Dana Gas has appointed Richard Hall as Group Chief Executive Officer, effective November 6, 2023, replacing Dr. Patrick Allman-Ward, who retired from the role. Hall, 58, previously served as Chief Operating Officer at EnQuest, the UK-based oil and gas producer, where he spent three years overseeing operations across the company's global portfolio, including responsibilities in Malaysia.
The appointment followed an extensive executive search process managed by the board. Chairman Hamid Jafar welcomed Hall to the position, stating that his "broad and extensive international experience will prove to be an asset for our organisation" and that he possessed "the qualifications and skill sets that are needed to drive Dana Gas forward and implement its next phase of development and growth." Hall said he looked forward to "working collaboratively with our talented professionals under the auspices of the company's board to drive innovation, sustainability, and value creation for our stakeholders." The outgoing Allman-Ward, who oversaw significant achievements in the company's operational and financial performance, remained available to the board as an advisor.
Hall brings nearly three decades of experience in oil and gas development and operations across the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia-Pacific regions. Before joining EnQuest, he co-founded and led Nio Petroleum, a Malaysia-focused oil and gas explorer that EnQuest acquired in 2012. He held senior roles at Petrofac Energy Developments, where he served as Vice President of Operations and Developments and general manager in Malaysia, leading the development of the marginal Cendor field. Earlier in his career, Hall held senior positions with Amoco, Hess and Murphy Petroleum as a petroleum engineer and operations supervisor, and was a founder-director of UWG (now Acteon Group), an oil services company. While at EnQuest, Hall played a critical role in advancing the company's Kraken project from concept through to development.
Dana Gas is the largest non-government owned natural gas company in the Middle East, headquartered in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, and publicly listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange. The company operates exploration, production, processing, and transportation assets in Egypt, the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, and the UAE. In the first half of 2023, Dana reported net profit of US$83 million, down from US$111 million in the same period of 2022, reflecting energy price movements. The company benefits from the KM250 expansion project at its Khor Mor gas field in Iraqi Kurdistan, which expanded processing capacity by 50 percent and was completed in 2025.
Hall's appointment signals Dana Gas's intention to strengthen executive leadership during a period of strategic development. The hire fits the company's focus on disciplined capital allocation and operational efficiency across its producing assets. His experience in developing mature and marginal fields in Malaysia aligns with Dana's current emphasis on enhancing recovery at existing fields in Egypt and Kurdistan, where the company has committed US$100 million to drilling programmes and reserve additions. Hall's track record in leading major project development and managing global operations in complex regulatory environments suggests the board sought an executive capable of executing Dana's stated next phase of growth and value creation.
