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Jessie Chmielowski named to AOGCC petroleum engineer seat
Kristen Nelson Petroleum News
Jessie Chmielowski has been named by Gov. Mike Dunleavy to fill the petroleum engineer seat on the three-member Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. The administration’s Boards and Commissions website indicates that Chmielowski was appointed March 7 to a term which expires March 1, 2025.
Cathy Foerster, who previously held the petroleum engineer seat, was named to the commission in 2005 and had planned to retire Feb. 28 but stayed on at request of the administration until the seat was filled.
The geologist seat is held by Commissioner Dan Seamount, who has been on the commission since 2000. The public seat has been vacant since Dunleavy dismissed Hollis French Feb. 26 on charges of neglect of duty after a hearing earlier in the month. French was named to the commission by Gov. Bill Walker in 2016. He was the commission chair, a four-year governor appointment. Commissioners are appointed for six-year terms, require confirmation by the Legislature and can only be dismissed for cause.
The commission requires two members for a quorum, which was the reason Foerster agreed to stay on until her seat was filled.
As this issue of Petroleum News went to press the public seat was still shown as vacant on the Boards and Commissions website.
From BLM Chmielowski has a B.S. in chemical engineering and a B.A. in environmental engineering science from Rice University. She is a registered professional petroleum engineer in Alaska. That registration is one way to meet qualifications for the position. The other is a university degree in the field of engineering and at least 10 years of professional subsurface experience in the oil and gas industry in drilling, well operations, production process operations, reservoir engineering or a combination thereof.
Chmielowski’s resume notes 19 years of experience in Alaska and a strong background in regulatory oversight, production and optimization, including three years of field-based experience working with operations on the North Slope, with a broad understanding of oil and gas developments in Alaska including light oil, viscous oil, heavy oil and natural gas.
She was senior petroleum engineer with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management Alaska State Office from 2016-18 where she was the lead technical expert for BLM on its legacy wells program, and the main point of contact within the agency for ConocoPhillips’ National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska development.
She was with BP Exploration (Alaska) from 2001-15 and worked in well integrity, drilling, completions and regulatory compliance. Chmielowski was BP Alaska’s permafrost subsidence expert, worked in a multi-disciplinary team identifying and drilling development wells and worked with AOGCC and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on laws, regulations and policies.
- KRISTEN NELSON
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