Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco) has appointed Faisal Mohamed al-Mahroos as chief executive officer (CEO) following the retirement of Abdulkarim al-Sayed.

According to Bahraini Oil & Gas Affairs Minister Abdul Hussain Mirza, the changes were made as part of the National Oil and Gas Authority’s succession plan.

“The previous CEO Al-Sayed reached retirement age so Al-Mahroos was put in place as the CEO,” says Mirza.

Al-Mahroos joined Bapco in 1976 and has held various senior positions at the state-run firm, including head of reservoir engineering and chief petroleum engineer.

In 2006, he was appointed deputy CEO for exploration and production.

He was appointed acting CEO in July 2009 and recently completed a formal handover to become Bapco’s CEO, according to Mirza.

In May, Manama approved a 10-year masterplan to overhaul its energy sector, This includes upgrading the Bahrain refinery at a cost of $5bn and tripling production at its only oil field.