TXRRC Commissioner Becomes IOGCC Vice Chairman

The Texas Railroad Commission (TXRRC) has revealed that Railroad Commissioner Wayne Christian has been selected to be the Vice Chairman of the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission (IOGCC), serving under Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt.

“I am honored to enter this new leadership role for our nation’s oldest and most respected energy compact commission,” Christian said in an organization statement.

“I look forward to using my role to advocate on behalf of consumers and oil and gas industry that face unprecedented challenges due to Covid-19 and unjustified political attacks,” he added.

“We have the reserves. We have the technology. We have the long-term demand … From the so-called Green New Deal to the Environmental, Social and Governance investment movement, the oil and gas industry’s primary issues are almost entirely political,” Christian went on to say.

The IOGCC is a multi-state government entity that works to promote the conversation and efficient recovery of U.S. oil and natural gas resources while protecting health, safety and the environment, according to its website. The IOGCC also assists states in balancing a multitude of interests through sound regulatory practices, the organization’s website notes.

Earlier this year, the IOGCC passed a resolution urging the Trump administration to investigate “excessive dumping” of crude oil by Saudi Arabia and Russia and “take appropriate action”. The resolution was brought forward by Christian.

A lifelong conservative businessman, Christian was elected as the 50th Texas Railroad Commissioner back in November 2016. Since taking office, Christian had already been appointed by Governor Greg Abbott to the IOGCC as the official representative of Texas. 

Christian graduated Stephen F. Austin State University with a B.B.A. in General Business in 1973. After college, the TXRRC commissioner found success in the music industry with his band, the Mercy River Boys, and went on to be a finalist for a Grammy Award in 1979. 

To contact the author, email andreas.exarheas@rigzone.com