Palin, Ruedrich named to Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission

Gov. Frank Murkowski named former Wasilla Mayor Sarah Palin and Republican Party Chairman Randy Ruedrich to the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission Feb. 18.

The commission is a quasi-judicial regulatory agency overseeing the underground operations of the state’s oil industry on private and public lands and waters. Among other things, it is tasked with ensuring maximum ultimate resource recovery, preventing waste of oil and gas resources, protecting the correlative rights of the mineral interest owner, and managing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Class II Underground Injection Control program for oil and gas wells.

Palin was appointed to the commission’s public seat, replacing Cammy Taylor, whose term expired at the end of last year. A lifelong Alaskan, Palin earned a journalism degree from the University of Idaho and has worked as a journalist and a commercial fisherman, the governor’s office said.

Ruedrich was appointed to the engineers’ seat on the commission, replacing Mike Bill who was appointed to the seat by Gov. Tony Knowles in October after the Legislature adjourned, and had not been confirmed.

Ruedrich told Petroleum News Alaska Feb. 19 that he will continue to serve as chairman of the Republican party but in a “modified capacity.”

Ruedrich earned Bachelor of Science, Master of Engineering and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in chemical engineering from Texas A&M University. He has worked in the oil and gas industry in various capacities for more than 30 years, including as operations manager for Atlantic Richfield Co. in Sana’a, Yemen, and in Surrey, United Kingdom. In Alaska, he worked for ARCO’s Alaska as a senior drilling engineer and was general manager of Doyon Drilling.

The appointments were effective Feb. 19.

Commissioners earn $118,332 a year; the chair earns $122,473 a year.