Oil & Gas
RSSOil and gas in Alaska is the state's petroleum and natural gas industry, from North Slope production to Cook Inlet gas fields and the pipelines that move it. It covers North Slope and Cook Inlet production, pipelines like TAPS, and the tax and leasing debates around Alaska LNG.
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Week of Jun 8
Same committee, same day, two close votes on Alaska LNG ratepayer protection — and they didn't go the same way
House Finance can't quite decide how much to protect Alaska ratepayers from LNG cost overruns — Tuesday's two votes split, with the same person providing the swing both times.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
ENSTAR Caps the Price. Stedman Eyes the Debt.
ENSTAR is locking in a $16 price ceiling, but Sen. Bert Stedman argued the costs may have just moved upstream, to the tune of $3.3 billion over 30 years.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
North Slope pipeline company seeks to double metering capacity at TAPS
Kuparuk Transportation Company asked Alaska regulators to nearly double metering capacity at a key North Slope pipeline pump station, from 360,000 to 634,000 barrels per day, to handle crude from new oil fields coming online.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago1 min read
House Finance writes a $16 gas-price cap into Alaska LNG bill — even if Enstar's contract isn't signed
Alaska House Finance voted 6-5 Monday to write a $16-per-MMBtu price cap for natural gas into the state's Alaska LNG tax bill, protecting consumers even if Enstar's contract with the developer remains unsigned.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
House Finance amendment lets pipeline-route municipalities bill Alaska LNG directly — skipping the state appropriation step
House Finance approved an amendment allowing pipeline-route municipalities to bill the Alaska LNG operator directly for their tax share instead of waiting for state appropriation.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
All three major North Slope producers have signed Alaska LNG Phase 1 sale agreements — and they want their ownership to stop at the lease line
All three major North Slope producers have signed Alaska LNG Phase 1 sale agreements — and they want their ownership to stop at the lease line
by Alaska News5mo ago3 min read
Department of Revenue presents Senate Finance with Alaska LNG breakeven modeling across cost and tax scenarios
Alaska LNG needs $9.07 per thousand cubic feet to break even under current law, or $10.69 if capital costs reach $60 billion. • Senate Bill 2001 would lower those breakeven prices to $8.54 and $9.97 respectively, but reduce state revenue from North Slope gas. • Department of Revenue presented the modeling to help Senate Finance evaluate the tax restructuring tradeoff.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Department of Revenue presents Senate Finance with 25-scenario sensitivity analysis on Alaska LNG fiscal impact
Department of Revenue modeled Alaska LNG's fiscal impact under SB 2001 across 25 scenarios through 2062. • Baseline scenario projects $29 billion in net state revenue gains. • Worst-case scenario with $100 per barrel oil and major production losses would cost the state $16.2 billion.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
More from Oil & Gas
Week of Jun 1
North Slope pipeline seeks 76% metering boost at Pump Station 1
Kuparuk Transportation Company asked Alaska regulators to nearly double metering capacity at its North Slope pipeline connection, raising it from 360,000 to 634,000 barrels per day.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago1 min read
Alyeska tears down Pump Station 8 near Salcha
Alyeska Pipeline is demolishing Pump Station 8 near Salcha, 30 miles south of Fairbanks, removing buildings and tanks that have sat idle since the station closed in 1996.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago2 min read
North Slope oil production set to jump 76% as new fields come online
Kuparuk Pipeline seeks permits to boost North Slope oil capacity 76 percent, from 360,000 to 634,000 barrels per day, to handle new fields including the Pikka project. Public comment deadline is June 26.
by Alaska News5mo ago1 min read
North Slope has two fields cleared for gas sales, AOGCC tells Senate
Alaska's oil regulator told lawmakers that only Prudhoe Bay and Point Thomson fields have approval to supply gas to the Alaska LNG project, which aims to start deliveries in 2029.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Alaska LNG seeks 90% property tax cut; Kenai Peninsula pushes back
Alaska LNG is seeking a 90 percent property tax cut to proceed, but Kenai Peninsula Borough says the cut would cost local governments about $30 million annually needed to cover project impacts.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
Hilcorp seeks Cook Inlet gas storage lease at Beluga River — part of how Southcentral plans to get through winter as gas production declines
Hilcorp seeks gas storage lease at Beluga River in Cook Inlet to manage Southcentral's winter demand surge. • The site overlaps critical habitat for the endangered Cook Inlet beluga whale, population around 300. • Alaska Department of Natural Resources is taking public comment on the application.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
ANWR lease sale draws $3.74m in winning bids from AIDEA, Hex Energy
The Arctic Refuge lease sale brought in $3.7 million from two bidders, a modest showing compared with the recent NPR-A sale’s 11 companies and $163 million-plus in receipts.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
HEX Operating files to renew Cook Inlet spill plan
HEX Operating filed June 3 to renew its Cook Inlet oil spill response plan covering potential discharges up to 82,500 barrels. • The renewal comes as HEX expands drilling with state-backed financing, raising stakes for Cook Inlet salmon habitat and subsistence fishing. • Public comment period runs through July 6, with hearing requests due by June 22.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
Coming up
Alaska LNG ROW Lease Conversion Public Hearing (In Person)
AHFC Headquarters Building, 4300 Boniface Parkway, Anchorage, Alaska 99504
Hearing
AOGCC Public Hearing on Plug and Abandonment Waiver (Docket OTH-26-031)
Hearing
EPA Virtual Public Hearing on Alaska Underground Injection Control Class VI Injection Well Primacy
Hearing
Hilcorp Alaska Cook Inlet ODPCP Public Hearing Request Deadline
Public notice
Public Comment Period: Oil Search Nanushuk Processing Facility Air Quality Permit AQ1683MSS01 Rev. 3
Public notice
About Oil & Gas
Oil and gas in Alaska takes in the exploration, production and transport of petroleum and natural gas, from the North Slope fields around Prudhoe Bay to the platforms and gas fields of Cook Inlet. It also takes in the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System and the Alaska LNG project to move North Slope gas.
State leasing, exploration and drilling approvals, and federal rules for the National Petroleum Reserve and the Arctic refuge's 1002 Area shape where companies can work. Operators such as Hilcorp and ConocoPhillips need permits for ice roads, gravel mines, air emissions and wetland fill. Whether Cook Inlet gas can keep supplying Southcentral homes and utilities is a recurring question, along with gas storage and the financing of Alaska LNG.
The industry connects to state bodies such as the state gasline corporation and AIDEA, and to utilities that buy gas, such as ENSTAR and Matanuska Electric. North Slope communities such as Kaktovik seek a voice in development decisions near them.
More from Oil & Gas
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 News5mo 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 5mo 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 AlaskaNews5mo 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 5mo 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 5mo 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 5mo ago2 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 5mo 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 5mo 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 5mo 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 5mo 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 5mo 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 5mo ago1 min readSouthcentral 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 News5mo ago3 min read
Cook 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 News5mo ago2 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 AlaskaNews5mo 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 AlaskaNews5mo 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 5mo ago1 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 AlaskaNews5mo 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 AlaskaNews5mo 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 AlaskaNews5mo 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 AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Week of May 25
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 5mo 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 5mo 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 AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min readFrom 
