Horizon Oil Ltd. has made changes to its senior leadership team, the company said on June 28.

Horizon has appointed Michael Sheridan to managing director and CEO, effective July 1. Also, Brent Emmett and Alan Fernie will retire from the company on June 30, 2018.

Michael Sheridan will replace Brent Emmett as CEO and as a director of the company. Michael has been Horizon Oil’s CFO and company secretary since 2003. He has been responsible for the company’s financial, commercial and legal affairs. Prior to joining Horizon Oil, Michael held positions with international resource companies including Ampolex Ltd., RGC Ltd. and Minera Alumbrera Ltd. in commercial and financial management areas. Michael has been an integral member of Horizon’s executive management team, along with Brent Emmett and Alan Fernie, and this will ensure continuity as Horizon Oil moves to the next stage of its growth. Michael’s qualifications include a Bachelor of Economics, Bachelor of Laws and Master of Laws and a Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance and Investment.

Brent joined the board of Horizon Oil in 2000 and has led the management of the company since 2002. In that period, he has driven the company’s transformation and growth to a stage where it is now well positioned with strong cash‐generating oil assets in China and New Zealand, and substantial gas and condensate resources in Papua New Guinea.

Alan Fernie has led the company’s technical team in a period during which the company has participated in the appraisal and development of the Maari/Manaia fields in New Zealand and Block 22/12 in China, and he has managed, as operator, the acquisition of seismic, exploration, appraisal, and development drilling operations and development planning which has built and confirmed the large gas and condensate resource base that will supply the Western LNG project in PNG.

In other changes to the leadership team Richard Beament will assume the role of CFO. Richard is presently Horizon Oil’s finance and commercial manager. He has had line management responsibility for the company’s statutory and joint venture accounting, treasury, taxation and insurance matters.

Andrew McArdle recently joined the company and, on Alan’s retirement, will assume the role of COO. Andrew is a petroleum engineer and has joined the company from Japan Australia LNG (MIMI) Pty. Ltd. where he was most recently the head of development.

Kylie Quinlivan has been the company’s corporate counsel since 2016 and will be appointed as general counsel and company secretary with effect on July 1, 2018. Kylie joined the company from Minter Ellison, practicing corporate law and specializing in mergers and acquisitions.

Also as advised at the 2017 annual general meeting, both Brent and Alan have been retained in consultancy roles for a period of time to provide ongoing advice to the board and management. Together with a skilled and capable management team, Brent and Alan’s continued association will enhance the realization of further material value from the commercialization of the company’s PNG resources.