ConocoPhillips' CEO James Mulva has donated $15 million to the ROTC at the University of Texas at Austin.

James Mulva, chief executive officer of ConocoPhillips has expressed his gratitude to the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) at the University of Texas at Austin by handing the institute a $15 million donation.

The money will be directed into the construction of a six-storey building to house the university's liberal arts programmes, with a whole floor dedicated to the ROTC.

Prior to his training in the oil and gas industry, Mr Mulva won a scholarship to study in the ROTC and, as he told the Houston Chronicle, this experience was instrumental to his later success in the oil and gas industry.

"It helped me learn how a very large organization functions. I was given a lot of responsibility at a young age, and I learned a lot that was helpful to me as I worked in the oil and gas industry," he told the paper.

The donation is the largest single contribution the university has ever received and satisfies three-quarters of the capital fundraising requirements for the new building.

Earlier this week, ConocoPhillips completed an emergency security training drill at its facilities in New Mexico, working in cooperation with local emergency services agencies and the National Guard.

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