Peter Botten
Peter Robert Botten | |
|---|---|
| Born | United Kingdom |
| Occupation(s) | Corporate leader, Managing Director (former) |
| Years active | 1992–2020 (Managing Director at Oil Search) |
| Known for | Managing Director of Oil Search; leadership in Papua New Guinea oil and gas industry |
| Notable work | Leadership in oil and gas exploration and development; securing PNG LNG agreement |
Peter Robert Botten is an Australian corporate leader who held the position of Managing Director at Oil Search, an oil and gas exploration and development firm based in Papua New Guinea, from 1994 until 2020. He was honored as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2007 and later received Australia's highest civilian accolade, Companion of the Order of Australia, in 2019.
Early life and education
Raised in the United Kingdom, Botten's father served as a pilot in the Royal Air Force. He obtained a degree in Geology from Monash University in Melbourne and pursued a Postgraduate Diploma in Petroleum Engineering at the Royal School of Mines within Imperial College London.
Career
Botten began his professional journey working for the French government, with assignments across Canada and various African nations including Niger. He joined Oil Search in 1992 as general manager of operations and was promoted to managing director two years later. Throughout his tenure, he significantly grew Oil Search’s presence, establishing it as a major entity in Papua New Guinea’s oil and gas industry. He forged vital alliances with the PNG government and global investors, spearheading the company’s involvement in liquefied natural gas production through a consortium with partners such as ExxonMobil and TotalEnergies. Botten played a crucial role in securing the historic LNG agreement with Papua New Guinea in 2009.
Although he stepped down as managing director in 2020, Botten continues to contribute as a senior advisor to Oil Search.
Outside of Oil Search, Botten has held prominent positions within industry bodies and community organizations. These include serving as chairman of the Papua New Guinea Chamber of Mines and Petroleum, director of the Australia-PNG Business Council, participant in the World Economic Forum's Oil and Gas Climate Initiative, and chairman of the Business Council of Papua New Guinea. At the invitation of Prime Minister Peter O'Neill, he led the board overseeing Tari hospital.
His governance experience extends to boards like the Business Council of Australia, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, and Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association. Since 2016, Botten has been a non-executive director at AGL Energy, chairing its board from 2021 to 2022. Following his departure from AGL, he assumed chairmanship roles at Conrad Asia Energy and, beginning in 2024, at solar energy developer Vast Renewables.
Awards and honours
In 2000, Botten was awarded the Papua New Guinea Independence Medal.
Roger Maynard recognized him in 2005 as one of "the leading chief executives in the country" within Life at the Top.
His contributions to Papua New Guinea’s oil and gas sector and community were acknowledged with a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) appointment in 2007.
In 2015, both Harvard Business Review and Australian Financial Review included him among the world’s top 100 CEOs, one of only two Australians featured.
Botten was honored with the Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) designation in 2019 for exceptional service enhancing Australia-Papua New Guinea relations through his work in oil and gas as well as social and economic development initiatives.
Personal life
Botten is married to Gill and they have two children together. He actively supports various philanthropic groups, including the Papua New Guinea Red Cross and the Cancer Foundation.
See also
External links
- Profile of Peter Botten at Oil Search Limited
- 2016 Interview on ABC Radio National's Life Matters: Peter Botten of Oil Search discusses PNG, his professional journey, and social licence.