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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 10-K
     
x   ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 or 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the Fiscal year ended December 31, 2003

OR

     
o   TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 or 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Commission File Number 1-13884

COOPER CAMERON CORPORATION

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
     
Delaware   76-0451843
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)   (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
     
1333 West Loop South    
Suite 1700    
Houston, Texas   77027
(Address of principal executive offices)   (Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code (713) 513-3300

SECURITIES REGISTERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) OF THE ACT:

     
Title of Each Class
  Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered
Common Stock, Par Value $0.01 Per Share   New York Stock Exchange
     
Junior Participating Preferred Stock   New York Stock Exchange
Purchase Rights    
Par Value $0.01 Per Share    

     Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that Registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes x No o

     Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of the Registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. x

     Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act) Yes x No o

     The aggregate market value of the Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share, held by non-affiliates of Registrant as of June 30, 2003, our most recently completed second fiscal quarter, was approximately $1,967,302,022. For the purposes of the determination of the above statement amount only, all directors and executive officers of the Registrant are presumed to be affiliates. The number of shares of Common Stock, par value $.01 per share, outstanding as of February 23, 2004 was 53,927,516.


DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
Portions of Registrant’s Annual Report to Stockholders for 2003 — Part II.


 


TABLE OF CONTENTS

                         
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 Form of Change in Control Agreement
 Credit Agreement
 Form of Indemnification Agreement
 Portions of the 2003 Annual Report
 Subsidiaries of Registrant
 Consent of Independent Auditors
 Certification of CEO Pursuant to Section 302
 Certification of CFO Pursuant to Section 302
 Certification of CEO & CFO Pursuant to Section 906

 


Table of Contents

PART I

ITEM 1. BUSINESS

     Cooper Cameron Corporation (“Cooper Cameron” or the “Company”) is a leading international manufacturer of oil and gas pressure control equipment, including valves, wellheads, controls, chokes, blowout preventers and assembled systems for oil and gas drilling, production and transmission used in onshore, offshore and subsea applications. Cooper Cameron is also a leading manufacturer of centrifugal air compressors, integral and separable gas compressors and turbochargers. See “Glossary of Terms” at the end of Item 1 for definitions of certain terms used in this section. Any reference to Cooper Cameron Corporation, its divisions or business units within this paragraph or elsewhere within this 10-K as being a leader, leading provider, leading manufacturer, or having a leading position is based on the amount of equipment installed worldwide and available industry data.

     Cooper Cameron’s origin dates back to the mid-1800s with the manufacture of steam engines that provided power for plants and textile or rolling mills. By 1900, with the discovery of oil and gas, Cooper Cameron’s predecessors moved into the production of internal combustion engines and gas compressors. Product offerings were added by the Company’s predecessors through various acquisitions, in particular the acquisitions of The Bessemer Gas Engine Company (gas engines and compressors); Pennsylvania Pump and Compressor (reciprocating air and gas compressors); Ajax Iron Works (compressors); Superior (engines and compressors); Joy Petroleum Equipment Group (valves, couplings and wellheads); Joy Industrial Compressor Group (compressors); and Cameron Iron Works (blowout preventers, ball valves, control equipment and McEvoy-Willis wellhead equipment and choke valves).

     Cooper Cameron, a Delaware corporation, was incorporated on November 10, 1994. The Company operated as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cooper Industries, Inc. (“Cooper”) until June 30, 1995, the effective date of the completion of an exchange offer with Cooper’s stockholders resulting in the Company becoming a separate stand-alone company. The common stock of Cooper Cameron trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “CAM”.

     In 1998, the Company acquired Orbit Valve International, Inc. (“Orbit®”). Orbit became part of the Cooper Cameron Valves organization. Orbit manufactures and sells high-performance valves and actuators for the oil and gas and petrochemical industries. Orbit’s primary manufacturing facility is located in Little Rock, Arkansas.

     During 1999, the Company sold its rotating natural gas compressor business to Rolls-Royce plc for approximately $200 million. The operations that were sold had primary facilities in Liverpool, United Kingdom, Hengelo in the Netherlands and Mt. Vernon, Ohio.

     In January 2001, the Company decided to exit the market for new Superior brand natural gas engines and close its Springfield, Ohio manufacturing facility. Manufacturing operations at this facility were discontinued in the first half of 2001.

     In September 2002, the Company acquired certain assets of Stewart and Stevenson’s Petroleum Equipment Segment, providing a combination of product line additions and cost savings opportunities within the Cameron division. In December 2002, the Company acquired Nutron Industries, a valve manufacturer based in Edmonton, Canada. This acquisition expanded the product offerings of the Cooper Cameron Valves division, and provided opportunities to grow sales outside the United States, particularly in Canada.

     In January 2004, the Company reached an agreement to acquire Petreco International Inc., a Houston, Texas-headquartered supplier of oil and gas separation products, for approximately $90 million, net of cash acquired and debt assumed. Petreco’s 2003 revenues were approximately $117 million, and income before taxes was approximately $12 million. Petreco is a market leader in highly engineered custom processing products for the worldwide oil and gas industry. This acquisition will increase the Company’s presence in the oil and gas separation market and is expected to be complementary to existing businesses.

Business Segments

Markets and Products

     During 2003, the Company’s operations were organized into three separate business segments — Cameron, Cooper Cameron Valves and Cooper Compression, each of which conducts business as a division of the Company. In 2004, Petreco International will be added as a fourth division. For additional business segment information for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2003, see Note 13 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, which Notes are incorporated herein by reference in Part II, Item 8 hereof (“Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements”).

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Cameron Division

     Cameron is one of the world’s leading providers of systems and equipment used to control pressures and direct flows of oil and gas wells. Its products are employed in a wide variety of operating environments including basic onshore fields, highly complex onshore and offshore environments, deepwater subsea applications and ultra-high temperature geothermal operations.

     Cameron’s products include surface and subsea production systems, blowout preventers, drilling and production control systems, gate valves, actuators, chokes, wellheads, drilling riser and aftermarket parts and services. Cameron’s products are marketed under the brand names Cameron®, W-K-M®, McEvoy® and Willis®. Additionally, Cameron manufactures elastomers, which are used in pressure and flow control equipment and other petroleum industry applications, as well as in the petroleum, petrochemical, rubber molding and plastics industries.

     Cameron’s aftermarket program, CAMSERV™, combines traditional aftermarket services and products, such as equipment maintenance and reconditioning, with Cameron’s information technology toolset. CAMSERV is designed to provide flexible, cost-effective solutions to customer aftermarket needs throughout the world. Cameron also provides an inventory of repair parts, service personnel, planning services and inventory and storage of customers’ idle equipment. During the last couple of years, Cameron has continued to enhance its aftermarket presence worldwide with new facilities in Saudi Arabia, Macae, Brazil and Malabo, Equatorial Guinea. In April 2003, a world-class aftermarket facility was opened in Luanda, Angola to service the growing business in West Africa. Additionally, a major expansion was completed in 2003 at Veracruz, Mexico, and construction has begun on a new offshore service center in Nigeria.

     As petroleum exploration activities have increasingly focused on subsea locations, Cameron directed much of its new product development efforts toward this market. Cameron’s patented SpoolTree™ horizontal subsea production system, which was introduced in 1993, is used in oil and gas fields with subsea completions that require frequent retrieval of downhole equipment. With the SpoolTree system, well completion and workover activities can be performed without a workover riser or removal of the Christmas tree and under conventional blowout preventer control, thereby reducing the time, equipment and expense needed to perform such activities. As a result of license agreements reached during 2003, the Company now receives royalties from two subsea tree manufacturers on their global production of horizontal subsea trees using Cooper Cameron’s patented technology. Cameron plans to add to its tradition of innovation with the introduction of an all-electric subsea production system that is expected to simplify installations, offer greater reliability and provide cost savings to customers. There will be a major offshore trial of the system in the U.K. North Sea during 2004. This electric system will be featured in Cooper Cameron’s display at the 2004 Offshore Technology Conference in Houston, Texas.

     The Cameron Willis Chokes business unit was formed to focus resources on the choke product line with the goal of enhancing Cameron’s performance in this product line. Cameron Willis manufactures Cameron and Willis brand chokes and Cameron brand actuators for the surface and subsea production markets. The Company’s primary choke manufacturing operations have now been consolidated into its Longford, Ireland facility with surface gate valve actuator manufacturing primarily performed at the Cameron Willis plant in Houston, Texas, which commenced operations in an expanded facility in March 2002.

     In 1998, Cameron opened a new research center in Houston, Texas that has ten specially designed test bays to test and evaluate Cameron’s products under realistic conditions. These include environmental test chambers to simulate extreme pressures and temperatures, high-strength fixtures for the application of multi-million pound tensile and bending loads, high pressure gas compressors and test enclosures, a hyperbaric chamber to simulate the external pressures of deep water environments, and two circulation loops for erosion and flow testing.

     During 2001, Cameron reorganized to address the growing market for system-level subsea projects, in which clients entrust their suppliers with more responsibility to deliver complete systems. The Offshore Systems organization was created expressly for such projects and provides concept design, systems engineering, and project management for offshore projects. The Offshore Systems organization has established multiple “Centers of Excellence” facilities, identifying the Company’s most efficient manufacturing and service locations. Using advanced communications technology, Offshore Systems has developed project management processes that allow global management across multiple sites. These processes include the coordination of Cameron’s own Centers of Excellence with the products and services that subcontractors provide to the systems. Centers of Excellence for specific areas include: project management, systems engineering and manifold and flowline connection engineering in Houston, Texas; subsea wellheads in Singapore; subsea trees in Leeds, England; subsea chokes in Longford, Ireland; and subsea production controls in Celle, Germany.

     During 2002, Cameron introduced the new Environmental Safe Guard (ESG™) system, which combines a traditional surface blowout preventer with a subsea device (the ESG unit) at the bottom of the drilling string. This allows operators to use the less expensive second- or third-generation semi submersible rigs, instead of fourth- or fifth-generation units, to drill in deepwater locales. During 2003, these systems were deployed offshore Brazil and Indonesia, as well as in the Mediterranean Sea.

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     Also in 2002, Cameron Controls was reorganized, with drilling controls merging with Cameron’s Drilling organization, and production and workover controls merging with the Offshore Systems organization. Cameron’s two primary controls manufacturing, assembly and testing facilities are located in Celle, Germany and Houston, Texas.

     Cameron primarily markets its products directly to end-users through a worldwide network of sales and marketing employees, supported by agents in some international locations. Due to the technical nature of many of the products, the marketing effort is further supported by a staff of engineering employees. The balance of Cameron’s products are sold through established independent distributors.

     Cameron’s primary customers include oil and gas majors, independent producers, engineering and construction companies, drilling contractors, rental companies and geothermal energy producers.

Cooper Cameron Valves Division

     Cooper Cameron Valves (CCV) is a leading provider of valves and related systems primarily used to control pressures and direct the flow of oil and gas as they are moved from individual wellheads through flow lines, gathering lines and transmission systems to refineries, petrochemical plants and industrial centers for processing. Large diameter valves are used primarily in natural gas transmission lines. Smaller valves are used in oil and gas gathering and processing systems and in various types of industrial processes in refineries and petrochemical plants. Equipment used in these environments is generally required to meet demanding API 6D and American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards.

     CCV’s products include gate valves, ball valves, butterfly valves, Orbit valves, rotary process valves, block & bleed valves, plug valves, globe valves, check valves, actuators, chokes and aftermarket parts and services. These products are marketed under the brand names Cameron®, W-K-M®, Orbit®, Demco®, Foster®, NAVCO®, Nutron®, Thornhill Craver™, and TruSeal®. During the first quarter of 2000, CCV expanded its field service capabilities with the acquisition of Valve Sales Inc., a Houston-based valve repair and manufacturing company. As described previously, Nutron, a Canadian valve manufacturer, was acquired in December 2002 in order to further expand CCV’s product offerings, particularly in Canada.

     A major focus during 2003 was rationalization of facilities and the related costs. These efforts include the restructuring of the Oklahoma City plant and the consolidation of CCV’s four Edmonton, Canada facilities into one location. Another area of focus in 2003 was the expansion of the aftermarket business. Six new facilities were added during 2003, including four outside the U.S., and three existing facilities were expanded. CCV now has a total of 15 aftermarket locations worldwide.

     CCV markets its equipment and services through a worldwide network of combined sales and marketing employees, distributors and agents in selected international locations. Due to the technical nature of many of the products, the marketing effort is further supported by a staff of engineering employees.

     CCV’s primary customers include oil and gas majors, independent producers, engineering and construction companies, pipeline operators, drilling contractors and major chemical, petrochemical and refining companies.

Cooper Compression Division

     Cooper Compression was created in 2002 through the combination of Cooper Energy Services (CES) and Cooper Turbocompressor (CTC). The business is divided into Reciprocating Technology, which encompasses the products and services historically provided by CES, and Centrifugal Technology, which encompasses the air and gas compression markets traditionally served by CTC.

     Cooper Compression is a leading provider of reciprocating and centrifugal technology. Cooper Compression’s products include aftermarket parts and services, integral reciprocating engine-compressors, reciprocating compressors, turbochargers, control systems, integrally geared centrifugal compressors, compressor systems and controls. Its aftermarket services include spare parts, technical services, repairs, overhauls and upgrades.

     Cooper Compression’s products and services are marketed under the Ajax®, Superior®, Cooper-Bessemer®, Penn™, Enterprise™, Texcentric®, Nickles Industrial™, Turbine Specialties™ (Reciprocating Products) and Turbo Air®, Genuine Joy® (aftermarket parts only), Dry Pak™, TA™ and MSG® (centrifugal products) brand names. Cooper Compression provides global support for its products and maintains sales and/or service offices in key international locations.

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Reciprocating Technology

     Cooper Compression provides Ajax integral engine-compressors (140 to 880 horsepower), which combine the engine and compressor on a single drive shaft, and are used for gas re-injection and storage, as well as on smaller gathering and transmission lines. In addition, a line of 1,800 RPM separable compressors, featuring low vibration, couple free design features, was added in 2001. These compressors (100 to 280 horsepower) are sold in gas gathering, drilling and compression natural gas markets.

     Superior reciprocating compressors (100 to 9,000 horsepower) are used primarily for natural gas applications, including production, storage, withdrawal, processing and transmission, as well as petrochemical processing. The Superior WG compressor series was introduced in 2000 for large project applications up to 9,000 horsepower. These high-speed separable compressor units can be matched with either natural gas engine drivers or electric motors and provide a cost advantage over competitive equipment in the same power range.

     There is an installed base of Cooper-Bessemer, Penn, Enterprise, Superior, Ajax and Joy engines and compressors (up to 30,000 horsepower) for which Cooper Compression provides replacement parts and service on a worldwide basis.

     Cooper Compression’s channel to market utilizes a distributor network in North America for new reciprocating and plant air centrifugal compressors, and direct selling for most international customers. These channels are continually rationalized to provide maximum exposure for our products.

     In addition to the previously described sale of the rotating business, Cooper Compression has undergone a significant level of restructuring to enhance productivity and reduce costs. The closing of the Grove City, Pennsylvania plant and foundry was completed in 2000. Most of the activity previously conducted at that location was outsourced to third parties or relocated to other facilities. In 2001, the relocation of the central warehouse from Mt. Vernon, Ohio to Houston, Texas was completed. The 2001 acquisitions of Nickles Industrial and Turbine Specialties Inc. allowed Cooper Compression to expand its aftermarket business into servicing compression and power equipment from other manufacturers.

     As part of its restructuring, Cooper Compression constructed a Superior separable compressor plant and research and development center in Waller, Texas in 2000. Each manufacturing station in the plant is designed for short cycle, just-in-time machining and assembly to reduce inventory requirements and product lead times. The plant is designed to manufacture the division’s complete line of Superior compressor units to serve the natural gas market. The relocation of the former compressor plant in Mt. Vernon, Ohio to the new Waller facility was completed in the first half of 2001.

     In January 2001, the decision to exit the market for new Superior brand natural gas engines, including its 2400 engine line, and to close the Springfield, Ohio engine plant was announced. The project was substantially completed by the end of the second quarter of 2001.

     Cooper Compression continued its restructuring efforts in 2002 with the fourth quarter decision to close an additional 13 facilities worldwide in order to properly size the business to current market conditions. These actions were largely completed during 2003.

     Cooper Compression’s primary customers in reciprocating technology include gas transmission companies, compression leasing companies, oil and gas producers and processors and independent power producers.

Centrifugal Technology

     Cooper Compression also manufactures and supplies integrally geared centrifugal compressors, compressor systems and controls, as well as aftermarket services, to customers around the world. Centrifugal air compressors, used primarily in manufacturing processes, are sold under the trade name of Turbo Air, with specific models including the TA-2000, TAC-2000, TA-3000, TA-6000, TA-11000 and TA-20000. Engineered Compressors are used in the process air and gas markets and are identified by the trade names of Turbo Air and MSG.

     The process and plant air centrifugal compressors deliver oil-free compressed air and other gases to the customer, thus preventing oil contamination of the finished products. We believe our worldwide customers increasingly prefer oil-free air for quality, safety, operational and environmental reasons.

     Cooper Compression provides installation and maintenance service, parts, repairs, overhauls and upgrades to its worldwide customers for plant air and process gas compressors. It also provides aftermarket service and repairs on all equipment it produces through a worldwide network of distributors, service centers and field service technicians utilizing an extensive inventory of parts.

     Cooper Compression’s customers in centrifugal technology are petrochemical and refining companies, natural gas processing companies, durable goods manufacturers, utilities, air separation and chemical companies.

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Market Issues

     Cooper Cameron, through its segments, is a leader in the global market for the supply of petroleum production equipment. Cooper Cameron believes that it is well positioned to serve these markets. Plant and service center facilities around the world in major oil- and gas-producing regions provide a broad, global breadth of market coverage.

     The international market continues to be a source of growth for Cooper Cameron. The desire to expand oil and gas resources and transmission capacity in developed and developing countries, for both economic and political reasons, continues to be a major factor affecting market demand. Additionally, establishment of industrial infrastructure in the developing countries will necessitate the growth of basic industries that require plant air and process compression equipment. Production and service facilities in North and South America, Europe, the Far and Middle East and West Africa provide the Company with the ability to serve the global marketplace.

     In each of Cooper Cameron’s business segments, a large population of installed engines, compression equipment, and oil and gas production equipment exists in both the U.S. and international market segments. The rugged, long-lived nature of the equipment provides a relatively stable repair parts and service business. However, with respect to Cooper Compression, approximately 39% of that segment’s revenues come from the sale of replacement parts for equipment that the Company no longer manufacturers. Many of these units have been in service for long periods of time, and are gradually being replaced. As this installed base of legacy equipment declines, the Company’s potential market for parts orders is also reduced. In recent years, the Company’s revenues from replacement parts associated with legacy equipment have declined nominally.

     In recent years, the Company’s Cameron Division has been expanding into the deepwater subsea systems market. This market is significantly different from the Company’s other markets since deepwater subsea systems projects are significantly larger in scope and complexity, in terms of both technical and logistical requirements. Deepwater subsea projects (i) typically involve long lead times, (ii) typically are larger in financial scope, (iii) typically require substantial engineering resources to meet the technical requirements of the project and (iv) often involve the application of existing technology to new environments and in some cases, new technology. These projects accounted for 10.8%, 4.3% and 0.6% of total revenues in 2003, 2002 and 2001, respectively.

Geographic Breakdown of Revenues

     Revenues for the years ended December 31, 2003 and 2002 were generated from shipments to the following regions of the world (dollars in thousands):

                         
                    Increase  
Region
  2003
    2002
    (Decrease)
 
North America
  $ 783,427     $ 750,059     $ 33,368  
South America
    79,114       75,992       3,122  
Asia, including Middle East
    261,481       264,063       (2,582 )
Africa
    195,739       205,641       (9,902 )
Europe
    299,011       226,676       72,335  
Australia, New Zealand And Other
    15,574       15,669       (95 )
 
 
 
   
 
   
 
 
 
  $ 1,634,346     $ 1,538,100     $ 96,246  
 
 
 
   
 
   
 
 

New Product Development

     Cameron has introduced several new drilling products during the last several years. These new products include the 3.5 million-pound load capacity LoadKing™ riser system, used for drilling in up to 10,000-foot water depths; a new lightweight and lower-cost locking mechanism for subsea BOPs; and a new generation of variable-bore ram packers. Additionally, Cameron’s Freestanding Drilling Riser, introduced in 1999, was a winner of the Petroleum Engineer International Special Meritorious Award for Engineering Innovation. During 2002, Cameron’s new Environmental Safe Guard system received World Oil® magazine’s prestigious “Next Generation” award as “Best Drilling/Completion Solution.”

     During 2002, Cameron marked the tenth anniversary of its introduction of the patented SpoolTree™ subsea production system, a tree design referred to generically as a horizontal subsea tree. The SpoolTree has received numerous awards for its advanced technology and innovation, was recognized for its contributions to the industry at the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston during May 2002, and resulted in Cameron receiving the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the U.K. A Cameron SpoolTree was installed in 2002 at a depth of 7,209 feet in Marathon’s Camden Hill field in the Gulf of Mexico, a record depth at the time. As a result of license agreements reached during 2003, the Company now receives royalties from two subsea tree manufacturers on their global production of horizontal subsea trees using Cooper Cameron’s patented technology.

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     Several new controls products have also been added. Cameron launched a new electro-hydraulic drilling control system in 1997 and a new subsea production control system in 1998. In 2001, the Company expanded the CAMTROL system to include all of Cameron’s controls capabilities, including production, drilling and workover. In May 2002, Cameron enhanced its production controls offering by upgrading the controllers and software. These improvements follow the CAMTROL design philosophies of modularity and redundancy. During 2004, the Company plans to introduce an all-electric subsea control system that is expected to simplify installation and offer greater reliability and cost savings to the customer.

     During 2003, Cameron began production of a new lower-cost compact wellhead system. Several of these systems were installed in fields in upstate New York. Additionally, a new valve was designed for extreme applications where manually operated valves would not be a preferred option. This product has been successful in large-bore, high-pressure gas applications or during well stimulation activity, particularly in the Gulf Coast region.

     In 2000, CCV completed the development of a range of 2” to 16” ball valves capable of performing at pressures of 10,000 psi and in water depths of 10,000 feet.

     Cooper Compression has focused product development resources to further expand its high-efficiency plant air compressor line and to provide engineered compressors matched to the requirements of its customers. The latter is being achieved by advances in aerodynamic and rotor dynamic analytical design capability. The year 2001 saw the addition of centrifugal gas applications.

     Through the introduction of its new compressor frames, Cooper Compression’s standard product range was extended up to 2,500 horsepower, positioning itself as a viable supplier of turbo plant air compressors in a wide range of horsepowers. One of the new products, the TAC-2000, won 2001’s Silver Award for Product of the Year from Plant Engineering magazine. In 2001, remote monitoring was added to the control system capabilities. The new Vantage controller is available as an upgrade kit for both proprietary and competitor compressors.

     Cooper Compression’s product range has been expanded through the addition of new compressor frames (TA-6000, TAC-2000, TA-11000 and TA-20000) and the addition of trademarked accessories such as Dry Pak heat of compression dryers and Turboblend, a hydro-cracked turbomachinery lubricating oil. In 2001, an active aftermarket effort was begun, leveraging off of the significant base of installed equipment, the Engineered Compressor product line was redefined and the MSG Renaissance program was introduced to update the MSG product line. Also in 2001, European packaging capability was established to better serve customers in the region. During 2003 and 2002, Cooper Compression continued to penetrate the large markets in Western and Eastern Europe via a newly established regional office in Milan, Italy.

Competition

     Cooper Cameron competes in all areas of its operations with a number of other companies, some of which have financial and other resources comparable to or greater than those of Cooper Cameron.

     Cooper Cameron has a leading position in the petroleum production equipment markets, particularly with respect to its high-pressure products. In these markets, Cooper Cameron competes principally with Balon Corporation, Circor, Dril-Quip, Inc., Dresser Valve, FMC Technologies, Inc., Hydril Company, Aker Kvaerner, Masterflo, Neles-Jamesbury, Varco International, Inc., Wood Group, ABB (Offshore Systems division) and Vetco Gray Inc. (a subsidiary of ABB).

     The principal competitive factors in the petroleum production equipment markets are technology, quality, service and price. Cooper Cameron believes several factors give it a strong competitive position in these markets. Most significant are Cooper Cameron’s broad product offering, its worldwide presence and reputation, its service and repair capabilities, its expertise in high-pressure technology and its experience in alliance and partnership arrangements with customers and other suppliers.

     Cooper Cameron also has a leading position in the compression equipment markets. In these markets, Cooper Cameron competes principally with the Dresser Rand Division of Ingersoll-Rand Company, Ingersoll-Rand Air Solutions Group, Demag, GHH/Borsig, Elliott Company, a division of Ebara, Ariel Corporation and Atlas-Copco AB. The principal competitive factors in the compression equipment markets are engineering and design capabilities, product performance, reliability and quality, service and price. Cooper Cameron has a competent engineering staff and skilled technical and service representatives, with service centers located throughout the world.

Manufacturing

     Cooper Cameron has manufacturing facilities worldwide that conduct a broad variety of processes, including machining, fabrication, assembly and testing using a variety of forged and cast alloyed steels and stainless steel as the primary raw materials. In recent years, Cooper Cameron has rationalized plants and products, closed various manufacturing facilities, moved product lines to achieve economies of scale, and upgraded the remaining facilities. This is an ongoing process as the Company seeks ways to improve delivery performance and reduce costs.

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Cooper Cameron maintains advanced manufacturing, quality assurance and testing equipment geared to the specific products that it manufactures and uses extensive process automation in its manufacturing operations. The manufacturing facilities utilize computer-aided, numeric-controlled tools and manufacturing techniques that concentrate the equipment necessary to produce similar products in one area of the plant in a configuration commonly known as a manufacturing cell. One operator in a manufacturing cell can monitor and operate several machines, as well as assemble and test products made by such machines, thereby improving operating efficiency and product quality.

     Cooper Cameron’s test capabilities are critical to its overall processes. The Company has the capability to test most equipment at rated operating conditions, measuring all operating parameters, efficiency and emissions. All process compressors for air separation and all plant air compressors are given a mechanical and aerodynamic test in a dedicated test center prior to shipment.

     All of Cooper Cameron’s Asian, European and Latin American manufacturing plants are ISO certified and API licensed. Most of the U.S. plants are ISO certified and certification is planned for the remainder. ISO is an internationally recognized verification system for quality management.

Backlog

     Cooper Cameron’s backlog was approximately $946.6 million at December 31, 2003, (approximately 79% of which is expected to be shipped during 2004) as compared to $827.8 million at December 31, 2002 and $695.4 million at December 31, 2001. Backlog consists of customer orders for which a purchase order has been received, satisfactory credit or financing arrangements exist and delivery is scheduled.

Patents, Trademarks and Other Intellectual Property

     As part of its ongoing research, development and manufacturing activities, Cooper Cameron has a policy of seeking patents when appropriate on inventions involving new products and product improvements. Cooper Cameron owns 242 unexpired United States patents and 487 unexpired foreign patents. During 2003, 12 new U.S. and 30 new foreign patent applications were filed.

     Although in the aggregate these patents are of considerable importance to the manufacturing of many of its products, Cooper Cameron does not consider any single patent or group of patents to be material to its business as a whole.

     Trademarks are also of considerable importance to the marketing of Cooper Cameron’s products. Cooper Cameron considers the following trade names to be material to its business as a whole: Cameron, Cooper-Bessemer, Ajax, Willis and W-K-M. Other important trademarks used by Cooper Cameron include C-B Turbocharger™, Demco, DryPak, Dynacentric™, Dynaseal™, Enterprise, Foster, Genuine Joy, H & H™, McEvoy, MSG, NAVCO®, Nickles Industrial, Nutron®, Orbit, Penn, POW-R-SEAL™, Quad 2000™, SAF-T-SEAL™, Superior, TA, Texcentric, Thornhill Craver, TruSeal, Turbine Specialties (Reciprocating Products), Turbo Air and VANTAGE™. Cooper Cameron has the right to use the trademark Joy on aftermarket parts until November 2027. Cooper Cameron has registered its trademarks in the countries where such registration is deemed material.

     Cooper Cameron also relies on trade secret protection for its confidential and proprietary information. Cooper Cameron routinely enters into confidentiality agreements with its employees, partners and suppliers. There can be no assurance, however, that others will not independently obtain similar information or otherwise gain access to Cooper Cameron’s trade secrets.

Employees

     As of December 31, 2003, Cooper Cameron had approximately 7,700 employees, of which approximately 1,374 were represented by labor unions. Cooper Cameron believes its current relations with employees are good. On January 1, 2003, Cameron signed a new three-year agreement with the Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union (AEEU), representing 280 hourly employees in the Leeds, England facility. On July 28, 2003, CTC reached a three-year agreement with the International Association of Machinists (IAM), representing 160 hourly employees at the Buffalo, New York facility. The Company’s relations with the AEEU and IAM are excellent and the signing of these three-year agreements provides a stable environment for these important facilities. During 2004, the Company will have contracts expiring with the International Machinist Union in Brookshire, Texas, representing 46 employees, and the Marine and Ship Builders Union in Singapore, representing 240 employees. Relations with both organizations are excellent and the negotiations are expected to proceed in a timely and satisfactory manner.

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Executive Officers of the Registrant

     
Name and Age
  Present Principal Position and Other Material Positions Held During Last Five Years
Sheldon R. Erikson (62)
  President and Chief Executive Officer since January 1995. Chairman of the Board from 1988 to January 1995 and President and Chief Executive Officer from 1987 to January 1995 of The Western Company of North America.
 
   
Franklin Myers (51)
  Senior Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer since January 2003. Senior Vice President from July 2001 to January 2003, Senior Vice President and President of the Cooper Energy Services division from August 1998 to July 2001 and Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary from April 1995 to July 1999.
 
   
John D. Carne (55)
  Vice President since May 2003. President, Cooper Cameron Valves since April 2002. Director of Operations, Eastern Hemisphere, Cameron Division from 1999 to March 2002. Plant Manager, Leeds, England, Cameron Division from 1996 to 1999. Director of Operations, U.K. & Norway, Cooper Energy Services (U.K.) Ltd. from 1988 to 1996.
 
   
William C. Lemmer (59)
  Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary since July 1999. Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Oryx Energy Company from 1994 to March 1999.
 
   
Jack B. Moore (50)
  Vice President since May 2003. President, Cameron Division since July 2002. Vice President and General Manager, Cameron Western Hemisphere from July 1999 to July 2002. Vice President Western Hemisphere Operations, Vice President Eastern Hemisphere, Vice President Latin American Operations, Director Human Resources, Director Market Research and Director Materials of Baker Hughes Incorporated from 1976 to July 1999.
 
   
Robert J. Rajeski (58)
  Vice President since July 2000. President, Cooper Compression since October 2002. President, Cooper Turbocompressor division from July 1999 to October 2002 and President, Cooper Energy Services division from July 2001 to October 2002. Vice President and General Manager of Ingersoll-Dresser Pump Co., Engineered Pump division from 1994 to July 1999.
 
   
Jane C. Schmitt (53)
  Vice President, Human Resources since May 1999. Vice President, Compensation and Benefits from 1996 to 1999, and Director, Compensation and Benefits from 1995 to 1996. Vice President, Human Resources of the CES division from September 1998 to October 1999.
 
   
Charles M. Sledge (38)
  Vice President and Corporate Controller since July 2001. Senior Vice President, Finance and Treasurer from 1999 to June 2001, and Vice President, Controller from 1996 to 1999, of Stage Stores, Inc., a chain of family apparel stores. Stage Stores, Inc. filed a voluntary petition under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code in June 2000 and successfully emerged from bankruptcy protection in August 2001.

Available Information

     Our website is www.coopercameron.com. Information available free of charge on our website includes previously filed reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), charters of the Company’s Audit and Compensation and Governance Committees of the Board, the Company’s Code of Ethics for Management Personnel and Code of Business Conduct and Ethics for Directors, The Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines, press releases and other documents that may be required to be made available by the SEC or the New York Stock Exchange. The information on our website is updated as soon as reasonably practicable.

The information on our website is not, and shall not be deemed to be, a part of this Form 10-K or any other filing we make with the SEC. Additionally, our previously filed reports and statements are also available at the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov.

Glossary of Terms

Actuator. A hydraulic or electric motor used to open or close valves.

Blowout Preventer. A hydraulically operated system of safety valves installed at the wellhead during drilling and completion operations for the purpose of preventing an increase of high-pressure formation fluids — oil, gas or water — in the wellbore from turning into a “blowout” of the well.

Choke. A type of valve used to control the rate and pressure of the flow of production from a well or through flowlines.

Christmas tree. An assembly of valves, pipes and fittings used to control the flow of oil and gas from the well.

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Compressor. A device used to create a pressure differential in order to move or compress a vapor or a gas.

Centrifugal compressor. A compressor with an impeller or rotor, a rotor shaft and a casing which discharges gases under pressure by centrifugal force.

Integral reciprocating engine-compressor. A compressor in which the crankshaft is shared by the engine and compressor, each having its own piston rods driven by the shared crankshaft.

Integrally geared centrifugal compressor. A compressor in which the motor is geared so that the compressor runs at higher rpms than the motor itself to gain efficiency.

Reciprocating compressor. A compressor in which the compression effect is produced by the reciprocating motion of pistons and plungers operating in cylinders.

Controls. A device which allows the remote triggering of an actuator to open or close a valve.

Elastomer. A rubberized pressure control sealing element used in drilling and wellhead applications.

Riser. Pipe used to connect the wellbore of offshore wells to drilling or production equipment on the surface, and through which drilling fluids or hydrocarbons travel.

Valve. A device used to control the rate of flow in a line, to open or shut off a line completely, or to serve as an automatic or semi-automatic safety device.

Wellhead. The equipment installed at the surface of a wellbore to maintain control of a well and including equipment such as casing head, tubing head and Christmas tree.

ITEM 2. PROPERTIES

     The Company currently operates manufacturing plants ranging in size from approximately 21,000 square feet to approximately 447,000 square feet of manufacturing space. The Company also owns and leases warehouses, distribution centers, aftermarket and storage facilities, and sales offices. The Company leases its corporate headquarters office space and space for the Cameron division headquarters in Houston, Texas.

     The Company manufactures, markets and sells its products and provides services throughout the world, operating facilities in numerous countries. At December 31, 2003, the significant facilities used by Cooper Cameron throughout the world for manufacturing, distribution, aftermarket services, machining, storage and warehousing contained an aggregate of approximately 7,445,815 square feet of space, of which approximately 5,896,361 square feet (79%) was owned and 1,549,454 (21%) was leased. Of this total, approximately 5,171,919 square feet of space (69%) is located in the United States and Canada, 345,825 square feet of space (5%) is located in Mexico and South America, and 1,928,071 square feet of space (26%) is located in Europe, Africa and Asia. The table below shows the number of significant manufacturing, warehouse and distribution and aftermarket facilities by business segment and geographic area. Cameron and CCV share space in certain facilities and, thus, are being reported together.

                                         
                    Asia/Pacific              
    Western     Eastern     and     West        
    Hemisphere
    Hemisphere
    Middle East
    Africa
    Total
 
Cameron and CCV
    52       15       5       6       78  
Cooper Compression
    28       2       1       0       31  

     Cooper Cameron believes its facilities are suitable for their present and intended purposes and are adequate for the Company’s current and anticipated level of operations.

ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

     Cooper Cameron is a party to various legal proceedings and administrative actions, including certain environmental matters discussed below, all of which are of an ordinary or routine nature incidental to the operations of the Company. In the opinion of Cooper Cameron’s management, such proceedings and actions should not, individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations or financial condition.

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Environmental Matters

     Cooper Cameron is subject to numerous U.S. federal, state, local and foreign laws and regulations relating to the storage, handling and discharge of materials into the environment. These include, in the United States, the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (“CERCLA”), the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act (including the 1990 Amendments) and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (“RECRA”). Foreign laws include: in Canada, the Environmental Protection Act; in Europe, the EU Environmental Directives; and in Singapore, the Environmental Pollution Control Act. Cooper Cameron believes that its existing environmental control procedures are adequate and it has no current plans for substantial capital expenditures in this area. Cooper Cameron has an active environmental management program aimed at compliance with existing environmental regulations and elimination or significant reduction in the generation of pollutants in its manufacturing processes. Cooper Cameron management intends to continue these policies and programs.

     The cost of environmental remediation and compliance has not been a material expense for the Company during any of the periods presented in this Form 10-K. Cooper Cameron has been identified as a potentially responsible party (“PRP”) with respect to three sites designated for cleanup under CERCLA or similar state laws. The Company’s involvement at two of the sites is believed to be at a de minimis level. The third site is Osborne, Pennsylvania (a landfill into which the Cooper Compression operation in Grove City, Pennsylvania deposited waste), where remediation is complete and remaining costs relate to ongoing ground water treatment and monitoring. The Company is also engaged in site cleanup under the Voluntary Cleanup Plan of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality at former manufacturing locations in Houston and Missouri City, Texas. The Company believes, based on its review and other factors, that the estimated costs related to these sites will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations, financial condition or liquidity. Additionally, the Company has discontinued operations at a number of other sites which had previously been in existence for many years. The Company does not believe, based upon information currently available, that there are any material environmental liabilities existing at these locations. As of December 31, 2003, the Company’s consolidated financial statements included a liability balance of $9.9 million for environmental matters. See “Environmental Remediation” in Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Results of Operations and Financial Condition of Cooper Cameron for additional information.

     Cooper Cameron is a named defendant in three lawsuits regarding contaminated underground water in a residential area adjacent to a former manufacturing site of one of its predecessors. In Valice v. Cooper Cameron Corporation (80th Jud. Dist. Ct., Harris County, filed June 21, 2002), the plaintiffs claim that the contaminated underground water has reduced property values and threatens the health of the area residents and request class action status which, to date, has not been granted. The plaintiffs seek an analysis of the contamination, reclamation, and recovery of actual damages for the loss of property value. In Oxman vs. Meador, Marks, Heritage Texas Properties, and Cooper Cameron Corporation (80th Jud. Dist. Ct., Harris County, filed February 7, 2003), and Kramer v. Cooper Cameron, (190th Judicial District, Harris County, filed May 29, 2003), the plaintiffs purchased property in the area and allege a failure by the defendants to disclose the presence of contamination and seek to recover unspecified monetary damages. The Company has been and is currently working with the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality and continues to monitor the underground water in the area. The Company is of the opinion that there is no risk to area residents and that the lawsuits essentially reflect concerns over possible declines in property value. In an effort to mitigate homeowners' concerns and reduce potential exposure from any such decline in property values, the Company has entered into 20 agreements with residents that obligate the Company to either reimburse sellers in the area for the estimated decline in value due to a potential buyer's concerns related to the contamination or to purchase the property after an agreed marketing period. To date, the Company has 2 properties of the 20 which it has purchased that remain unsold, with an appraised value of $6,390,000, and has expended $201,000 on reimbursements and losses on the resale of 5 of the 20. Twelve of these agreements remain outstanding. The Company believes any potential exposure from these agreements, or, based on its review of the facts and law, any potential exposure from these, or similar, suits will not have a material adverse effect on its results of operations, financial condition or liquidity.

Other Matters

     Cooper Cameron is a named defendant in a number of multi-defendant, multi-plaintiff tort lawsuits. To date, the Company has been dismissed from a number of these suits and has settled a number of others for small sums. The Company believes, based on its review of the facts and law, that the potential exposure from the remaining suits will not have a material adverse effect on its results of operations, financial condition or liquidity.

ITEM 4. SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS

     There were no matters submitted to a vote of security holders during the fourth quarter of 2003.

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PART II

ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

     The common stock of Cooper Cameron, par value $.01 per share (together with the associated Rights to Purchase Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock), is traded on The New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”). No dividends were paid during 2003.

     The following table indicates the range of trading prices on the NYSE for January 2, 2003 through December 31, 2003 and for January 2, 2002 through December 31, 2002.

                       
    Price Range ($)
    High
    Low
    Last
2003
                     
First Quarter
  $ 54.55     $ 44.00     $ 49.51
Second Quarter
    55.60       44.80       50.38
Third Quarter
    51.50       45.00       46.21
Fourth Quarter
    48.66       40.98       46.60
                       
    Price Range ($)
    High
    Low
    Last
2002
                     
First Quarter
  $ 52.98     $ 36.40     $ 51.11
Second Quarter
    59.60       47.99       48.42
Third Quarter
    50.86       35.94       41.76
Fourth Quarter
    53.31       38.56       49.82

     As of February 12, 2004, the approximate number of stockholders of record of Cooper Cameron common stock was 1,531.

     Information concerning securities authorized for issuance under equity compensation plans is included in Note 9 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, which notes are incorporated herein by reference in Part II, Item 8 hereof (“Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements”).

ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

     The information set forth under the caption “Selected Consolidated Historical Financial Data of Cooper Cameron Corporation” on page 61 in the 2003 Annual Report to Stockholders is incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

     The information set forth under the caption “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Results of Operations and Financial Condition of Cooper Cameron Corporation” on pages 25-35 in the 2003 Annual Report to Stockholders is incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

     The information for this item is set forth in the section entitled “Market Risk Information” on page 35 in the 2003 Annual Report to Stockholders and is incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

     The following consolidated financial statements of the Company and the independent auditors’ report set forth on pages 36-60 in the 2003 Annual Report to Stockholders are incorporated herein by reference:

     Report of Independent Auditors.

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     Consolidated Results of Operations for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2003.

     Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2003 and 2002.

     Consolidated Cash Flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2003.

     Consolidated Changes in Stockholders’ Equity for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2003.

     Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE

     None.

ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

     Within the 90-day period prior to the filing of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, the Company carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of the Company’s Disclosure Committee and the Company’s management, including the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures, as defined by Exchange Act Rule 13a-14. Based upon that evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer concluded that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures are effective in ensuring that information required to be disclosed by the Company is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms.

PART III

ITEM 10. DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE REGISTRANT

     
Name and Age
  Present Principal Position and Other Material Positions Held During Last Five Years
Nathan Avery (69)
   
Director since 1995
  Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Galveston-Houston Company, a company specializing in the manufacturing of products to serve the energy and mining industries, from 1972 to December 2000, when it was sold to Komatsu, Ltd. Prior to that he was Chairman of the Board of Directors of Bettis Corporation, an actuator company, until 1996, when Bettis Corporation merged with Daniel Industries Inc., and was a director and member of the Executive Committee of Daniel Industries until June 1999, when Daniel Industries merged with Emerson Electric Co.
 
   
C. Baker Cunningham (62)
   
Director since 1996
  Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer of Belden Inc., a wire, cable and fiber optic products manufacturing company, since 1993. He served in positions of increasing responsibility with Cooper Industries Inc., a diversified manufacturer, marketer and seller of electrical products, tools and hardware from 1970 to 1993, including Executive Vice President, Operations from 1982 to 1993.
 
   
Sheldon R. Erikson (62)
   
Director since 1995
  Chairman of the Board of the Company since 1996. President and Chief Executive Officer and director since 1995. He was Chairman of the Board from 1988 to 1995, and President and Chief Executive Officer from 1987 to 1995, of the Western Company of North America, an international petroleum service company engaged in pressure pumping, well stimulating and cementing. Previously, he was President of the Joy Petroleum Equipment Group of Joy Manufacturing Company. He is a director of Spinnaker Exploration Company. He also serves on the board of directors of the National Petroleum Council, the American Petroleum Institute, and the Petroleum Equipment Suppliers Association.

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Name and Age
  Present Principal Position and Other Material Positions Held During Last Five Years
Lamar Norsworthy (57)
   
Director since 2001
  Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Holly Corporation, an independent petroleum refiner, since 1988. He is a director of Zale Lipshy University Hospital and a member of the Board of Visitors of M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.
 
   
Michael E. Patrick (60)
   
Director since 1996
  Vice President and Chief Investment Officer of Meadows Foundation Inc., a philanthropic association since 1995. He is a director of BJ Services Company and the RGK Foundation.
 
   
David Ross III (63)
   
Director since 1995
  Adjunct professor and member of the Board of Overseers of the Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Administration at Rice University since 1979. From 1987 until 1993, he was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Sterling Consulting Group, a firm providing analytical research planning and evaluation services to companies in the oil and gas industry. Between 1984 and 1987, he was a principal in the Sterling Group, a firm engaged in leveraged buyouts, primarily in the chemical industry, and Camp, Ross, Santoski & Hanzlik Inc., which provided planning and consulting services to the oil and gas industry.
 
   
Bruce W. Wilkinson (59)
   
Director since 2002
  Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer since August 2000 and President and Chief Operating Officer from May 2000 to July 2000 of McDermott International, Inc., an energy services company. He was a Principal of Pinnacle Equity Partners, L.L.C. (a private equity group) from May 1999 to April 2000; Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Chemical Logistics Corporation (a company formed to consolidate chemical distribution companies) from April 1998 to April 1999; President and Chief Executive Officer of Tyler Corporation (a diversified manufacturing and service company) from April 1997 to October 1997; Interim President and Chief Executive Officer of Proler International Inc. (a ferrous metals recycling company) from July 1996 to December 1996, and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of CRSS Inc. (a global engineering and construction services company) from October 1989 to March 1996.

     The information under the heading “Executive Officers of the Registrant” in Part I, Item 1 of this Form 10-K is incorporated by reference in this section.

     There are no family relationships among the officers listed, and there are no arrangements or understandings pursuant to which any of them were elected as officers. Officers are appointed or elected annually by the Board of Directors at its first meeting following the Annual Meeting of Stockholders, each to hold office until the corresponding meeting of the Board in the next year or until a successor shall have been elected, appointed or shall have qualified.

     Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance

     Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act of 1934 requires directors and executive officers of the Company, and persons who own more than ten percent of the Company’s Common Stock, to file with the SEC and the New York Stock Exchange initial reports of beneficial ownership on Form 3 and changes in such ownership on Forms 4 and 5. Based on its review of the copies of such reports, or written representations from certain reporting persons that no Forms 5 were required for those persons, the Company believes that during 2003, its directors, executive officers and stockholders with holdings greater than ten percent complied with all applicable filing requirements.

     Audit Committee Financial Experts

     The Board of Directors has determined that Mr. Michael E. Patrick, Chairman of the Audit Committee, and Messrs. Lamar Norsworthy and Bruce W. Wilkinson, members of the Audit Committee are “audit committee financial experts” and “independent” as defined under applicable SEC and NYSE rules.

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