Ridgewood Energy, a leading energy investment firm that drills and develops oil projects in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico, on March 1 announced the appointment of Peter A. Zwart as Executive Vice President of the company’s commercial division. Zwart will oversee all commercial aspects of Ridgewood Energy’s offshore oil and gas activities, including matters of land management, oil and gas marketing, and planning. Zwart also will work closely with Robert Swanson, Ridgewood Energy CEO and founder, and Kenneth Lang, president and chief operating officer, on business development and strategy.

“We are delighted that Pete has agreed to join Ridgewood Energy,” Lang said. “He possesses deep knowledge of the industry and a truly immense range of experience, making him a tremendous asset. I’m confident that Pete’s appointment will allow the company to continue to build its portfolio of projects in the Gulf of Mexico.”

“We are very excited to have Pete coming on board,” Swanson said. “We continue to see enormous opportunities for investment in the Gulf of Mexico, and the skills and experience Pete brings will add tremendous value to our team.”

Zwart joins Ridgewood Energy following a 29-year career at BP. In his most recent role at BP, he served for five years as the chief financial officer of the company’s Gulf of Mexico business, where he was responsible for managing more than $12 billion in revenue. Prior to that, he was head of global procurement for BP Exploration and Production. Earlier experience includes various roles—both technical and commercial—for the oil and gas business in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Canada, as well as onshore and offshore U.S.

“I’m honored to become a member of the Ridgewood Energy team, a firm that is focused on specific sector objectives and strategic partnerships designed to drive growth in the Gulf region,” Zwart said.

Zwart began his career as a Gulf of Mexico geologist for Exxon in 1977 after attaining a Bachelor of Arts from Lafayette College and a Master of Science from the University of Delaware. He later held various technical, commercial and leadership roles with Standard Oil of Ohio, which was acquired by BP. In his new position, Zwart will be based in Ridgewood Energy’s Houston office.