Conoco, Interior spar over drilling in Alaska

The CEO of Conoco-Phillips and the U.S. interior secretary offer different views on the role of government in regulating drilling on public lands.

Ryan Lance said uncertainty over the federal government’s regulations is hindering ConocoPhillips’ efforts to drill in Alaska and on other federal lands.

Sally Jewell said she takes very seriously her department’s responsibility to make sure public lands are used for the benefit of all Americans. Much of the problem is in the litigation that the industry and environmental groups bring to the table.

Jewell acknowledged with some chagrin that within hours of her agency issuing rules for hydraulic fracturing on federal lands, industry groups sued her and environmental groups condemned her.

“It’s the nature of my job,” Jewell said. “I’ve never been in a job with this much conflict. It is way easier to run a business than it is to work in government. I never would have guessed that.”

Jewell spoke to oil executives Monday at the start of IHS Energy CERA-Week, an annual conference that brings together leaders in every aspect of the industry.

She took the stage just hours after Lance, the chairman and CEO of ConocoPhillips, complained about federal regulations, which he said were preventing companies from exploiting the resources on federal lands. He pointed out that because work in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska can only take place for a few months every year, delays in regulation can mean losing a year on a project.

“We lack regulatory certainty from the federal government,” Lance said.

Lance’s complaints are nothing new. Every CEO I’ve met has complained about government rules and regulations, insisting that if only government For more on this story, click here.