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Providing coverage of Alaska and northern Canada's oil and gas industry
September 2006

Vol. 11, No. 39 Week of September 24, 2006

Myers confirmed as head of USGS

Former director of Alaska’s Division of Oil and Gas gets stamp of approval from U.S. Senate for top federal position in Interior

Petroleum News

Mark Myers was unanimously confirmed on Sept. 15 by the U.S. Senate as the new head of the U.S. Geological Survey.

Until a year ago, Myers was the director of State of Alaska’s Division of Oil and Gas, State Geologist and head of Alaska’s Division of Geological and Geophysical Survey. Both agencies fall under the Alaska Department of Natural Resources.

President Bush nominated Myers for the USGS director position in May.

“I congratulate Mark on his confirmation and commend the U.S. Senate for its unanimous consent action today,” Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne said in a press release issued Sept. 15. “Mark brings two decades of experience in geological science and strong leadership skills to his position. I have every confidence he will do an outstanding job as director of the U.S. Geological Survey.”

U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, said he was pleased that the Senate confirmed Myers: “Mark has long been a respected member of Alaska’s natural resource community and an expert in the area of gas hydrates. His leadership will be a tremendous asset to USGS, particularly as private and government entities work to unlock the potential of gas hydrates beneath Alaska’s permafrost.”

“Mark brings unparalleled experience to this position, and I am delighted that the Senate has moved to confirm him,” said U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska. “As the new director, he will undoubtedly be a strong and effective advocate for Alaskan priorities. I look forward to working closely with him in the months to come.”

In a Sept. 21 interview with Petroleum News Myers said he “worked cooperatively with the USGS for many years and have always had the highest regard for the survey and their work in Alaska. While I was at DNR we relied on the unbiased scientific analyses and reports of the USGS to assist us in making resource management and other public policy decisions.

“I want to do what I can to make sure that they USGS continues to fulfill that mission. The USGS fills that same role as well as other roles nationally and in some cases internationally, so clearly I need to broaden my horizon,” Myers said.

His first weeks with USGS will be “an intense learning and listening” period, Myers said, “so that I can begin to understand the breath and depth of the mission and the people of the survey. I am very excited and very humbled to be starting on this new adventure.”

Ten thousand employees, $1 billion annual budget

Myers will oversee USGS’s 10,000 scientists, technicians and support staff that are located in nearly 400 offices in every state and in several foreign countries.

The agency has an annual budget of more than $1 billion, and leverages its resources and expertise in partnership with more than 2,000 state, local and tribal agencies, the academic community, other federal allies, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector.

The agency, which is part of Interior, is tasked with providing reliable scientific information to describe and understand the Earth; minimizing loss of life and property from natural disasters; managing water, biological, energy, and mineral resources; and enhancing and protecting America’s quality of life.

As director of the Division of Oil and Gas, Myers oversaw a professional staff of nearly 100 employees, including geoscientists, engineers, land managers, accountants, commercial analysts, and auditors.

As state geologist and director of the DGGS, Myers managed a research organization that generated analyses and interpretations of data on geologic resources and natural conditions as well as maps and inventories of mineral and energy resources on state land. The government, private industry, scientists, educators and the public use that information.

Myers was survey chief for field programs in the Mackenzie Delta, Cook Inlet (State of Alaska/U.S. Geological Survey, 1997), and North Slope. He also served as sedimentologist for 13 other North Slope field programs and as the senior staff geologist for exploration at ARCO Alaska and Phillips Alaska.

Myers received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Wisconsin. In 1994, he received his doctorate from the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, specializing in sedimentology, clastic depositional environments, surface and subsurface sequence analysis and sandstone petrography.

He served as an officer in the U.S. Air Force Reserve from 1977 to 2003, retiring as a Lt. Colonel.

The USGS Headquarters and Eastern Region facility is located in Reston, Va. Central Region and Western Region offices are located in Denver, Colo., and Menlo Park, Calif., respectively.

Myers’ plans are to be in Restonas early as next week. His family will follow him on Oct. 20 after the first quarter of school, Myers said.

Acting USGS Director Dr. P. Patrick Leahy will continue to serve in the acting capacity until Myers is sworn into office.






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