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Oil patch insider: Cruz, Alyeska, Lamb, Pekich receive AOGA awards, Gallagher keynote
Kay Cashman Petroleum News
The 2024 Alaska Oil and Gas Association conference is scheduled for Aug. 28 and 29, at the Anchorage Dena'ina Civic & Convention Center in Anchorage.
Kevin Gallagher, managing director and CEO for Santos, will deliver a keynote address at AOGA's conference. It will be his first public address in Alaska.
AOGA will also hand out its 2024 Industry Award winners at the event, recognizing oil and gas industry service, safety and environmental stewardship.
Gallagher has led Santos since 2016, transforming it into a top global oil and gas company. He'll provide the latest updates on their Pikka Project -- one of northern Alaska's most promising new oil developments in decades -- as well as talk about future possibilities.
AOGA's 2024 conference is the place to be for industry leaders, policymakers, and stakeholders to get together and discuss the future of oil and gas in Alaska.
The 2024 AOGA Industry Awards winners are as follows:
CONTRACTOR OF THE YEAR AWARD FOR SAFETY PERFORMANCE goes to Cruz Construction. The award is sponsored by the Alaska Support Industry Alliance, recognizing an oil and gas support company that has demonstrated exemplary commitment to safety.
Cruz Construction, an Alaska-based heavy civil and oil field support company, excelled in safety and performance while completing the 2024 winter components of the Phase 1 STP Civil-Mining project at Oliktok Point for Santos' Pikka project. Cruz worked 72,225 hours with a peak manpower of 78 personnel, reporting only one minor injury. The project involved mine development at E-Pit, ice road construction, gravel hauling, and sheet pile installation.
Cruz and Santos developed a detailed work plan, ensuring project success through close cooperation. Despite challenges like a storm surge, Cruz maintained the schedule with only two minor vehicle incidents. The team's exceptional planning, communication, and dedication to safety enabled the completion of pile driving in just 57 days, well ahead of schedule.
THE RISING STAR AWARD goes to Santos' Julianne Lamb.
The Rising Star Award honors a young professional oil and gas industry employee under the age of 35 who has made an immediate and definitive impact on the oil and gas industry in Alaska.
Originally from Texas, Julianne Lamb's work to impact Alaska's oil and gas industry began globally. With a profound love for all things science, she transitioned from studying engineering to geology, graduating with a B.S. in Geological Sciences from the University of Texas in 2011. Her early career in Houston and subsequent M.S. from the University of Houston in 2014 set the stage for her eventual move to Alaska.
Moving to Sydney in 2016, Lamb honed her skills in basin modeling. After making the journey to Alaska in 2020, Lamb led the charge to bring "GeoIsotopes" to Santos Alaska in 2023. This technology provides unique insights into reservoir characteristics and seal integrity through a deep understanding of source rocks and migration pathways.
Now a key figure in Alaska's carbon capture and storage industry, Lamb's work ensures safe, long-term CO2 storage, helping to secure Alaska's energy future.
ALASKA OIL & GAS PROJECT OF THE YEAR FOR ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP AND INNOVATION, sponsored by Stoel Rives, goes to Alyeska Pipeline Service Co.'s Legacy Facility Removal Project.
The Alaska Oil and Gas Project of the Year for Environmental Stewardship and Innovation honors an Alaska oil and gas industry project that demonstrates superior environmental stewardship in its area of design, construction, or operation and/or an innovative approach that sets a new standard for industry design, construction, or operation in Alaska.
Alyeska is evolving its operations to meet the changing needs of Alaska's oil industry with a long-term "TAPS 100" philosophy. Currently transporting approximately 175 million barrels of oil per year, Alyeska anticipates an increase in throughput in the trans-Alaska pipeline system in coming years. This shift has necessitated operational changes, including the reduced use of pump stations.
Alyeska has implemented an Asset Retirement Obligations, or ARO, program to clean and remove facilities, completing decommissioning at Pump Stations 10 and 12, with work in progress at Pump Stations 2 and 8. Alyeska is committed to reducing TAPS's footprint by isolating and removing five inactive pump stations by 2034, and has provided conceptual plans for legacy equipment removal at Pump Stations 1, 3, 4, and 9. Major demolition was completed at PS10 in 2020 and at PS12 in 2023.
MARILYN CROCKETT LIFETIME ACHEIVEMENT AWARD: Lisa Pekich, ConocoPhillips Alaska
The Marilyn Crockett Lifetime Achievement Award is named in honor of the former AOGA executive director who dedicated her 41-year career to, as she stated, "growing Alaska's economy through a vibrant oil and gas sector in the state." This award honors the dedication Marilyn displayed during her career: exceptional devotion of time, effort, thought, and action consistently shown in his/her work for the betterment of the oil and gas industry in Alaska.
Lisa Pekich, a 33-year ConocoPhillips Alaska employee, is this year's winner. She earned her engineering degree from California Polytechnic State University and launched her early career with ARCO Alaska.
Pekich's technical expertise and interpersonal skills led her to senior roles in environmental coordination, strategy, and commercial analysis.
Since 2011, she has directed ConocoPhillips Alaska's community relations and village outreach team, transforming it into a model of effective community engagement.
Pekich's leadership in the Willow project and her commitment to community responsiveness highlight her impact. She also serves on the Iḷisaġvik College Foundation board, advocating for tribal education and workforce development.
About AOGA, the awards The 2024 AOGA Industry Award submissions were received and reviewed by a committee made up of industry experts, both active and retired, in the fields of government and public affairs; business; environmental and regulatory affairs; land management; and environmental law.
AOGA is a professional trade association whose mission is to foster the long-term viability of the oil and gas industry in Alaska. Through advocacy, education, and collaboration, AOGA works to ensure the sustainable development of Alaska's oil and gas resources for the benefit of all Alaskans.
More information about the organization can be found at www.aoga.org, on Facebook (AlaskaOilAndGas), Twitter (@AOGA) and Instagram (@alaskaoilgasassociation).
--Oil Patch Insider is compiled by Kay Cashman
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