Official Government Website
The Idaho Oil and Gas Conservation Commission regulates the exploration, drilling and production of oil and gas resources to ensure the conservation of oil and gas and the protection of correlative rights and surface and groundwater.
The Oil and Gas Program resides under the Minerals, Navigable Waters, and Oil & Gas Division within the Idaho Department of Lands and serves as the administrative arm of the Commission.
Chair Betty Coppersmith
Betty Coppersmith retired to Idaho after 30 years experience in the oil and gas industry. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Petroleum Engineering from Texas A&M University and her Master in Business Administration from California State University Bakersfield. She was appointed to Idaho’s Oil and Gas Conservation Commission in March of 2019.
Betty was employed in various engineering disciplines throughout her career, including production, reservoir, and maintenance roles, for various global energy companies. In addition, she worked extensively in the safety, health, and environmental aspects of the industry. She has experience with compliance, industry advocacy, and regulatory development. Most recently, she was on a rotational assignment in Angola, Africa as Chevron’s Health, Environment, and Safety Superintendent.
In their spare time, Betty and her family enjoy exploring the natural beauty of the state of Idaho through various activities such as hiking, fly fishing, camping, backpacking, cycling, and snowshoeing.
Vice Chair Ray Hinchcliff
Ray Hinchcliff is retired after 30 years working in the petroleum industry. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Wyoming and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from Weber State University.
Commissioner Hinchcliff spent his career working for ConocoPhillips in various engineering and management roles. Core skills include operations management, project management, engineering supervision, and field development. His work experience includes Wyoming, the Gulf Coast region, the Permian Basin, the North Sea, Russia, and the Alaskan North Slope.
Ray and his wife reside in Teton Valley, Idaho. He enjoys hiking, fly fishing, hunting, cycling, and woodworking. They have three children.
Commissioner Margaret Chipman
Margaret Chipman is fifth generation Idahoan. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Business from the University of Idaho, using that degree to run a cattle ranch and feed lot business with her husband for 46 years. After her son was grown, she received a second degree from Treasure Valley Community College and worked 10 years as a nurse.
Margaret has a great history of serving the citizens of Idaho. She was recently appointed to the Weiser City Council and currently serves on the National Vandal Scholarship Fund board, raising scholarship money for 300+ student athletes. She previously served on the Weiser School Board for 29 years and as president of the Idaho School Boards Association.
Margaret comes to the Idaho Oil and Gas Conservation Commission with experience, having served as a commissioner from 2013 to 2017.
Her son and his family live close, allowing her to spend her spare time with them while watching her two great grandsons grow and learn.
Commissioner Jennifer Riebe
Jennifer Riebe was appointed to the Idaho Oil and Gas Conservation Commission in April, 2022. Commissioner Riebe is also a Payette County Commissioner fulfilling the Idaho statutory requirement that a county commissioner from an oil and gas producing county be a member of the Idaho OGCC.
Jennifer has lived in Payette County for over 30 years and has been married to her husband, Bob, since 1996. They have two grown sons. She holds both a bachelor’s degree in horticulture and a master’s degree in entomology from the University of Wisconsin in Madison, and is self-employed as an independent crop advisor for local farmers.
Jennifer is known by family and friends as a lifelong learner and is always seeking new opportunities to learn and grow. She’s played violin for 18 years and has been known to help out in the family’s shoe repair shop in Boise.
Jennifer joined the commissions for both Payette County and the Idaho OGCC as a means to give back to the community that has given so much to her and her family while at the same time fueling her desire for knowledge.