The International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC), Houston, has elected Steven Richards of Key Energy Services Inc. to the chairmanship of IADC's newly created Advanced Rig Technology Committee (ART) . Also elected to the committee were Vice-Chairmen Jeff Swain, Chevron Corp., and David Reid, National Oilwell Varco Inc. The IADC ART Committee comprises five subcommittees, of which four have chosen vice-chairmen to chart the working group's progress. They are Vice-Chairman-Software Interface Zain Master, Caterpillar Inc. ; Vice-ChairmanGuidelines Logan Puckett, Pride International Inc.; Vice-Chairman-Reliability Robert Urbanowski, Grey Wolf Drilling Co. LP; and Vice-Chairman-Future Technology Frank Springett, National Oil-well Varco.

Newpark Resources Inc..

The Woodlands, Tex. , has named William D. Moss president of Newpark's Mats and Integrated Services business. To be based in The Woodlands, he is also an executive officer of Newpark Resources Inc. Before joining Newpark, Moss held management positions at BJ Services Co., most recently-since 1997 - as division president of BJ Chemical Services, a provider of production and industrial chemicals, remedial pumping, and capillary services to US and international customers. He previously served as director, logistics, of BJ Services with responsibility for the world-wide logistics organization. From 1988 to 1995, Moss was vice-president, international operations, ofWestern Petroleum Services International Co. Prior to that, he spent 10 years in numerous leadership positions at Western Co. of North America. He holds an MBA from Texas Christian University and a BBA from Texas Tech University.

Newpark Resources is a -world-wide provider of drilling fluids, temporary worksites, and access roads for oil field and other commercial markets, as -well as environmental waste treatment solutions.

Synthesis Energy Systems Inc. (SES).

Houston, and Aker Solutions US Inc., a Houston-based unit of Aker Solutions ASA, Oslo, have entered into an engineering agreement. Aker's expertise in the gasification and chemicals industries will assist SES in its strategy to build, own, and operate coal-to- chemicals plants worldwide.

SES is an energy and technology company that builds, owns, and operates coal gasification plants that utilize its proprietary U- GAS(R) fluidized bed gasification technology to convert low-rank coal and coal wastes into higher-value energy products, such as transportation fuels and ammonia. The U-GAS(R) technology, which SES licenses from the Gas Technology Institute, gasifies coal without many of the harmful emissions normally associated with coal combustion plants.

Aker Solutions ASA is a leading global provider of engineering and construction services, technology products, and integrated solutions in the oil and gas, refining and chemicals, mining and metals, and power generation industries.

ABB Group.

Zurich, has appointed Joseph Hogan CEO, effective Sept. 1, 2008. He currently is CEO of GE Healthcare, the global leader in medical diagnostic technology and biosciences, and is a member of the GE Senior Executive Council. Michel Demare, ABB's chief financial officer, who has held the CEO position on an ad interim basis since Feb. 13, will continue to serve as ABB's CFO. Hogan 's career at GE spans 23 years and a wide range of positions. He led GE Medical Systems and then GE Healthcare from November 2000.