Wood Group Mustang, a US subsidiary of the Aberdeen-based energy service firm, has appointed Charles Johnson as general manager of its onshore business in Bakken.
The company, which offers project management, engineering, procurement, and construction services worldwide, said Mr Johnson would oversee its operations on the shale field from its North Dakota office.
Mr Johnson has worked in the oil and gas industry for 25 years and has worked on tight formation prospects in the past, including Bakken.
The 200,000-square mile Bakken formation covers parts of North Dakota, Montana, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Reserve estimates have been as high as 24billion barrels of oil, but earlier this year the US Geological Survey said it expected recovery to amount to 7.4billion barrels.