September 18, 1998

Jim Flores is a founder, the largest private shareholder, and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ocean Energy, Inc.

He started as an independent land man in 1982 and three years later established Flores & Rucks, Inc., the predecessor to Ocean Energy.

Mr. Flores graduated from Louisiana State University in 1982 with Bachelor of Science degrees in petroleum land management and corporate finance. In 1997, he was named to the Louisiana State University Business Hall of Fame and currently chairs a committee for the university's E.J. Ourso College of Business Administration.

Flores has served on the State of Louisiana Governor's Energy Advisory Council, and is an active member of the Independent Petroleum Association of America, the U.S. Oil and Gas Association, The American Association of Petroleum Landmen, The Texas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners Association, and the Houston Producers Forum. In addition, he is a director of the Louisiana Independent Oil & Gas Association and the Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association. Flores was inducted into the All-American Wildcatters in 1999.