Perenco has appointed a new CEO, Armel Simondin, to replace Benoît de la Fouchardiere.
Simondin will take the top spot as of March 15. He joined Perenco in 2011, from Total. While at Perenco, he has served first as group drilling manager before becoming the general manager for Perenco Cameroon in 2021.
Perenco chairman François Perrodo said it had been a “long journey” since 2016 when de la Fouchardiere became CEO.
“We successfully steered the company together through challenging times such as the lower Brent price environment and pandemic, to make the Group stronger than ever with an all-time high in 2P reserves, safety records, exploration success and project backlogs, including the flagship Cap Lopez LNG project,” Perrodo said.
“Another chapter starts now with its own challenges. We will never stop to rest on our laurels and we regularly need to reinvent ourselves by injecting new energy.”
The company’s statement noted the company’s development during de la Fouchardiere’s time at the top. Originally, it focused on marginal and mature fields.
Now it has expanded into all the parts of the value chain, from exploration to decommissioning.
The previous CEO is moving to take over at Dixstone, a Perenco affiliate. Netherlands-based Dixstone offers turnkey solutions in marine and ship services, construction and drilling.
Perenco is based in the UK and has gross production of more than 510,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day. It employs over 7,000 people.
Perenco’s Cap Lopez LNG, in Gabon, could begin producing in 2026.