“I am starting at DEA in a very interesting time for the company and for the business as a whole," she said, noting talks between BASF and LetterOne to follow up on their letter of intent a month ago to merge their respective upstream oil and gas subsidiaries Wintershall and DEA, with BASF to select the CEO of the planned merged Wintershall-DEA and LetterOne would choose its deputy CEO. Closing of the merger remains scheduled for 2H 2018.

Moraeus Hanssen departed Engie E&P shortly after its majority owner Engie said it would sell its 70% stake in that upstream firm to Carlyle-backed Neptune Energy. Her appointment at DEA was announced four months ago. Now her new role is bound up, like those of all staff at Wintershall and DEA, in how their merger talks progress. "My main task going forward will be to make sure that we continue to operate safely and deliver on business goals while we adapt to new conditions, in parallel with the talks between LetterOne and BASF to merge DEA and Wintershall," she said. She replaces Thomas Rappuhn who retires after eight years as DEA CEO.

CEO at Neptune

Neptune Energy meanwhile announced December 20 the appointment of James L (Jim) House as its CEO, starting January 2018. He joins Neptune from Apache Corporation where he has spent the last 26 years, most recently as the Houston-based senior vice president for Egypt, US mid-continent and Gulf Coast, and international new ventures. Sam Laidlaw, a former Centrica CEO, remains Neptune chairman.