Ironically Hayward came into his job three years ago promising to focus on safety after a series of accidents, including the 2005 Texas City, Tex. refinery explosion that killed 15 people.

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At this point, he and his partners, Energy XXI and the legendary Texas oil man Tex Moncrief, have pursued the Shallow Water Ultra Deep (SWUD) play in the Gulf of Mexico with a persistence that is something to behold.

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The daughter of a U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, Patrick grew up in El Paso, Tex. and has mostly been rooted in Texas since.

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