OREANDA-NEWS. September 29, 2014. Repsol Chairman Antonio Brufau has been chosen as Chief Executive of the Year by Petroleum Economist magazine. Repsol has also been named Energy Company of the Year. The Petroleum Economist Awards have been given in a ceremony celebrated in London.

This award recognises Brufau's leadership and management skills at the helm of the company. The organisation also took into consideration his strategic vision, thanks to which Repsol maintained its growth commitments while managing the YPF crisis. This culminated in an amicable agreement according to the terms of which the Government of Argentina compensated Repsol with bonds, which it then sold to J.P. Morgan for nearly USD5 billion.

Brufau, who was selected by the jury of international experts, was also acknowledged for his successful career in the energy sector, especially at Repsol where he has transformed the company and made it a worldwide leader in exploration and technology.

During the awards ceremony, the editor of Petroleum Economist, Anthea Pitt, highlighted Antonio Brufau's "clear strategic vision, excellent leadership and the ability to stay calm and focused in a crisis situation."

For Repsol's Chairman, the award “recognises the hard work of all the employees of the company to make it excellent, as it is, so it can have a bright future”. Brufau also said that he represents “a very strong human and talented team, of which I feel very proud.”

This is the second award Antonio Brufau has received in his last two years as Repsol CEO, both given by the energy sector's most prestigious publications; he was also named CEO of the Year by Platts in 2012.

In addition, Repsol was named Energy Company of the Year thanks to its having achieved a record replacement rate of 275% during the period 2013-2014, the highest in the industry, while strengthening its financial position by reducing debt to its lowest levels ever.

The jury of the Petroleum Economist Awards, which is composed, among others, by OPEC’s Secretary General, Abdalla El-Badri and the Secretary General of the International Gas Union, Torstein Indrebo and BP’s ex- Chairman, Lord John Browne, also took into consideration the significant contribution of the company in the development of the industry, its strong performance and its flexibility in facing adverse situations. Petroleum Economist Editor described Repsol as "the envy of many of its peers."

The Petroleum Economist Awards recognise the best executives, companies and projects in the industry, and have a jury of independent experts, representing all sectors of the international energy industry.