J.C. Ridens, a successful oil-and-gas executive who has worked in the industry for more than 30 years, was today named president and chief executive officer of Great Western Oil and Gas Company, LLC, which is active in Colorado’s Denver-Julesburg Basin.

“I am excited to be joining a dynamic organization supported by the strengths of The Broe Group,” said Ridens, who was formerly executive vice president and chief operating officer of Forest Oil Corp., based in Denver. 

“Great Western Oil & Gas Company is a fast-growing company with great opportunities in the Denver-Julesburg Basin and other Rocky Mountain basins, where we will be very aggressive in acquisitions, exploration and production. I’m looking forward to leveraging my experience to help grow Great Western Oil & Gas Company into a multi-billion-dollar company.”

Great Western Oil & Gas Company, based in Denver, is an affiliate of The Broe Group.

“J.C. Ridens is the right leader at the right time for Great Western Oil & Gas Company,” said Pat Broe, who founded The Broe Group in 1972. “His industry experience and leadership will launch a great energy company into a new era of growth. The energy sector is booming and we intend to pursue every strategic opportunity we can.”

While at Forest Oil Corp., Ridens managed all operational aspects for four business units with production totaling 500 million cubic feet equivalent per day and annual capital budgets ranging from $570 million to $1.4 billion.