Steven B. Hinchman, executive vice president of Technology and Services for Marathon Oil Corporation, has elected to take early retirement, effective June 1, 2009, enabling him to pursue other interests. Organizational changes related to his areas of responsibility will be made at a later date.

"Steve's 29 years of service to Marathon and the industry have been marked by the highest levels of professionalism, dedication and a commitment to advancing the responsible development of oil and gas resources around the world," said Clarence P. Cazalot, Jr., Marathon president and CEO. "Under Steve's leadership, Marathon has made great strides in improving the Company's oil and gas production performance. This has been accomplished through the application of leading technologies, as well as the disciplined development and execution of our upstream business plans. In addition to his focus on operational excellence, Steve has been instrumental in applying Marathon's core values to all aspects of our operations through such projects as the Bioko Island Malaria Control Program in Equatorial Guinea, where a Marathon led public/private partnership is achieving live saving results for the citizens of that Sub-Saharan Africa country."

"We thank Steve for his many contributions to our success and wish him and his family the very best in their retirement and future endeavors," added Cazalot.

Hinchman joined Marathon in 1980 as a field engineer and subsequently held a number of technical, staff and managerial positions of increasing responsibility in the Company's domestic and international exploration and production organizations. In September 2000, he was appointed senior vice president of Worldwide Production Operations and served in that capacity until 2008 when he was appointed to his current position.

Hinchman received a bachelor's degree in petroleum engineering from Pennsylvania State University in 1980, and a master's degree in the same field of study from the Colorado School of Mines in 1987.

He is a member of the board of directors of the American Petroleum Institute. In 2005, he received the distinguished Penn State Alumni Fellow Award. Hinchman is a Visiting Committee Member of the Petroleum Engineering Department of the Colorado School of Mines, and a member of the board of directors of the Sam Houston Council of the Boy Scouts of America. He also is a member of the Industrial and Professional Advisory Council of the Department of Energy and Geo-Environmental Engineering at Pennsylvania State University.

Tags: Marathon Oil Corporation