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PETROLEUM DIRECTORY: Business and relationship ethics underpin permit and land use negotiations and provide a foundation for the compliance setting Mark Schindler, president and CEO of Lynx Enterprises, views honesty, win-win relationships, listening and client business plan confidentiality as key components of company's consulting business Alan Bailey PNA Contributing Writer
Lynx Enterprises Inc.'s network of relationships with Native communities, regulatory agencies and private companies depends on experienced staff, effective communications and respect for confidentiality of certain business information, Mark Schindler, president, CEO and founder of Lynx told PNA.
The company operates through its network to facilitate the permitting and compliance of onshore and offshore oil and gas exploration and development projects. Armed with a wealth of experience in relationship building, permitting, regulatory compliance and land use negotiations, the company helps its customers plan and maneuver their way through the labyrinth of permitting and compliance requirements while establishing and maintaining key relationship, Schindler said.
"We have a strong respect-based relationship with the North Slope Native communities," he added. "We appreciate that relationship and work extremely hard to maintain it. In fact, these relationships greatly facilitated our permitting and compliance efforts for the recent offshore Beaufort Sea McCovey Exploration Drilling Project for which Lynx and EnCana have received corporate leadership awards from the U.S. Department of Interior."
Founded in 1998 Schindler founded Lynx in April 1998. At that time he had amassed 17 years experience with Atlantic Richfield Co. — he had been involved in land management, corporate issues analysis, Native relations, government relations, lobbying and exploration and development permitting — and saw the opportunity to provide independent consulting in these areas.
"Between April 1998 and June of 2000 I went through several different ownership scenarios culminating in June 2000 with my purchase of the entire company. It was a win-win for my partners and a friendly buyout," Schindler said.
As a result of Schindler's buyout and key hiring decisions, the company would be able to follow a more consistent business strategy and ensure complete independence and centralized security of the information that it worked with, he said.
"In 2000 the change of ownership allowed us to be more focused on providing the entire suite of services for exploration and development permitting and compliance and yet provide an enhanced secure setting for high-level planning," Schindler said.
Permitting and compliance consulting Throughout the evolution of the company, permitting and compliance consulting has remained at the core of Lynx business.
"We service not only the major oil companies but large and small independents operating on the North Slope and Cook Inlet," Schindler said. "We also provide rural electric cooperative and other utilities right of way, permitting and land management services throughout Alaska."
Newcomers to the state of Alaska find Lynx’s knowledge of Alaska issues and unique network of contacts especially helpful.
"For some of the new players in Alaska we provide pretty much full life cycle type services," Schindler said. "We help them to become adjusted to the regulatory climate in Alaska, which ... is fairly complex and unique."
Lynx develops an outreach and advocacy plan for these newcomers. It introduces them to Native entities, regulatory agencies and stakeholders and facilitates discussions.
For companies with an established presence in Alaska, Lynx’s services are used for high-level “out of the box” and focused project-specific strategic planning as well as outsource and manpower services for expertise in specific areas of an exploration and or development project.
"We help provide them professional services and or skilled and professional labor," Schindler said. "We also provide full life cycle planning services and assistance in interfacing with the Natives, regulatory agencies and other stakeholders."
Networking with other service providers "Another function we provide is helping new companies network with other service providers such as engineering, drilling, technical planning, scientific and legal services," Schindler said. "We enjoy some very strong relationships with various service providers and we understand which service provider may fit a certain situation."
Lynx has established relationships with legal firms such as Patton and Boggs that can provide counsel for the legal aspects of permitting and environmental protection, provide key networking in Washington, D.C., and Juneau-based subsidiary or LLC formation, and provide lawsuit defense services.
Consultation and coordination with the federal government in Washington, D.C., can also prove critical to success. However, Schindler said, there is a difference between problem solving and networking visits. Problem solving visits are appropriate with the prior consent and awareness of local regulatory agencies whereas networking visits can occur on a more casual basis.
"There's a very strong tie between Alaska and Washington, D.C., both from a federal land ownership standpoint and from a national security standpoint," Schindler said. "We assist companies to convey their plans and their long-term strategies for Alaska back to Washington, D.C., so that plans can be coordinated locally to facilitate exploration and development."
Cost planning and management Lynx particularly excels in helping clients to avoid unnecessary costs and to avoid and or minimize the risk of cost overruns or project delay.
"By knowing how much we spent on exploration permitting and compliance ... we can help a client optimize and estimate costs out into the (rest of the) delineation and development cycle," Schindler said.
The long project lead-time in Alaska means that clients have to start permitting efforts as much as nine to 12 months in advance of a project commencement, Schindler said. In addition, drilling, procurement and other major financial commitments need to dovetail into the timeline for the permitting and land agreements. Avoiding and minimizing risk is a key service of Lynx.
"We are very familiar with the operational constraints (in Alaska)," Schindler said. "For instance, we can advise a new exploration client 'well, you're going to have to have your permit applications in here, you should have your drilling rig mobilized by here and you're going to have to have your land agreements for any land you're traversing and your permit approvals in by here — without those land agreements and or permit approvals don't make that rig commitment or phase your commitments'.
"So we help a client minimize their exposure (to risk) at any point on the project timeline ... and really that's where we create a lot of value for the client."
Lynx has developed a particular expertise in the planning and cost management of National Environmental Protection Act and right-of-way applications for common carrier pipelines. The NEPA process is particularly sensitive in Alaska but can be optimized through front-end planning, Schindler said. The state and federal Joint Pipeline Office in Alaska requires a long, public-intensive review process before it will grant a right of way.
"By going through the NEPA or right-of-way review processes you really drive a lot of project-specific issues that other non-pipeline-related agencies require, such as spill prevention, detection and monitoring systems," Schindler said.
Geographical information system With such an information-intensive business, computer technology plays an important role in Lynx services. The company's state-of-the-art geographical information system generates maps, permit documentation, advocacy and communications materials. The system uses environmental databases, unique mapping databases and state of the art software versions.
When needed, the system can turn out graphic materials on short notice which provides response time and maneuverability for the client.
"A lot of times a graphic presentation will facilitate and bridge communications barriers: a picture is worth a thousand words,” Schindler said. "Our reaction time is immediate in the geographical information system, so we can adapt to a client's needs at any particular time."
Experienced staff Lynx’s real strength lies in the depth of experience of the company's staff, level of energy dedicated to tasks and creative thinking.
"We do have a very diversified professional staff here," Schindler said. "We have highly experienced ex-oil and gas company managers and directors, we have a strong engineering land management and project management experience base in our senior management, we have ex-government regulators, miners, safety and training, government contractors, field environmental compliance, financial controllers auditors and seasoned project managers."
The company's staff of 25 includes people who have "managed ... the assessment and cleanup of (contaminated) sites," Schindler said. "Having been there and dealt with those situations allows us to position our clients to better avoid these situations."
And so, with his company's diverse skills, strong cadre of highly experienced staff and years of community relationship building, Schindler feels that Lynx Enterprises occupies a pre-eminent competitive position.
"We have extensive experience on the North Slope of Alaska, both onshore and offshore," Schindler said. "We have permitted some of the most controversial projects and our relationships (with the community) have been living for a long time. We are the most experienced permitter of offshore Beaufort Sea exploration drilling projects."
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