RDC’s annual conference to include independents, new majors

Petroleum News Alaska Staff

As many as nine independent oil and gas companies doing business in Alaska will have executives speaking at the Resource Development Council for Alaska's annual conference on Nov. 21 and 22.

Alaska Resources 2003, which will be held at the Sheraton Anchorage Hotel, convenes with a session titled Alaska independents and new majors, RDC’s Carl Portman told PNA Oct. 2.

Ken Boyd, former director of the state Division of Oil and Gas, will open the session with a talk about the changing face of the oil and gas industry in Alaska. Five years ago there were six or seven independents active in Alaska; today there are more than 20.

Confirmed speakers include Mark Hanley, public affairs manager for Alaska, Anadarko Petroleum; Tom Homza, Alaska manager, EnCana; Jim Dodson, vice president, Andex Resources; Gary Carlson, senior vice president, Forest Oil; Jim Weeks, president, Winstar; Bo Darrah, president, Alaska Venture Capital Group; and G. Scott Pfoff, CEO, Aurora Gas.

Representatives from independents Armstrong Resources and Evergreen Resources and majors TotalFinaElf and ChevronTexaco have also been invited to speak but have not yet confirmed, Portman said.

Representatives from state and federal government will address the conference about the part government plays in attracting oil and gas companies to Alaska. Speakers include Mark Myers, director, Division of Oil and Gas; Henri Bisson, Alaska director, U.S. Bureau of Land Management; and John Goll, regional director, U.S. Minerals Management Service.

Gordon Birrell, vice president, Alaska consolidated team, BP Exploration (Alaska), is also scheduled to speak on Nov. 21.

The closing speech for the independents and new majors’ session will be given by Rick Mott, vice president exploration-Alaska, ConocoPhillips Alaska Inc., who will talk about the role of Alaska operators in attracting other oil and companies to Alaska.

The final speech of the day will be by U.S. Rep. Don Young about transportation and infrastructure.

The Nov. 22 program includes Steven Griles, Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C. He will talk about the Bush administration’s policy on Alaska resource development.