Legendary geologist Ken Bird dies; Rutherford to Pantheon; RDC's 50th

Kay Cashman

Petroleum News

On April 23, Kenneth "Ken" Bird passed away peacefully at home in Palo Alto, California at 85 years of age.

Ken's professional geological career is legendary. During his senior year at Oregon State University, he was hired by Shell as a summer intern to participate in geological field investigations in northern Alaska. A year later, during continued work with Shell, he was injured in an Alaska North Slope rockfall leading to a life-long disability.

Ken then spent 5 years completing M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in geology at the University of Wisconsin followed by 45 years exploring Alaska for the oil industry and the U.S. Geological Survey.

His scientific leadership in highly visible and politically volatile USGS projects, including petroleum-resource assessments of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, non-federal lands, and the global Arctic contributed substantially to a deep understanding of the geological history and petroleum-resource potential of those regions.

Ken's encyclopedic knowledge of the geology and petroleum potential of Arctic Alaska and adjacent regions is summarized in more than 200 formal publications, including definitive publications on ANWR, NPR-A, and huge parts of the Arctic Ocean. A renowned speaker, Ken presented hundreds of talks at geological conventions, university lectures, and oil-industry and public workshops.

He was frequently called upon by the USGS to present congressional testimony and briefings to the Department of the Interior and the Department of Energy. The patience and credibility with which Ken explained politically sensitive topics to mainly nontechnical audiences invariably reflected positively upon the USGS. Consequently, Ken received the Meritorious Service Award from Interior and several additional awards from the USGS.

An inspiring, patient, and generous mentor, Ken guided countless geoscientists through careers in Alaska geology. And, perhaps most importantly, all those geologists are proud to call Ken their friend.

Ken had a remarkable intellectual curiosity that he maintained throughout his life. He was a voracious reader who loved nonfiction books exploring topics as diverse as politics, history, geology, travel, and current events, and delighted in engaging in lively conversations around all of these topics.

He was a respected neighbor in his Triple El community in Palo Alto, where he lived in his beloved home for approximately 40 years. Ken spent his last decade giving generously to philanthropic causes he was passionate about, including the hospice organization Pathways, who supported him at the end of his life, and during that of his late wife Patricia Bird. He is survived by his two daughters, Sorrel Hanson and Marlyss Anderson, and two stepchildren, Karen Kienzle and Jonathan Kienzle, all of whom fondly remember his adventurous excursions with them, including impromptu fossil explorations by the side of the road during family road trips.

Note: this piece was taken from Ken's obituary. It is very much as we remember him at Petroleum News.

50th annual RDC luncheon

Doors open at 11:15 a.m. and the program begins at noon.

A wait list will be available for those who miss the registration cutoff which has already passed, and a limited number of registrations will be available at the door.

The Keynote address features Steve Goreham, Energy and Environmental Researcher, and Executive Director at the Climate Science Coalition of America.

For registration information Email [email protected]

Pantheon appoints Marty Rutherford

Rutherford is a fifth generation Alaskan. She returned to Alaska after graduating college in the late 1970s, and held a variety of jobs in Valdez, Fairbanks and Anchorage. In 1982, she began working at the Alaska Department of Community and Regional Affairs, eventually being appointed the deputy commissioner.

In 1992, Marty moved to the Alaska Department of Natural Resources where she was appointed deputy commissioner in 1993 and remained there through 2005. In that role Marty oversaw the state's management of its natural resources including oil and gas, mining, water, parks, etc.

Rutherford resigned her position in 2005 but was re-instated as deputy commissioner of DNR in 2006 under then-Gov. Sarah Palin, leading the gasline effort as well as the oil and gas policy teams.

In 2011, Rutherford left state service and went to work for Linc Energy, an Australian company exploring for oil on the North Slope and natural gas in Cook Inlet. However, in 2014, she was once again appointed deputy commissioner of DNR and also served as acting commissioner for an extended time, a position she had held numerous times over her years at DNR.

In 2016, Rutherford retired from DNR and served a term as a trustee of the Alaska Permanent Fund.

Pantheon said the appointment of "Ms. Rutherford is another key step in the development of the board to best manage the challenges ahead on the path to oil and gas production and financial self-sufficiency. At the same time, as previously announced, Bob Rosenthal will be retiring from Pantheon and stepping down from the board of directors."

David Hobbs, executive chairman of Pantheon Resources, commented: "We are delighted to welcome Marty Rutherford as a member of the board of directors. Pantheon will benefit from her more than 40 years of experience in policy roles, particularly her time in the DNR working to advance the construction of a gas pipeline for commercialization of Alaska's North Slope gas. Her deep expertise, coupled with strategic judgment and policy track record, make her the ideal addition to our board."

Marty Rutherford said: "I am delighted to have the opportunity to join the board of Pantheon as it faces critical decisions on developing its resources for the benefit of both shareholders and Alaskan stakeholders. It will be especially exciting to help bring the dream of a gas pipeline from Alaska's North Slope to fruition."

--Oil Patch Insider is compiled by Kay Cashman