Oil & Gas
RSSNorth Slope oil & gas operations: Willow, Pikka, Point Thomson, production economics, tax debates, pipeline politics (TAPS)
State wins option to buy 25% of Alaska LNG after investors commit
Alaska secured the right to buy up to 25% of the Alaska LNG project after private investors commit, with six months to decide whether to invest between $230 million and $1.16 billion.
by Alaska News3mo ago2 min read
Kuparuk Pipeline seeks 76% capacity expansion for North Slope crude
Kuparuk Transportation Company seeks to expand its pipeline capacity 76 percent, from 360,000 to 634,000 barrels per day, to move more North Slope crude into the Trans Alaska Pipeline System.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago2 min read
Glenfarne's own cost estimate for Alaska LNG is now significantly higher than AGDC's — and the state's equity option sits in the middle of the new math
Glenfarne raised Alaska LNG cost estimate to 44.5 to 54.5 billion dollars, up from state agency's 38.7 billion. • Legislature can buy 5 to 25 percent equity stake within 180 days after final investment decision. • Property tax reform is central to project financing, with current rates costing roughly 380 million dollars yearly during construction.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago3 min read
Hilcorp, ENSTAR seek leases for three Cook Inlet gas storage sites
Hilcorp and ENSTAR filed three applications to convert depleted Cook Inlet gas fields into storage facilities, a move the state says is critical as the inlet's aging reserves decline and supply reliability becomes a concern for Southcentral Alaska.
by Alaska Newsadded 3mo ago1 min readConocoPhillips seeks North Slope road upgrades for Willow haul
ConocoPhillips filed an amended permit Friday to upgrade a North Slope gravel road for hauling Willow oil project modules, expanding the easement footprint by 1.6 acres. Public comment closes June 30.
by Alaska Newsadded 3mo ago1 min read
DEC opens comment on Trans Alaska Pipeline spill plan renewal
Alaska's environmental agency opened public comment on the Trans Alaska Pipeline's spill-response plan renewal through March 5, covering the 800-mile system from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez.
by Alaska Newsadded 3mo ago1 min read
Alaska raises rural power subsidy floor, cutting support $3M
Alaska's Regulatory Commission proposed raising the Power Cost Equalization baseline rate nearly 10 percent, cutting rural electricity subsidies by about $3 million. • The subsidy shrinks when urban power costs rise because the baseline is tied to Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau rates. • Chugach Electric and Fairbanks power costs are climbing, driven partly by diesel dependence and higher gas prices.
by Alaska Newsadded 3mo ago2 min read
Dunleavy warns of 45-cent power without gas-line tax deal
Governor Dunleavy warned that without a gas-line tax bill passed in three weeks, Alaska could face power costs of 35 to 45 cents per kilowatt hour within five to 10 years.
by Alaska Newsadded 3mo ago3 min read
Alaska LNG developer says financing secured, eyes 2027 start
Alaska LNG developer says financing is secured and construction could start in early 2027, with gas flowing to Cook Inlet by late 2029, pending legislative approval of tax terms and regulatory sign-off on a gas supply deal.
by Alaska Newsadded 3mo ago2 min readAlaska LNG nears Enstar supply deal as Cook Inlet gas declines
Alaska LNG is near a deal to supply North Slope gas to Southcentral Alaska homes and businesses through Enstar Natural Gas at prices below imported LNG, with pipeline construction set to start in early 2027 and gas delivery by late 2029.
by Alaska Newsadded 3mo ago3 min read
DNR approves North Slope easement for Hilcorp drilling expansion
Alaska DNR approved a 71.91-acre easement amendment Monday allowing Hilcorp to drill new wells from its North Slope onshore pad through existing leases to reach offshore oil reserves in the Beaufort Sea, with drilling to begin this month.
by Alaska Newsadded 3mo ago1 min readCook Inlet gas production drops 60% since 2010
Cook Inlet natural gas production has dropped 60% since 2010 to 200 million cubic feet per day, leaving winter demand unmet and forcing utilities to plan for costly LNG imports starting in 2033.
by Alaska News3mo ago2 min read
Southcentral utilities warn of steep rate hikes as Cook Inlet gas dwindles
MEA and ENSTAR told lawmakers Southcentral electricity and heating bills will jump $21 to $31 monthly starting in 2029 when Cook Inlet gas contracts expire and utilities switch to costlier imported liquefied natural gas.
by Alaska News3mo ago3 min read
Alaska keeps veto power over LNG project despite 25% stake
Alaska keeps veto power over major Alaska LNG decisions despite owning only 25 percent of the joint venture with Glenfarne Group, including approval rights over contracts, capital requests, and rate structures that prioritize in-state gas use.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Alaska LNG tax bill ties $26.5B in revenue to volume, not value
Senate bill would tax Alaska LNG by volume instead of property value, generating $26.5 billion in state and local revenue. • The shift trades potentially higher property tax income for tax certainty to attract the project developer. • Mayors oppose the bill, saying municipalities would lose hundreds of millions in annual property tax revenue.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
ConocoPhillips files amended Meltwater easement application
ConocoPhillips filed an amended application to renew a state easement for surface access to Meltwater infrastructure on the North Slope, with the Alaska Department of Natural Resources accepting public comment through its Permitting Section.
by Alaska Newsadded 3mo ago1 min read
Four Alaska co-ops file community solar tariffs in two-day span
Four Alaska electric cooperatives filed community solar programs this week, letting members buy shares in shared arrays instead of installing rooftop panels.
by Alaska Newsadded 3mo ago2 min read
Consultant warns Senate Finance that Alaska LNG faces megaproject risks
Consultant warns Senate Finance that Alaska LNG faces megaproject risks, citing data showing 67% of LNG projects exceed budgets by 70% on average.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
ConocoPhillips is widening the last gravel road before Willow's modules hit ice
The Willow project takes another step forward
by Bill AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
ENSTAR says it locked in a price for Alaska LNG
ENSTAR locked in $16 per thousand cubic feet for North Slope pipeline gas, undercutting LNG imports at $20 to $23 but raising costs 48% above current Cook Inlet supply before adding $4.50 to $6 in distribution and storage charges.
by Bill AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Senate Finance hears $18 billion revenue trade-off for Alaska LNG tax break
Senate Finance heard the proposed Alaska LNG tax break would cut state and municipal revenues by $18 billion over 30 years, but the estimate rests on construction costs that may range from $45 billion to $90 billion.
by Bill AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Federal appeals court clears Alaska to release NPR-A drilling data
A federal appeals court ruled Alaska can release ConocoPhillips exploration well data from the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska after the state's confidentiality period expires, rejecting the company's claim that federal law blocked disclosure.
by Bill AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago2 min read
AIDEA approves $190 million for ANWR seismic surveys and lease evaluation
AIDEA approved up to $190 million on May 13 for seismic surveys and lease evaluation in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Coastal Plain ahead of a federal lease sale scheduled for June 2026.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Alyeschem breaks ground on North Slope methanol plant
Alyeschem broke ground May 15 on Alaska's first Arctic petrochemical plant at Prudhoe Bay, converting natural gas into methanol with AIDEA's $70 million financing and operations expected by late 2027.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
AIDEA releases $50M credit line for Cook Inlet gas drilling
AIDEA released the first draw from a $50 million credit line to HEX Cook Inlet LLC in May to drill two offshore gas wells, part of a broader state push including a royalty rate cut to 3% and pending legislation to support Cook Inlet production.
by Bill AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago2 min read
North Slope, Kenai mayors negotiate gas line property tax as House Finance delays bill deadline
North Slope Borough Mayor Patkotak and Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Micciche negotiated property tax terms for the Alaska LNG project as the House Finance Committee delayed its amendment deadline to allow talks to continue.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago4 min read
ANWR lease sale will test whether Alaska oil appetite reaches the Arctic Refuge
After eight years, two underwhelming sales, and one federal lawsuit, ANWR gets another go on June 5 — and the oil industry finally has to bid or stop being coy.
by Cale Green4mo ago4 min read
Alaska LNG faces tax competition from Canadian projects with federal support
Canada landed its big LNG project the old-fashioned way, by quietly stacking tax breaks for investors years before anyone broke ground, and Alaska's Senate spent Wednesday flipping through the recipe to see what's worth copying.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Alaska LNG could cost $70 billion; state's 25% stake faces dilution
Alaska’s LNG project may have just gotten a $24 billion “whoops.” The state has been planning around a $46 billion price tag, but lawmakers were told the real number may be closer to $70 billion — which is less of a budget update and more of a financial jump scare.
by Bill AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
AGDC tells House Finance that Alaska property tax is 10 times higher than competing LNG projects
More conversations about the Governor's plan to make the AK LNG project more profitable to investors.
by Bill AlaskaNews4mo ago3 min read
Energy consultant tells House Finance that property tax makes Alaska LNG unfinanceable
Energy consultant says property tax costs $600 million yearly, making Alaska LNG unfinanceable.
by Bill AlaskaNews4mo ago3 min read
Kenai approves $30K more for gas storage lease consulting
Kenai City Council approved an extra $30,000 for consultants to evaluate two competing natural gas storage proposals at the municipal airport, bringing the total contract to $60,000.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago2 min read
Alaska seeks federal approval to regulate carbon storage wells
Alaska Oil and Gas Commission seeks EPA approval by May to regulate carbon storage wells in the state instead of federal oversight. Approval expected by late 2026 or early 2027. State completed 110-page regulations covering site selection, monitoring, and 50-year operator responsibility. Alaska's deep gas reservoirs offer storage space for carbon dioxide from LNG export and oil operations.
by Bill AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Roundup: Alaska energy conference closes with pipeline financing, record lease sale, and economic freedom debate
Glenfarne secured financing for Alaska LNG pipeline, targeting 2027 construction and 2029 delivery to Cook Inlet, pending tax legislation. • National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska lease sale drew $163 million in bids for 1.3 million acres, though one block faces court challenge. • Dunleavy and economist Wade argued regulatory streamlining and energy access drive economic growth.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago4 min read
Alaska gas line faces economic challenge even with tax breaks
Alaska LNG needs $8.48 to $9.07 per thousand cubic feet to break even, but global prices are $8 to $9. • Governor's tax plan cuts state revenue from $29.7 billion to $22.5 billion over the project's life. • Capital cost overruns and producer gas prices pose bigger risks than tax relief can fix. • State could invest $4.4 billion for a 25 percent equity stake.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago3 min read
House Resources gas line bill would cost municipalities $13B under governor's plan
Governor's plan cuts municipal revenue by $13 billion, House Resources version cuts only $2 billion • Governor replaces property tax with volumetric tax statewide, House Resources keeps property tax on facilities • Both versions reduce state revenue, project remains economically challenged at current market prices
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago3 min read
Alaska LNG Project Shifts Focus to In-State Gas, Delays Export Phase
Alaska LNG delays exports, focuses first on supplying in-state gas from North Slope to Cook Inlet. • Lawmakers debate tying tax breaks to a required gas line serving Fairbanks. • Company warns narrow financial window and limited pipeline capacity pose challenges. • Governor says tax breaks are needed to compete with cheaper energy projects elsewhere.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago3 min read
Governor Dunleavy touts gas pipeline, credits Trump for reversing federal limits
Governor Dunleavy said the Alaska gas pipeline project has momentum now that the Trump administration has reversed federal restrictions, and he called on Congress to streamline permitting and limit legal challenges to projects.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Alaska House approves three day recess for Memorial Day weekend during gas line special session
Alaska House votes to recess two weeks during special session on gas line taxation, allowing members to leave for Memorial Day weekend. • Opponents warn the break could delay the gas line bill, which they call the state's most urgent issue. • House also approves carrying over two companion bills on natural gas pipeline property taxes into the special session.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
House suspends rules to carry gas pipeline bills into special session
Alaska House voted 28-10 to let two natural gas tax bills continue into special session alongside the governor's competing bill, overriding objections that lawmakers should focus only on the governor's proposal.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
