Oil & Gas

Alaska extends North Slope and Beaufort Sea lease bid deadlines after email trouble

State email trouble pushed Alaska's deadline for North Slope, Beaufort Sea and Foothills oil lease bids to 2 pm Nov. 18. Nearly 8 million acres are up for bid after minimum rates rose to $35 an acre.

by Walter AlaskaNews9h ago2 min read

Follows: Alaska opens Arctic oil lease bidding after its best sale in a decade

MEA board lets ENSTAR negotiate its gas supply for after Hilcorp contract ends in 2029

MEA's board will let ENSTAR find and negotiate the gas MEA needs after its Hilcorp deal ends in 2029. No word yet on what ENSTAR gets paid or who's selling.

by Walter AlaskaNews1d ago2 min read

Kodiak asks again for state harbor money from a program that got nothing this year

Kodiak's main harbor is worn out, and the state grant program it applied to got nothing this year. Thursday, the City Council votes on urging full funding.

by Walter AlaskaNews1d ago4 min read

High oil prices put Port of Alaska, school repairs on track for $26 million in state money

High oil prices are on track to unlock $26 million for the Port of Alaska, school repairs, campuses and court security. Oil would need to crater to stop it.

by Walter AlaskaNews2d ago2 min read

State takes comment on North Slope seismic survey and three airport lease extensions

The state is taking comments on a 205-square-mile North Slope seismic survey and on no-bid lease extensions at the Birchwood, Dillingham and Girdwood airports.

by Maggie AlaskaNews4d ago2 min readFrom Nov 4

Alaska LNG's first construction work moves to 2027 after a planned April start passes

Alaska LNG told regulators in February that gravel and camp work would start April 15. By October it was still planning and surveying. Now it's 2027.

by Walter AlaskaNews6d ago3 min read

Alaska oil falls from its highest price since 2008, trimming one windfall estimate

Alaska oil slid 6.6% in two days from its highest price since 2008. One budget group's windfall estimate fell about $400 million in a week. Still way above $75.

by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago3 min read

Follows: Alaska oil nears its highest price since 2008, far above what the state budgeted

ConocoPhillips' Alaska earnings more than triple to $423 million on higher oil prices

ConocoPhillips made $423 million in Alaska last quarter, more than triple a year ago, mostly because oil got pricier, not because it pumped much more.

by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read

State proposes more riverbed for Alyeska to protect buried pipeline near Coldfoot

A river north of Coldfoot is wearing away toward the buried trans-Alaska pipeline. The state wants to give Alyeska more riverbed for a rock structure.

by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago3 min read

Kuukpik and SAExploration seek state permit for a winter seismic survey near Nuiqsut

Nuiqsut's village corporation and SAExploration want to run a winter seismic survey over 205 square miles, including ground Santos wants to develop.

by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read

North Slope operator gets hearing on nearly $937,000 in proposed gas flaring penalties

Regulators want Mustang Holding to pay nearly $937,000 for burning off gas at its North Slope field without permission. It gets a hearing in January.

by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read

Federal regulators propose safety rules for small and mobile LNG plants

Federal regulators propose first safety rules for small and mobile LNG plants, replacing standards unchanged since 2006. Alaska already trucks LNG to Fairbanks, and small-scale sales are growing.

by Maggie AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read

Interior tells judge it's reviewing at least one application for ANWR winter work

Interior told a federal judge it's reviewing at least one application for winter work on ANWR's coastal plain, as she aims to rule on leasing by Nov. 20.

by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min readFrom Oct 27

Follows: Federal judge hears bid Thursday to throw out Arctic refuge oil leasing and leases

State moves to add land to pipeline lease for rock piles to guard against the Sag River

The state proposed adding 26 acres along the Sagavanirktok River to the pipeline's lease so Alyeska can place rock piles up to a half-mile long by the line.

by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read

Hilcorp seeks renewal of its oil spill plan for 12 Cook Inlet platforms

Hilcorp wants the state to renew its oil spill plan for 12 Cook Inlet platforms and two Kenai Peninsula fields. Public comments are open through Dec. 1.

by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read

State regulators approve APA's takeover of Badami pipelines on the eastern North Slope

State regulators OK'd APA's takeover of the Badami pipelines, part of a $70 million North Slope buy APA expects to support its drilling starting this winter.

by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read

Regulators approve ENSTAR plan to borrow MEA's gas to shore up winter storage

Regulators OK'd ENSTAR borrowing MEA's gas from Hilcorp this winter to top off storage. MEA gets it back by 2028, and gas customers cover the cost.

by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read

Follows: ENSTAR asks regulators to fast-track a deal to borrow MEA's gas for this winter

Alaska oil nears its highest price since 2008, far above what the state budgeted

Alaska built its budget on $75 oil. North Slope crude hit $129.71 Wednesday, and if prices stay high the state could take in about $1.7 billion extra.

by Alaska News2w ago3 min read

State approves APA's plan for two winter exploration wells near Badami

The state approved APA's plan for two winter exploration wells near Badami, reached by 58 miles of ice road. APA has also agreed to buy Badami's operator.

by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago2 min read

Alaska proposes excluding fracking, drilling pad costs from oil property tax values

Alaska wants to spell out which drilling costs oil companies can leave out of taxed value, fracking and pads included. A board asked for clearer rules in 2016.

by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago2 min read

EPA proposes lighter methane rules for low-producing oil and gas well sites

EPA wants lighter methane rules for low-output wells, saying 2024 rules could shut up to 200,000. A DOE study says they emit half of production methane.

by Maggie AlaskaNews2w ago2 min read

EPA proposes letting new oil wells flare gas instead of capturing it

EPA proposed letting new oil wells burn off the gas that comes up with their oil instead of capturing it. North Slope fields pump huge volumes back down.

by Maggie AlaskaNews2w ago2 min read

Federal judge hears bid Thursday to throw out Arctic refuge oil leasing and leases

A judge hears arguments Thursday on scrapping ANWR's oil leasing program. Gwich'in and conservation groups sue; Kaktovik, the state and industry defend it.

by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago2 min read

ENSTAR asks regulators to fast-track a deal to borrow MEA's gas for this winter

ENSTAR wants to borrow 1.2 billion cubic feet of MEA's gas for this winter and return it by 2028. Customers would pay the costs, minus a credit on return.

by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago3 min readFrom Oct 21

Santos will hold Pikka near 70,000 barrels a day for now, short of its 80,000 target

Pikka briefly hit an 80,000-barrel daily rate, then bad weather and a road crash intervened. Santos will hold near 70,000 so water injection can catch up.

by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago2 min readFrom Oct 21

Ex-Polar LNG chief says Russia's Novatek supplied undisclosed startup funding

Polar LNG Russian financing

by Cale Green2w ago4 min read

State lets seismic survey near Beluga reach across the Castle Mountain Fault

The state let a Houston seismic company redraw its lines in the Susitna Flats refuge so one reaches across the Castle Mountain Fault. Nobody commented.

by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago2 min read

Follows: State takes comment on expanding Western Cook Inlet geophysical survey near Beluga

Rose, Holdmann say Southcentral gas imports look unavoidable and urge state policy

The founders of REAP and UAF's energy center say Southcentral probably can't avoid importing gas, and want a new governor to "knock heads" among utilities.

by Bill AlaskaNews2w ago2 min read

State proposes full leases for Alaska LNG pipeline route, replacing conditional leases

The state proposed Friday to give Alaska LNG full leases for its 807-mile pipeline route. Closed financing, final contracts and a tax deal are still pending.

by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago3 min read

Follows: Alaska LNG asks DNR to convert conditional pipeline leases to full leases

State moves to expand lease for Alyeschem's North Slope methanol and diesel plant

The state moved Friday to give Alyeschem's North Slope methanol and diesel plant a bit more elbow room, adding 11.7 acres to its lease and dropping 9.22.

by Maggie AlaskaNews3w ago2 min read

State ends Hilcorp's idle Cook Inlet unit but gives it three years to decide on a restart

The state agreed Wednesday to end the unit around two long-idle Cook Inlet platforms, but gave Hilcorp three more years to decide whether to fire one back up.

by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago3 min read

Kenai asks to join the federal review of a proposed undersea data center in Cook Inlet

Kenai wants a seat at the table as a Massachusetts company seeks to study putting 330-plus tidal turbines and 66 computer pods in Cook Inlet.

by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago2 min readFrom Oct 7

USGS estimates North Slope holds 96 trillion cubic feet of gas yet to be found

USGS says the North Slope may hold 96 trillion cubic feet of gas nobody has found yet, about three years of U.S. use. Getting it out is still the hard part.

by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago2 min read

Alaska opens Arctic oil lease bidding after its best sale in a decade

Alaska opened bidding on nearly 8 million acres of North Slope and Beaufort Sea oil leases, a year after the same sales had their best showing in a decade.

by Maggie AlaskaNews3w ago2 min read

Narwhal Exploration seeks state approval to drill up to three wells in West Harrison Bay

Narwhal Exploration wants to drill up to three oil wells from ice pads in Harrison Bay this winter, a year later than first planned. Comments are due Oct. 30.

by Maggie AlaskaNews3w ago2 min read

State plans to approve air permit change for Pikka oil plant on North Slope

Pikka's oil plant wants to trade some nitrogen oxides for volatile organic compounds, and state regulators are preliminarily on board. Comments run to Nov. 16.

by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago2 min read

Where Alaska LNG stands after Lutnick's 'federalized' remark

Permits: yes. Taiwan and Korea money, announced: yes. Closed financing, final sales contracts and a state tax deal: not yet. Here's where the gas line stands.

by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago8 min read

Trump says oil will "drop like a rock" after the Iran war, citing Alaska oil

Trump says oil will "drop like a rock" once the Iran war ends. If he's right, drivers win and Alaska's treasury loses about $35 million per dollar.

by Bill AlaskaNews3w ago2 min read

DOE awards ASRC subsidiary up to $49.8 million for Prudhoe Bay hydrate test site

The feds are paying an ASRC company up to $49.8 million to maintain a Prudhoe Bay methane hydrate test site and plan a possible second production test.

by Walter AlaskaNews4w ago2 min read

AGDC managers ask board for $1.28 million to support its 25% stake in Alaska LNG

The state's gas line corporation owns a quarter of Alaska LNG and wants $1.28 million to oversee its stake, including readiness for a possible clawback.

by Walter AlaskaNews4w ago2 min read