Premier Names Franklin as Chairman

UK independent Premier Oil said August 10 that Roy Franklin will join it as non-executive chairman with effect from September 1 2017, succeeding Mike Welton who said in March he would step down as chairman once a successor was appointed.

Dave Blackwood and Mike Wheeler will also join the Board with immediate effect as new non-executive directors, following the retirement of Joe Darby and David Lindsell in May.

Franklin spent 18 years at BP after which he headed UK firms Clyde Petroleum, and then Paladin Resources until its acquisition by Canadian firm Talisman (now part of Repsol) in 2005.  Since then, Roy has served on a number of international energy boards in non-executive roles: he is currently interim chairman of Norway's Statoil, a non-executive director of Australia's Santos. He is also a non-executive director of Amec Foster Wheeler and, subject to its proposed merger with Wood Group, will be appointed deputy chairman of the enlarged group. He is also an adviser to venture capital fund Kerogen and chairman of UK-based shale gas explorer Cuadrilla, which Kerogen part-owns.

Mark Smedley