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 4
House panel hears tax proposal for Alaska LNG project
House panel heard a proposal to cut Alaska LNG's property tax burden from $750 million yearly by 2033 to about $200 million through a volumetric tax on gas volume.

Dunleavy says Alaska gas pipeline depends on property tax overhaul
Governor Dunleavy demands the legislature pass a property tax overhaul within three weeks to make a $44 billion to $50 billion North Slope gas pipeline financially viable.

Alaska LNG project could tap Defense Production Act for federal support
The Alaska Senate Resources Committee is weighing federal aid for the $47 billion Alaska LNG project. Experts warn this could set a massive precedent for future infrastructure funding.

Week of Apr 27
House panel ties Alaska gas line tax breaks to Fairbanks spur line
House panel tied tax breaks for Alaska's LNG project to building a spur line delivering affordable gas to Fairbanks and military bases, shifting the debate over who pays for Interior access.

Senate panel advances gas pipeline tax overhaul with $610M revenue target
Alaska Senate panel voted to replace property tax on gas pipelines with a volumetric tax projected to generate $610 million annually once Alaska LNG reaches full capacity.

Senate unveils gas pipeline bill with $600M property tax, consumer protections
Alaska Senate rewrote the governor's gas pipeline bill to raise property taxes from $74 million to $600 million at full production and ban passing cost overruns to consumers.

Denali Borough mayor opposes state control of pipeline tax payments
Denali Borough's mayor opposes SB 280's requirement that pipeline tax payments flow through the legislature, urging direct payments to municipalities before construction starts in 2026.

Energy consultant: Alaska LNG tax bill could cut delivered cost by 20 cents
A tax overhaul for Alaska LNG could cut delivered gas costs to Asia by 20 cents per unit, an energy consultant told lawmakers, but the Senate is pushing for higher taxes that could change the math.

More from Oil & Gas
Oil industry opposes tax provisions in Alaska gas pipeline bill
Alaska's oil and gas industry opposes tax provisions in SB 280, warning they could make some wells uneconomic and create antitrust risks, even if the gas pipeline project never happens.

Alaska LNG Consultant Flags Potential 50% Return for Developers vs. $1B State Revenue
A consultant warned lawmakers that Alaska LNG developers could net $8 billion annually by 2050. He cautioned his preliminary model may contain errors that require further review.

Alaska LNG Tax Bill Walks Tightrope Between Project Viability and Local Needs
House committee approved a three-part tax on Alaska LNG with a six-year break, but Senate wants rates up to 55 cents per thousand cubic feet. • The bill requires community benefit agreements and revenue sharing with municipalities, but lacks enforcement details. • North Slope and Kenai Peninsula boroughs could take equity stakes instead of tax payments, a structure unlike other major LNG projects.

Alaska LNG tax bill could swing state revenue by hundreds of millions
Alaska's proposed LNG tax bill could swing state revenue by hundreds of millions depending on how regulators interpret rules for separating oil and gas costs, the Department of Revenue warned Monday.

Week of Apr 20
Senate Resources hears LNG tax framework comparison, transparency concerns
Alaska Senate Resources Committee heard a consultant compare LNG tax frameworks and flag that lack of clarity on property taxes may be blocking project talks with stakeholders.

Senate panel hears workforce plan for Alaska LNG pipeline
Alaska LNG pipeline needs 6,600 workers by 2027, but state's shrinking workforce means most will come from outside Alaska. • Training system runs at 60 to 80 percent capacity; barriers include instructor shortages and living costs during training. • State should expand short-cycle vocational programs and consider a state apprenticeship agency to increase hiring ratios.

Municipal League urges local control in Alaska LNG tax negotiations
Alaska Municipal League urged state senators to let local governments negotiate their own tax deals with Alaska LNG rather than accept a statewide formula.

Senate panel examines LNG project economics, megaproject risks
Senate Resources Committee heard Alaska LNG faces typical megaproject cost and schedule risks. • A proposed 6-cent volumetric tax would generate roughly $2 billion for the state over 35 years but raise the project's effective tax rate to 33 percent, above competing Canadian projects. • Phased construction reduces upfront costs but introduces financing risk if later phases are delayed.

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
House Resources Committee debates LNG equity stakes, rejects wildlife refuge amendments
Alaska House Resources Committee heard testimony on state equity stakes in the Alaska LNG project and rejected five wildlife refuge bill amendments on 5-4 party-line votes Friday.

House Finance hears divided testimony on pharmacist prescribing bill
House Finance heard divided testimony on HB 195. The bill would let pharmacists treat routine illnesses to help fill rural care gaps.

Senate panel examines regulatory questions on gas pipeline tax plan
Senate panel debated tax breaks and regulatory oversight for a proposed natural gas pipeline, with municipalities seeking clearer cost projections and more local control.

House Finance hears divided testimony on pharmacist prescribing bill
House Finance heard divided testimony Monday on a bill expanding pharmacists' prescribing authority, with supporters citing rural healthcare access and opponents raising abortion medication concerns.

Week of Mar 30
Mayors Oppose Alaska LNG Tax Bill, Cite Revenue Concerns
Five Alaska borough mayors told lawmakers the proposed Alaska LNG tax bill would slash municipal revenues by up to 90 percent, prompting the Senate to delay it for further review.
Senate Panel Questions DNR Commissioner Nominee on Gas Development
Senate committee pressed DNR nominee John Crowther on Cook Inlet gas supply and oil royalty disputes as he seeks confirmation to lead Alaska's resource department.