Oklahoma City, OK Oct. 9, 2009 – In an address to the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission (IOGCC) Annual Meeting participants, incoming 2010 IOGCC Chairman, Gov. Rick Perry reiterated IOGCC as the leading voice in conservation, Monday Oct. 5, 2009.
“I believe that anyone discussing energy in our nation and world must begin by acknowledging the essential role that oil and gas have played throughout our history and the reality that they must continue as fundamental elements of our energy portfolio,” said Gov. Perry, who took over as IOGCC Chairman for 2010.
Perry went on to address the leadership of the IOGCC and the need for conserving domestic resources.
“The IOGCC is obligated to be a leading voice in that conversation because no one else can match our expertise,” Perry said.
Along with Gov. Perry, 2009 IOGCC Chairman Gov. Brad Henry of Oklahoma, Gov. Sean Parnell of Alaska, and Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant of Mississippi were all in attendance during the group’s General Session in Biloxi, Miss.
Gov. Brad Henry spoke to the participants and urged them to continue their efforts in conserving our domestic resources.
With the help of Gov. Henry, the IOGCC and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) signed a Memorandum of Understanding, aimed at improving the cooperation and collaboration between the two. The MOU will provide a framework for the member states and DOE to work more closely.
The IOGCC also awarded several awards for outstanding environmental stewardship projects and to an outstanding individual for their commitment to domestic oil and natural gas conservation.
Three companies/organization were given the IOGCC Chairman’s Stewardship Award in the following three categories; Large Company winner, BP America Production Company for their BP Jonah’s Journey – Whale of a Challenge; Energy Education winner, North Dakota Petroleum Council for their The Oil Can! project; and Environmental Partnership winner, Houston Advanced Research Center for their Environmentally Friendly Drilling (EFD) Program project.
The 2009 Marland award was earned by Lawrence Bengal, Director of the Arkansas Oil and Gas Commission. Bengal is the Arkansas representative to the IOGCC, where he serves as Chairman of the IOGCC Carbon Capture and Geologic Storage Task Force. The award is presented annually to one outstanding state regulator.
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The Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission is a 38-state oil and natural gas compact whose mission is to promote the conservation and efficient recovery of domestic oil and natural gas resources. For more information, log on to www.iogcc.state.ok.us.
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Posted on
Friday, October 9, 2009
by Tiffany Batdorf