MAOGCC Annual Meeting

Rusty Shaw, REM—Director of Regulatory Affairs for Denbury, Inc. (an ExxonMobil subsidiary)
Mr. Shaw started his career at Grand Gulf Nuclear Power Station in Port Gibson, MS in February 2001. ​He held various positions at Grand Gulf to include Chemistry Technician, Environmental Specialist, and HP/Chemistry Specialist before resigning and joining Denbury Resources in April 2008. Mr. Shaw started his career with Denbury Resources as an HSE Coordinator until May 2010 when he accepted a role as HSE Compliance Manager. In January 2023, Mr. Shaw was promoted to Director of Regulatory Affairs at Denbury, Inc in Plano, TX​, where he directed all aspects of HSE permitting, compliance, and reporting including air, water, waste, wetland permits, and NEPA compliance and reporting for all oil & gas operations including CO2 Pipeline infrastructure. Mr. Shaw also direct​ed the permitting, compliance, and reporting of the oil and gas wells at Denbury.

​Since ExxonMobil’s acquisition of Denbury, Mr. Shaw has taken on the role of Director of Regulatory Affairs for ExxonMobil. Mr. Shaw will be providing a presentation on ExxonMobil’s Montana operations, as well as the Snowy River CO2 Sequestration project. 

Michael Howe—Senior Advisor of Stakeholder Engagement for Enbridge, Inc.
Michael is the Senior Advisor of Stakeholder Engagement for Enbridge, covering three states – Montana, Wyoming, and Nebraska.  In that role he interacts with local and state policymakers, legislators, trade organizations, economic development groups, and manages donations, memberships, and sponsorships in the area.  He is a seasoned public affairs professional in the energy industry and has worked for two Governors in Wyoming. Michael will be providing a presentation on Enbridge’s operations in Montana with an emphasis on the storage tank terminals located along the Express Pipeline in Buffalo, MT and Edgar, MT. 

Ben Jones—Petroleum Engineer, Montana Board of Oil & Gas
Ben Jones, a petroleum engineer for nearly 16 years, brings experience from both the private and public sectors and currently serves as the petroleum engineer and technical advisor for the Montana Board of Oil and Gas Conservation (MBOGC), which administers the Montana oil and gas conservation laws; promotes conservation and prevents waste in the recovery of resources; and regulates oil and gas exploration and production. Ben will be providing an annual update from the Board of Oil & Gas on production over the past year.

Darryl James—Government Affairs representative for Westmoreland Mining and Executive Director, Montana Infrastructure Coalition
Darryl James is one of the Montana Government Affairs representatives for Westmoreland, the Executive Director of the Montana Infrastructure Coalition (MIC), and a key member of the Montana Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) Work Group. Darryl will be providing a brief update on the activities of the Montana Infrastructure Coalition, but will also be delving into the details of the MEPA Work Group.