Todd Palin resigns oilfield job

Todd Palin won't be pulling a hard-core winter shift on Alaska's frozen North Slope, home to the richest oil fields in the country -- at least not with energy giant BP.

The husband of former Alaska governor and vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin is no longer employed by BP, the energy company confirmed Thursday evening.

Company spokesman Steve Rinehart said Todd Palin submitted his resignation effective Sept. 18. Todd was a production operator on Alaska's North Slope. Production operators manage oil gathering centers, hubs where oil comes together from multiple wells.

The news comes only a few days after publishing company HarperCollins announced Sarah's memoir, "Going Rogue: An American Life," would be released Nov. 17, several months ahead of schedule, with an initial run of 1.5 million copies.

The Alaska governor resigned in July with more than a year remaining in her first term, saying she wouldn't be running for re-election and didn't want to be considered a "lame duck" governor during her final months in office. She also said that her national visibility, anonymous bloggers and a difficult relationship with state legislators were blocking her ability to do right by Alaska.

Palin's husband, who Alaskans jokingly referred to as the "First Dude," and some children often accompanied her on the national campaign trail after she was tapped to be the vice-presidential running mate for Sen. John McCain. An accomplished snowmachine racer, Todd was sought after by magazines like Esquire, and wowed FOX News' Greta Van Susteren with a snowmachine ride through the remote woods outside of the Palins' Wasilla home.

Todd's employment with one of the three largest oil producers in the state sparked controversy after his wife was elected governor in 2006. More than 90 percent of Alaska's general fund revenue comes from oil production, mostly off the North Slope. Sarah was elected on a platform of transparency, particularly in regards to the state's negotiations with oil companies over taxes, and Todd's employment was sometimes thought to be a potential conflict.

At one point during the campaign for governor, Sarah told Alaska media that Todd would quit his oil company job if she were elected. He did leave his job for a short while, but was back at work on the Slope in summer 2007 while remaining his wife's close advisor. The Palins drew the irritation of some in Alaska politics when Todd occasionally sat in on official meetings in the governor's office.

BP's Alaska holdings represent the company's second-largest resource holdings worldwide. The company operates oil fields and pipelines on the Slope, and has an ownership stake in the Trans-Alaska oil pipeline. BP employs hundreds of Alaskans in North Slope jobs, with most workers flying in to work a few weeks, then flying out for days off at home.

Sarah Palin's spokeswoman Meg Stapleton couldn't be immediately reached for comment.