McMoran Exploration Co.

Dr. Wharton was Special Assistant to the President for Patient Affairs and Professor, Gynecologic Oncology, at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center until August 31, 2007. He received his medical degree from the University of Texas, Galveston. He is also a director of Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc.

Mr. Ford has been the Chairman of the Board of Directors and a director of the Company since its formation in August 1996, and was the Company's Chief Executive Officer until July 2002. Mr. Ford is also a director of Americredit Corp., Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. and McMoRan Exploration Co. He serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Southern Methodist University (S.M.U.) and as a trustee of Southwestern Medical Foundation. Additionally, he was the Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and a director of Golden State Bancorp Inc., a holding company whose primary asset was its indirect ownership of California Federal Bank, from September 1998 until it was sold in November 2002. Mr. Ford received his B.A. degree from S.M.U. in 1966 and his J.D. degree from S.M.U. Dedman School of Law in 1969. In 1995, he was named a Distinguished Alumni of S.M.U.

Dr. Bethea is currently a Staff Physician at Ochsner Foundation Hospital and Clinic and also a Clinical Professor of Surgery at Tulane University Medical Center. He is a Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Surgeon and served as Chief of Thoracic Surgery at Memorial Medical Center in New Orleans from 1997 to 2005. He earned his medical degree from Tulane University School of Medicine, completed his residency at Charity Hospital in New Orleans and postgraduate training in thoracic and cardiac surgery at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center in New York. Dr. Bethea is the co-author of The New York Times best selling book SUGAR BUSTERS! and the author of many publications in the field of cardiovascular disease.

Ms. Mestayer is the President of the New Orleans market of AmSouth Bank, now part of Regions Financial Corporation, one of the largest full-service providers of consumer and commercial banking, trust, securities brokerage, mortgage, and insurance products and services. Ms. Mestayer practiced as a CPA with Arthur Andersen from 1973 to 1991 and became a partner with Arthur Andersen. She practiced with PricewaterhouseCoopers from 1991 to 1993. She began working in the banking industry in 1993. Ms. Mestayer received her Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Louisiana State University in 1973. She has served on the board since 2007.