In developing Alaska’s resources, Zolotukhin stressed the importance of working with all the stakeholders involved, setting environmental standards for resource development, and paying attention to climate change.

Local Alaskans hope to learn from his professional experience. “The North by 2020 Oil and Gas Team is looking ahead to the next 15 years or so in Alaska, and a lot of things will be happening,” Director Hajo Eicken told the panel. “We're interested in seeing what type of information is needed to provide industry, local residents, regulators, and people who are working with government, with a better and more informed basis for making decisions.”

With decades of work experience in the oil and gas industry, Zolotukhin understands the importance of balancing the needs of local stakeholders, economics, and the environment. And he readily admits it’s not always an easy task, especially when it comes to impacting the Earth.

“We have to be really careful to be careful,” he told the panel. “Humans have matured enough now to say confidently that we know almost nothing about what kind of impact we generate on the Earth.”

Read Zolotukhin’s oil and gas development insights, anecdotes, and advice firsthand in this Q&A excerpt from a panel discussion held May 7, 2008.