Sydow Retires as Oil and Gas Director, Deputy Director Belieu to Step In

The desk and office are cleared. A few pictures still adorn the walls. The think-center of the office is a little quieter while the new director settles in to make the corner office his location.

Stan Belieu was recently sworn in as the new director of the Nebraska Oil and Gas Commission, replacing Bill Sydow who retired. Sydow is closing the books on 26 years of work with the Nebraska Oil and Gas Commission. In the process Gov. Pete Ricketts also recognized "Bill Sydow Day" and commissioned he and his wife to the Nebraska Navy, an honor commemordating his years of service to the Nebraska Oil and Gas Commission.

"I came here and interviewed in 1996," Sydow said.

Prior to answering an ad in the Oil and Gas Journal, Sydow and his family lived in Houston where he worked for an independent oil and gas company for 10 years. He says moving to Sidney included a reduction in salary, but has been worth the investment.

"It was worth every penny of lost revenue," he said.

He says he took the job in part because "I could help people comply with rules and regulations."

He sees his job as director of the Nebraska Oil and Gas Commission a place where he help people succeed in their endeavors.

"We're not here to be iron-fisted," Sydow said.

He added that if he has to he will, but his first duty is to help drillers do things the right way, under compliance of state and federal regulations.

The purpose of the Nebraska Oil and Gas Commission is to enforce laws, rules and regulations pertaining to oil and gas exploration. Along with enforcement, the office staff is there to guide people in the oil industry.

"Government ought to be there to help people," Sydow said.

The Nebraska Oil and Gas Commission is overseen by three commissioners - Thomas Oliver of Bridgeport, Robert Goodwin of Sidney and John Rundel of Trenton.

Sydow's accepting the position with the Oil and Gas Commission was almost like a coming home, having grown up in Nebraska. However, he didn't know a lot about Nebraska geology. So, when he took on the role of director, he went to work, spending countless hours outside of the 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. routine researching maps, drilling history and anything else relevant to regional geography and oil drilling. In time, he accumulated his own research source, a library of historic documents he researched.

He sees the duties of the Oil and Gas Commission as centered around helping people, and his time in the office shows it.

"Our life is about relationships with people," he said. "I've got to meet people worth with them."

He said he sees the job as helping operators, offering direction in response to questions and "always be a referral center."

The majority of his career with the Nebraska Oil and Gas Commission has created memories - good memories - of people he has met. One incident that is not so pleasant is when the Oil and Gas Commission was taken to court regarding a salt water disposal well, and lost, in 2015. He said it was a test of integrity.

"If you think you're right, you just need to hold your ground," he said.

Sydow steps will be filled by Deputy Director Stan Belieu. Belieu's history is similar to Sydow's. Belieu is a Sidney native with three adult children. He attended school in Kearney and Chadron before he was married. He worked in the oil fields consulting, then came to the Nebraska Oil and Gas Commission in 1992.

"It helps to have the background, know what you're regulating," Belieu said.

He said it is important to know the geology, the drilling practices and procedures, day-to-day operations, and what you're regulating. He said most regulators come from the oil and gas industry.

Belieu assumed the duties of director on July 1. His duties will be somewhat different from his previous expectations. He had been overseeing the federal program of underground injection wells. He said the job will become increasingly more administrative and less geology-based. In addition, the office will be planning toward the transition stage as the Deputy Director position is filled and that position is hired.

He commends the staff for how well the office meets the needs of the public.

"They're all good people, do their jobs well," he said.