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 May 25
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 AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min readFrom 
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 AlaskaNews5mo 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 Green5mo ago4 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 AlaskaNews5mo ago3 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 AlaskaNews5mo 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 AlaskaNews5mo ago2 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 AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
Week of May 18
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 5mo ago2 min read
More from Oil & Gas
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 AlaskaNews5mo 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 AlaskaNews5mo 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 AlaskaNews5mo 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 AlaskaNews5mo 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 AlaskaNews5mo 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 AlaskaNews5mo 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 AlaskaNews5mo 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 AlaskaNews5mo 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
Alaska Senate opens special session on natural gas tax overhaul
Alaska Senate opened special session to overhaul natural gas taxes through Senate Bill 2001. • New volumetric tax on gas throughput and revised municipal property tax calculations for schools. • Governor Dunleavy called session under May 19 proclamation limited to natural gas tax bills. • Senate coordinating with House and three state departments to avoid costly errors.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Dunleavy vetoes transit plan, calls special session on gas pipeline tax
Governor Dunleavy vetoed a statewide transit bill and called a special legislative session to address natural gas pipeline taxation, with Senate Finance Committee hearings beginning Wednesday at 9 a.m.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Senate Republicans link Cook Inlet gas decline to rural power costs
Senate Republicans warn Cook Inlet gas decline will raise rural power costs through state subsidy program. • Caucus calls energy shortage an existential crisis and pushes Legislature to build gasline instead of importing liquefied gas. • Three priorities set for special session: cut energy costs, create jobs from pipeline, manage resources for public benefit.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Aspect Holdings addresses $100B Alaska projection, contested Teshekpuk lease
Aspect Holdings won eight Alaska lease blocks projecting $100 billion in state revenue. • One contested block near Teshekpuk Lake faces a lawsuit from a Native organization. • Seven uncontested blocks expected to be finalized soon. • Company estimates 20 billion barrels of recoverable oil remain on North Slope.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Alaska LNG project secures financing proposals, targets 2027 construction start
Alaska LNG secured private financing to build 800-mile pipeline from North Slope to Cook Inlet, targeting 2027 construction start and 2029 gas delivery. • Needs tax stabilization law and utility regulator approval to proceed. • Export facility would sell 20 million tonnes of LNG yearly, mostly to Asia. • Project addresses Cook Inlet gas shortage and aims to lower Alaska energy costs.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Alaska Energy Conference Highlights Gas Pipeline Progress Amid Legislative Tax Debate
Alaska LNG pipeline signed contracts, targets 2029 delivery, but governor and legislature split on tax framework. • Southcentral consumers could pay $22.96 per thousand cubic feet if exports fail, double current rates. • Federal officials highlighted critical minerals and $1 billion in funding, but permitting takes 15 to 18 years. • Rural Alaska pays $6.63 per gallon with no pipeline relief in sight.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago4 min read
Begich cites $163M Alaska oil lease sale as proof federal certainty drives investment
Rep. Nick Begich cited a record $163 million Alaska oil lease sale as evidence that federal policy certainty drives energy investment, and called for faster permitting to unlock Alaska's oil, gas, and geothermal resources for national security.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Pikka field begins oil production on Alaska's North Slope
Pikka field on Alaska's North Slope began oil production this week and is expected to add about 80,000 barrels per day to state output.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min readWeek of May 11
Alaska News Roundup: Gas pipeline tax fight, Point Thomson trade-off, and McNeil River access debate
Senate passed gas pipeline tax bill raising oil production tax floor to six percent, drawing industry criticism. • Point Thomson regulators warn blowdown for pipeline risks sixty-five million barrels of condensate. • Mount Edgecumbe enrollment dropped a quarter to three hundred eleven students amid facility and health concerns. • Fish and Game reviews wheeled plane landings at McNeil River bear sanctuary despite conservation objections.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
Senate cuts community impact fees for gas pipeline by half
Alaska Senate cut community impact fees for the Alaska LNG pipeline to $500,000 per mile, halving projected municipal payments from $740 million to $370 million during construction.
by Alaska News6mo ago5 min read
Senate panel cuts oil production tax rate from 35% to 17%
Alaska's Senate Finance Committee cut the oil production tax rate in half, from 35 percent to 17 percent, and will hear industry testimony Monday.
by Alaska News6mo ago1 min read
Senate panel advances gas pipeline bill with reduced community payments
Alaska Senate panel cut community payments for a major gas pipeline from $800 million to $200 million and added the governor's plan to raise oil taxes, advancing the merged bill toward a vote.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min readSenate panel advances gas pipeline bill with oil tax floor increase
Alaska Senate panel advanced a gas pipeline bill raising the minimum oil production tax from 4 percent to 6 percent starting January 2027, whether or not the pipeline gets built.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min readOil industry opposes gas pipeline tax bill over bundled oil tax increases
Oil industry opposes gas pipeline tax bill over bundled oil tax increases it says lack economic analysis and could deter future investment.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
House panel hears gas line tax bill with 15-cent volumetric fee
House panel heard a bill replacing property taxes on the Alaska LNG pipeline with a 15-cent volumetric tax, projected to generate $10 million for the state in 2029.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Point Thomson Gas Blowdown Could Cost Alaska 65M Barrels of Condensate
Switching Point Thomson from gas cycling to blowdown for the proposed gas pipeline would sacrifice roughly 65 million barrels of condensate, state regulators told lawmakers Wednesday.
by Alaska News6mo ago5 min read
Gas tax hike could net Alaska $590M over pipeline life, analysis shows
Raising Alaska's gas production tax by 1 percentage point could generate $590 million over 30 years once the Alaska LNG project exports begin in 2033, without raising in-state gas prices.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
Senate panel debates gas pipeline tax structure in 26th hearing
Senate panel debated tax rates for Alaska LNG Monday, with focus on where gas gets taxed and how the state collects revenue under a proposed volumetric system.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Week of May 4
Alaska House Rewrites LNG Tax Bill, Raising Rate While Empowering Boroughs
Alaska House raised the LNG pipeline tax to 15 cents per thousand cubic feet and gave boroughs power to negotiate property taxes on gas facilities instead of a uniform state rate.
by Alaska News6mo ago5 min read
Alaska LNG Tax Bill Stalls as Lawmakers Demand Project Cost Data
Alaska lawmakers lack confidential cost data to set taxes on the proposed Alaska LNG project with only days left in the session.
by Alaska News6mo ago5 min read
House Panel Advances $40M Community Impact Fund for Gas Pipeline
House Resources Committee voted 7-2 to increase a community impact fund for Alaska LNG pipeline municipalities to $40 million, over the project developer's objection that it exceeds economic modeling.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
ConocoPhillips Cuts 12.5% of North Slope Workforce as Oil Prices Fall
ConocoPhillips laid off 12.5% of its North Slope workforce in September following its merger with Marathon Oil, affecting workers at Kuparuk, Alpine, and Willow fields as oil prices fell.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min readFrom Senate panel proposes doubling Dalton Highway surcharge in gas line bill
Senate committee doubled the Dalton Highway maintenance surcharge to 30 cents per barrel in the gas pipeline bill, but questioned whether $1 billion in tax cuts justify the cost to Alaska.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Senate panel debates $1B tax break for Alaska LNG amid cost secrecy
Alaska Senate panel split on tax breaks for $46 billion LNG project, with one lawmaker refusing to vote without cost details and warning the state could lose $1 billion annually in taxes.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
