Dear Hilcorp employees,
I’m a reporter with Alaska’s Energy Desk in Anchorage, and I’ve covered state government, politics and resource development for more than five years.
I want to hear from you.
Your company is poised to take over the Prudhoe Bay oilfield — the crown jewel of Alaska’s oil patch. But Alaskans barely know you.
The pending purchase of BP’s assets here will make Hilcorp a major player in Alaska. So I’d like to help our audience learn more about Hilcorp and its culture – by explaining things like how the company has succeeded in rejuvenating aging fields, why employees find it such a good place to work, and how it approaches questions about worker safety and the environment.
I’m intrigued by the idea that employees can invest their own money in company projects and benefit when those projects succeed. I’m interested in what Hilcorp has done at the Milne Point field on the North Slope, where the company sharply increased production after years of decline under previous management. And I want to know more about “big, hairy, audacious goals,” and how Hilcorp’s culture is shaped by the books by Jack Stack and Jim Collins that are often cited by the company’s leadership.
Our stories about Hilcorp will be more complete, accurate and informative to our audience if they’re guided by the people who know the company best – the people who work there. So I’m asking for your help: I’d like you to talk to me.
I’d like to know what you think people don’t understand, or misunderstand, about the company that you work for. What things are we missing, and what questions should we be asking?
You can speak with me outside of business hours, off-the-clock, privately. The things I learn will inform my stories, but I don’t have to identify you.
Send me an email at nherz@alaskapublic.org from your personal account, and we can find a time to chat. You can also send me encrypted messages at natherz@protonmail.com, or at 907-793-0312 using the Signal app. Or, you can send me mail the old-fashioned way at 3877 University Dr., Anchorage, AK 99508.
If you’re not comfortable speaking with me about Hilcorp but know someone else who might be, please consider referring me, or passing this request along. If you’re a former or retired Hilcorp employee, I’m interested in hearing from you, too.
And if you’re not affiliated with Hilcorp but you still have suggestions or information to share, don’t hesitate to contact me.
