The Alaska Gasline Development Corp. (AGDC), which wants to build a liquefied natural gas (LNG) export project, ousted its president at its regular meeting on Thursday, three days after new Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy appointed four members to the state-owned corporation’s seven-member board.

President Keith Meyer was fired, with Joe Dubler appointed on an interim basis. Dubler, who held senior leadership positions at AGDC from 2010-2016, including vice president of commercial operations and CFO, will take over on a full-time basis in mid-February after a transition period.

Dunleavy already had named Tamika Ledbetter and Jason Brune to serve as the two department-level board appointees. Ledbetter serves as a commissioner with the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development, while Brune is a commissioner at the Department of Environmental Conservation.

Dunleavy also appointed Doug Smith and Dan Coffey to two of the board’s five seats reserved for the public, replacing Hugh Short and Joey Merrick. Coffey was elected vice chair at Thursday’s board meeting, while Warren Christian, a member of the previous board, was elevated to secretary and treasurer. Commissioners Marc Luiken and Heidi Drygas are no longer on the board.

AGDC spokesman Jesse Carlstrom told NGI that the Dunleavy administration “is committed to maximizing Alaska’s vast North Slope natural gas resources for the benefit of all Alaskans. The administration is actively engaged in evaluating the options to economically build a North Slope natural gas pipeline project.”

AGDC took control of the Alaska LNG Project from ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil Corp. and BP plc in 2017, after the companies determined the project was no longer economic when compared to other LNG liquefaction projects around the world. However, late last month, despite the ongoing U.S.-Sino trade war, AGDC and three Chinese companies agreed to extend the deadline for a joint development agreement until June 30.

The Alaska LNG project is estimated to cost $43.4 billion and as designed could export up to 20 million metric tons/year (mmty). AGDC has pledged to reserve 75% of the LNG production capacity (15 mmty) for China’s Sinopec. Besides China, AGDC has also been in negotiations with potential LNG buyers in Japan, South Korea and Vietnam.