Mitt Romney’s New Energy Adviser is an Oklahoma Oil Billionaire

• Joe Wertz
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  Joe Wertz was a reporter and managing editor for StateImpact Oklahoma from 2011-2019. He reported on energy and environment issues for national NPR audiences and other national outlets. He previously worked as a managing editor, assistant editor and staff reporter at several major Oklahoma newspapers and studied journalism at the University of Central Oklahoma.

Oklahoma oil billionaire Harold Hamm has been appointed energy adviser to Republican primary front-runner Mitt Romney.

Hamm is the founder and CEO of Enid-based Continental Resources Inc., and was ranked 36th on Forbes magazine’s list of 400 wealthiest Americans. His 68 percent stake in Continental is valued at $11.2 billion, reports Bloomberg News.

Energy policy and gas prices have become a big part of 2012 primary politics. At campaign stops in big-energy Oklahoma, Republican presidential candidates Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich endorsed expanded domestic drilling and rallied against federal regulation of the oil and gas industry.