtaza Khan as MD Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL), sources maintained. These officials have been working as acting heads of the abovementioned companies and currently OGDCL is also headed by an acting MD.

The advertisement would read as follows: "The candidate for MD should have more than twenty years work experience with a large oil and gas company in senior management positions. Preference will be given to candidates with CEO position experience and proven track record of achievements. Candidates holding bachelors degree in energy management/policy, earth sciences, petroleum/chemical/mining and allied engineering disciplines, financial/business management, administration may apply".

The selected candidate will be offered a 2-year contract employment (extendable based on performance) at a market salary and other perks & privileges commensurate with the experience and company policy.

Qualified and experienced expatriate Pakistanis may also apply. In service candidates should apply through proper channel.

OGDC's Acting Managing Director Bisharat Mirza and other senior executives Riaz Khan, Chaudhry Zafar and Zahid Imran Farani in September were interviewed for the post.

The largest oil and gas explorer recently announced earnings that rose by seven percent to Rs 63.52 billion in financial year 2011 compared to Rs 59.18 billion posted in the same period last year.