Russia's largest oil producer Yukos chose as its new chief executive a Russian-born American, who insisted the embattled firm would survive the arrest and jailing of its founder Mikhail Khodorkovsky. Simon Kukes, appointed to replace Khodorkovsky after his resignation from his jail cell on Monday, said Yukos had to draw a dividing line between the company and the billionaire tycoon. Kukes will head the board of YukosSibneft, whose creation is due to be finalized at a shareholders' meeting in late November.