Helms to leave ND Mineral Resources

A search committee has been formed to find a new director for the North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources.

The move comes after longtime boss Lynn Helms announced plans to retire this summer. Helms made the announcement during the regular meeting of the Industrial Commission this week. He was first appointed to the post in 1998.

During Helm’s tenure, North Dakota’s average daily oil production increased from 99,217 barrels per day in 1998 to an all-time high of 1,519,037 in 2019 before stabilizing at roughly 1.2 million barrels per day by the end of 2023. Additionally, natural gas capture has reached an all-time high of over 3.2 billion cubic feet per day.

In a joint statement Commission members stated that under Helm’s leadership the state has emerged as an energy powerhouse.

U.S. Senator Cramer issued a statement calling Helms a regulator who understands the role of regulation…the role of rich mineral resources in North Dakota…and its contribution to American security and economy.