CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Charlie Burd, the president of the Gas and Oil Association of West Virginia, recently announced that he will be retiring in two years.
Burd has served as the leader of the GO-WV since the merger of the with the Independent Oil and Gas Association of West Virginia (IOGA) in 2021. He served as the executive director for the IOGA since 2002.
Burd previously worked at Hope Gas, Inc., for close to 30 years.
“The time was right,” Burd said Monday on MetroNews “Talkline.”
“It’s a good time for the industry. We’re doing well and the new individual coming in to take my place will have a lot of momentum behind them,” he continued.
The state produced 3.5 trillion cubic feet of natural gas last year, which was up from 3.2 trillion cubic feet in 2023. According to Burd, the state ships to markets thirsting for natural gas
He says the GO-WV needs to try to find a way to keep the gas close to home to spur development in the Mountain State.
“We must develop in-state uses for our natural gases, and those in-state uses have to be power production and the production of power to serve downstream industry,” Burd said.
“We have over 14,000 direct jobs related to natural gas and oil and another 60,000 indirect jobs. Those direct jobs have a payroll of $1.5 billion annually and the average salary is over $100,000, so the opportunities just are too important to let it pass by,” Burd said. “Finding uses for natural gas, no matter where it is, will be important.”
The GO-WV has officially launched a national search for its next president.