Interview: Lynn Helms, director, North Dakota Department Mineral Resources; and director, North Dakota Industrial Commission Oil and Gas Division

Lynn Helms has served as director of the North Dakota Industrial Commission Oil and Gas Division since July 1998 and director of the Department of Mineral Resources since July 2005.

He earned his bachelor of science degree in engineering from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in 1978, but his oil field career began as a roughneck in 1976 working summers and school holidays. After graduation Helms worked for two years as a production engineer for Texaco in all of the producing areas of Montana.

In 1980, Helms joined Amerada Hess in Williston, N.D. While in Williston he worked as a production engineer, reservoir engineer and asset team leader on projects in Abu Dhabi, Alaska, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Dakota, Texas and Wyoming.

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