[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 115 (Thursday, July 11, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S4547]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO LYNN HELMS

 Mr. CRAMER. Mr. President, I rise to honor the 26 years of 
distinguished service of a remarkable North Dakota public servant who 
retired June 30.
  Lynn Helms, longtime director of the North Dakota Department of 
Mineral Resources, has been an invaluable and supportive resource to me 
in the U.S. Senate, as he was when I served in the House of 
Representatives and the North Dakota Public Service Commission. Through 
all these years, he made himself available whenever I asked, testifying 
at hearings, meeting with other lawmakers and regulators, and always 
providing wise and valued counsel to me and my staff.
  He is a treasure, not just to North Dakota, but to the entire energy 
industry. He is a spectacular regulator who understands the role of 
regulation, the role of rich mineral resources in North Dakota, and the 
contribution of these resources to American security and America's 
economy.
  In the Senate, I worked with him on several efforts and initiatives. 
A notable collaboration included the REGROW Act, a bipartisan bill to 
remediate the Nation's orphaned wells, which was built off the State 
program Lynn implemented. His leadership helped secure its inclusion in 
the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which was signed into law 
on November 2021.
  A graduate of the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Lynn 
spent his early years as a petroleum engineer with Texaco and the Hess 
Corporation. Since 1998, as the director of the North Dakota Oil and 
Gas Division and now the Department of Mineral Resources, he has had a 
front row seat to oil and gas development in our State. Through the ups 
and downs and challenges and triumphs, he helped steer North Dakota's 
petroleum industry through decades of responsible growth.
  He is the consummate professional, explaining to all of us the 
intricate challenges of regulating the drilling and production of North 
Dakota's oil and gas resources. His genial demeanor and steady voice 
during his 26 years with the State helped us all navigate through this 
epic time in our State's history.
  Today, North Dakota's economy is thriving due to the sensible energy 
development policies and reasonable regulations the State has 
championed. As a leading oil producing State, North Dakota's petroleum 
industry enhances the quality of life for our residents now and well 
into the future.
  During Lynn's tenure, the State's average daily oil production 
increased from 99,217 barrels per day in 1998 to an alltime high of 
1,519,037 in 2019 before stabilizing. Under his supervision, natural 
gas capture also reached an alltime high of more than 3.5 billion cubic 
feet per day.
  It will take decades for the impact of Lynn Helms' contributions to 
our State to be adequately measured. On a personal note, I will miss 
working with him as a valued colleague. On behalf of all North 
Dakotans, I thank him for his years of service to the State of North 
Dakota. I congratulate him on his well-earned retirement and wish him 
many years of health and happiness in the future.

                          ____________________