State quasi-judicial commission regulating Alaska oil and gas drilling.
333 W 7th Ave, Anchorage, AK 99501, USA

Jesse Kiehl
“I think there was conversation a few minutes ago about a barrel of oil equivalent in gas having a value like $9 versus a barrel of oil, which, you know, we cry a little bit when it's 60. And right now we're doing pretty well on the budget within at 105 or 110. So there, that's not something the commission looks at. That's something that the legislature has to look at”Alaska Legislature: Senate Finance - June 5, 2026 9:00am · Jun 5, 2026

James Kaufman
“I ask these questions because it's been kind of conversationally put forth that that's available for the potential gas project. And I just want to be clear on the record with where we're at on that. Do you know if there's been any inquiry to start that?”Alaska Legislature: Senate Finance - June 5, 2026 9:00am · Jun 5, 2026
This episode covers the week's major Alaska stories: a gas pipeline tax bill that added oil tax increases, the Point Thomson condensate trade-off for pipeline gas, Mount Edgecumbe enrollment crisis, and McNeil River bear sanctuary access proposals.

The Senate Resources Committee passed a gas pipeline tax bill that includes an oil production tax floor increase from four to six percent, prompting industry criticism despite thirty-two hearings on the measure.

The Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission is preparing to submit its primacy application to the EPA by the end of May 2026, seeking authority to permit and regulate Class VI carbon storage wells in Alaska.

State regulators told lawmakers that switching Point Thomson from gas cycling to blowdown for the proposed gas pipeline would sacrifice roughly 65 million barrels of highly valuable condensate—Alaska's most valuable North Slope resource.

Only Prudhoe Bay and Point Thomson hold regulatory approval to supply major gas sales projects. The commission's testimony contradicts recent claims that other fields are ready to deliver.

A federal appeals court has ruled that Alaska's transparency laws trump oil company confidentiality claims for exploration data in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, setting a precedent that could affect how much the public learns about drilling activity in one of the state's largest energy basins.

Cook Inlet basin gas production dropped to approximately 61 billion cubic feet in 2025—down from 79 Bcf in 2016—while annual demand holds near 65-70 Bcf, according to Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission data presented by ENSTAR to legislators.

Hilcorp Cook Inlet filed Friday for a gas storage lease covering 1,330 acres of subsurface reservoir in Kenai city limits. Public comments are due July 7.
