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Bominflot has appointed Gene Owen as the new President and Chief Executive Officer of its US-operating companies.

Owen, who previously worked as Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Bominflot’s US-based companies, replaces former President and COO Mark VandeVoorde, who has been appointed Business Development Manager for the Bominflot Group and will report to the senior management based at Bominflot's head office in Hamburg.

In his new role, Owen will also report to the the group's senior management in Hamburg. He will oversee Bominflot's plans to expand its delivery capabilities in the US Gulf following the announcement in 2009 that it was joining with MGI Towing to build and place into service four new tank barges to make bunker deliveries in the Houston/Galveston/Lake Charles corridor, including Houston, Baytown, Barbours Cut, Bayport, Texas City, Galveston, Bolivar Roads, Freeport, Beaumont, Port Arthur, and Lake Charles.

"The barges range from 3500 to 4300 tons capacity and will significantly enhance Bominflot's delivery capabilities, particularly to supply upon short notice, by allowing the staging of loaded barges in strategic locations," Bominflot said in a statement last year.

One of these barges is dedicated to gasoil deliveries, utilizing a fully segregated system.

The barges are owned jointly by Bominflot and MGI Towing, and are operated by MGI, which has owned and operated bunker barges in the Gulf Coast for more than 30 years.

Bominflot has also leased 350,000 barrels of storage at the Pelican Island Storage Terminal in Galveston. The six tanks, which have a capacity range of between 25,000 and 100,000 barrels, allow for full blending of all grades of marine fuels and distillates.

As part of its US Gulf strategy, Bominflot Group announced last month that bunker trader Alexander Massa had joined Houston-based Bominflot Bunker Oil Corp., with effect from 5th April 2010.

Initially he will be responsible for bunker trading in the Houston market.

Prior to joining Bominflot, Alexander Massa worked for Chevron Global Marine Products quoting bunkers for the US Gulf Coast region.