Talara Oil and Gas LLC formed a new venture, based in Houston, for producing assets in North and South America, the company said Feb. 29.

The newly formed company will be led by Manuel Pablo (Manolo) Zuniga-Pflucker, president and CEO. He said the initial focus will be on Peru’s onshore assets.

Most recently, Zuniga-Pflucker was CEO for Houston-based BPZ Energy, which operated onshore and offshore properties in Peru; the company held a nonoperating oil property in Ecuador.

BPZ discovered oil in the Z-1 Block in Peru and brought the oil online using the first FPSO commissioned in that country.

Previously, Zuniga-Pflucker worked at Occidental Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: OXY).

He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland and a master’s degree from Texas A&M University. He is currently a visiting committee member at the University of Maryland and a member of Texas A&M’s International Advisory Board.

Greg Smith will lead finance, treasury and capital markets at Talara. Most recently, Smith worked at Energy XXI Ltd. for five years. From 2007 to 2011, he worked at BPZ Energy, and he has more than 20 years’ experience in the oil and gas sector.

Smith has a bachelor’s degree from Missouri State University and a master’s of business administration degree from Texas A&M University’s May’s Business School.

Chuck Fetzner will lead Talara’s A&D team; he has more than 35 years’ experience managing E&P projects in the U.S., across South America, and in China and Africa. Zuniga-Pflucker said that Fetzner will lead an advisory board.

Previously, Fetzner worked at Sun Exploration and Production, Oryx Energy and Apache Corp. (NYSE: APA).

Fetzner has a bachelor’s degree from the University of New Hampshire.