Acting heads named at Division of O&G

The Alaska Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Oil and Gas is seeing management changes as the Walker administration takes over.

Bill Barron, named division director in May 2011 by then-DNR Commissioner Dan Sullivan, resigned as division director effective Jan. 2. Jonne Slemons, the former deputy director, has retired.

According to the division’s website, Paul Decker has been named acting director, and Jim Shine has been named acting deputy director.

In a Jan. 6 note to DNR directors, Marty Rutherford, acting DNR commissioner, said she and incoming Commissioner Mark Myers “are committed to filling the permanent director position within the next 30 days.”

In the interim, she said, Decker and Shine have agreed to fill the positions on an acting basis.

DNR posted background information on both men on the division’s website.

Decker is a geologist with 26 years of experience in oil and gas, 10 of those in the resource evaluation section in the division and five as section manager. He worked 16 years in the oil industry, from 1988 to 2004 in new ventures exploration and development for ARCO, Phillips and ConocoPhillips in Anchorage. He holds Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in structural geology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a B.S. degree in geology from Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado.

Shine, an attorney, has been a special project assistant to the DNR commissioner since 2012.

In that role Shine worked on the review and analysis of administrative appeals, development of legislation associated with oil and gas matters, and review and analysis of permitting and regulatory efforts and proposals.

Prior to joining DNR, Shine practiced law in Anchorage in the environment, energy and resources practice group at Perkins Coie LLP. Shine has a law degree from the University of Denver and a B.A. in English from Western State College in Gunnison, Colorado.

- Petroleum News