Talos Energy Inc. today announced the appointment of Robert "Bob" Abendschein as Executive Vice President and Head of Operations, succeeding Stephen E. Heitzman, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. The appointment is effective as of February 17, 2020.

Mr. Abendschein brings to Talos over 35 years of energy industry experience spanning roles in engineering, operations, major offshore projects, business development and senior management. Mr. Abendschein served 33 years with Anadarko Petroleum Corporation ("Anadarko") and predecessor companies, including as the Vice President of Worldwide Deepwater, in which he led Anadarko's worldwide offshore portfolio comprised of over 600 employees, production of approximately 250 thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day and capital investments of approximately $1.2 billion per year. He also served in other key executive roles at Anadarko, including as the Vice President of Exploration and Production Services and Vice President of Corporate Development. Most recently, Mr. Abendschein was the Chief Executive Officer of Venari Resources LLC, where he was appointed by a consortium of private equity investors to lead the advancement of multiple globally recognized development projects (Anchor and Shenandoah) and managed all stages of strategy, exploration and business development activities. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of SEACOR Marine Holdings and the National Ocean Industries Association, as well as the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. Mr. Abendschein holds a Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering from Texas A&M University.

Stephen Heitzman is a founder of Talos and has played a key role in growing the Company's operational scale and breadth since its inception in 2012. Mr. Heitzman started his career in 1973 as an engineer with Amoco Production before progressing in engineering, management and executive roles both domestically and internationally at Roy M. Huffington Inc., ATP Oil & Gas and Harken Energy. In 2000, he co-founded Gryphon Exploration as Vice President of Operations, and in 2006, he co-founded and later became President and Chief Executive Officer of Phoenix Exploration Company. Mr. Heitzman will continue to provide services to Talos as a Senior Advisor on an as-needed basis for approximately six months in order to assist with the transition. 

Talos President and Chief Executive Officer Timothy S. Duncan commented, 
"We are extremely excited to have Bob join our senior leadership team, filling big shoes as he succeeds our friend and co-founder, Steve Heitzman. Bob has a tremendous track record of executive management in all aspects of offshore and deepwater operations, from drilling, major project delivery, production, HSE and business development, both in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and internationally. Bob was one of the key executives that helped build Anadarko's large deepwater asset base, and he has the leadership and skill set to help shape our operational organization as we look toward the future. Steve Heitzman has had a distinguished career spanning over 45 years in the industry. He was a co-founder of Talos, has been a partner of mine for close to 20 years and has had an invaluable impact on our Company. He will always be a friend of the firm, and we cannot thank him enough for helping to build an organization that started with five team members and has since grown to over 430 full-time employees in both the US and Mexico. Steve leaves a lasting legacy on the business and the culture of Talos."

Mr. Abendschein commented, 
"I'm thrilled to join the Talos team at an exciting period in the Company's history and to help build on the foundation that Steve created in the Operations organization. As we continue to grow in scale and complexity, I look forward to working across the organization to help implement world-class best practices that allow us to grow efficiently and responsibly well into the future." 

Link to Talos Energy US Gulf of Mexico country profile