Shell names new Alaska manager

Shell has appointed Laurie Schmidt as vice president, Shell Alaska, effective February, Shell spokeswoman Megan Baldino has told Petroleum News. Schmidt replaces Pete Slaiby who has taken a new position for Shell, based out of Houston. Schmidt has moved to Alaska from a position as the head of audit upstream and projects and technology in the Netherlands. Schmidt had previous been Shell’s Sub-Saharan Africa region contracts and procurement manager, based in Nigeria. Her career with Shell began in 1990 and has included various engineering, operations and commercial positions.

Schmidt joins Shell’s Alaska operations at a critical juncture, as the company prepares to restart its Arctic exploration drilling program in the Chukchi Sea. The company is preparing to drill in the Chukchi during this summer’s open water season but is awaiting approval by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management of its Chukchi Sea exploration plan. That approval is contingent on a new record of decision by BOEM, affirming the 2008 lease sale in which Shell purchased its Chukchi Sea leases. The need for a new record of decision, which is expected in March, comes as a consequence of a long-standing appeal challenging the validity of the environmental impact statement for the lease sale.

Schmidt is a licensed engineer and attorney. She has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, a master’s degree in environmental engineering and a degree in environmental and patent law.

- Alan Bailey