Today's News and Commentary


In Memoriam

Point of personal privilege: Our great friend, Chuck Chuck Becker, In Memoriam, Photo by Dave Harbour, Alaska Support Industry Alliance, World Trade Center, World Affairs CouncilBecker, passed away this morning (Photos).  Today, family and countless friends are mourning his passing.  We will attempt to provide more official information as the family makes it available.

Chuck and I met in the mid-1970s in Washington D.C.  Another dear friend, the late Anchorage Mayor George Sullivan was his client and I was representing the first North Slope gas project, the Arctic Gas Consortium, with Washington and Anchorage offices.

After Chuck had moved to Anchorage and completed his economic development assignment with the Sullivan administration, and I had joined Atlantic Richfield Company, he and I worked on some communication projects.  He soon became a respected communications consultant to some of the most important businesses in the 49th state.

Chuck was deeply involved in support of reasonable development of Alaska's resources through leadership positions with the Alaska Support Industry Alliance and after years of service was named "Director Emeritus".

A veteran of the United States Department of Commerce, he served as the long-time director of the Alaska Export Assistance Center, revered for his accomplishments by the Alaska World Affairs Council which he also served as a director and past president.

Indeed, I have always considered Chuck to be deserving of the title, "Alaska's Diplomat"; for his every mission at home or abroad uniquely reflected great credit upon the United States, Alaska, his personal integrity and his own considerable abilities.

I believe the world, the country and the State of Alaska are better for having hosted the life of this dedicated man.

I believe that Chuck's friends and family will remember him as much for his patient, gentle and principled nature as for his professional accomplishments.  

I also believe those memories will be enduring: multiplied and cherished many times over in the hearts of family and friends as their own years of service continue.  

-dh

 


ALASKANOMICS: 

ISER Publication: The Path to a Fiscal Solution: Use Earnings from All Our AssetsScott Goldsmith, ISER, Alaska Permanent Fund, Fiscal Crisis, Photo by Dave Harbour

By: Scott Goldsmith, NGP Photo

Our Commentary Last Week Continues to Reverberate  

One of our commentaries last week was edited and reprinted by the national, Master Resource Blog, and concluded with a number of interesting reader comments.  (It was followed by a more heavily researched piece dealing with the environmental strategy to defeat capitalism.)

From Master Resource, it was adopted into an Austrian Economics Addict editorial: "In this article by Dave Harbour titled, Seattle Hearing On Shell’s Arctic Rig Docking: A Clash Of Visions, he talks about the differences between the two sides in this battle. Here are some excerpts from the article.

“If our civilization is to continue, our well-grounded public and private leaders need to wake up and undertake communication programs designed to better articulate…."

*     *     *

Would we like to see your reaction?  Yes we would, and we will reprint or link selected submissions.

Readers wishing for a more in-depth look at the role of environmental armies in securing their avowed goal of 'the destruction of capitalism' may be interested in our less politically correct editorial last week, "Useful Idiots".

-dh

Calgary Herald Editorial:  Everyone seems to agree that more pipelines are needed to carry Alberta bitumen to new markets, so let’s hope premier-designate Rachel Notley puts a lid on any further talk that could endanger approval of Enbridge’s Northern Gateway project.


Today's Energy Links by Larry Persily:

B.C. agrees to fiscal terms with Petronas for LNG project
 
(Wall Street Journal; May 20) – The province of British Columbia and Malaysia’s state-owned energy company Petronas on May 20 said they had agreed on fiscal terms to promote construction of a liquefied natural gas export terminal near Prince Rupert.  
 
First Nation opposition presents legal question for LNG project
 
(Business in Vancouver; May 19) – The decision by the Lax Kw’alaams First Nation in British Columbia not to accept an offer from Pacific NorthWest LNG raises a number of questions, such as whether Petronas, which has yet to make an investment decision, might cut its losses if First Nations mount an all-out battle. 
 
Companies deny Wood Mackenzie report of delays for Australia LNG
 
(Bloomberg; May 19) – Chevron and Japan’s Inpex Corp. face potential delays in starting liquefied natural gas projects in Australia, according to consulting firm Wood Mackenzie. Chevron’s Wheatstone and Inpex’s Ichthys ventures could start output in mid-2017, later than the companies forecast, Angus Rodger, Asia-Pacific analyst at Wood Mackenzie, said in an interview….
 
U.S. exports could help push LNG market toward more spot sales
 
(Bloomberg; May 19) – The U.S. is about to change the global LNG market. When the first tanker carrying liquefied natural gas leaves Cheniere Energy’s Sabine Pass terminal in Louisiana in December, it will turn traditional consumers into new traders with more bargaining power. 
 
Cheniere says it is talking with LNG buyers in China
 
(Reuters; May 19) – Chinese buyers are eyeing long-term supplies of liquefied natural gas from Cheniere Energy’s U.S. export operations….
 
Tokyo Gas looks to invest in more U.S. production as price hedge
 
(Reuters; May 18) – Tokyo Gas, Japan's biggest gas utility, is looking to invest in more U.S. shale gas production ….
 
GAIL signs preliminary deal to sell some of its U.S. LNG to Shell
 
(Reuters; May 20) – GAIL, India's largest state-owned natural gas distributor, has signed a preliminary deal to sell some of its contracted volumes of liquefied natural gas to Shell….
 
Proposed Nova Scotia LNG project gains provincial permit
 
(The Chronicle Herald; Halifax, Nova Scotia; May 19) – After an environmental assessment, Nova Scotia’s provincial environment minister has granted Bear Head LNG approval to build an 8-million-tons-per-year liquefied natural gas plant. 
 
 
Australia’s LNG industry has its share of worries, survey says  
 
(Sydney Morning Herald; May 18) – A lack of competitiveness, unwieldy regulations and inflexible industrial relations threaten to derail a bonanza from the liquefied natural gas sector in Australia as it transitions from a $250 billion investment phase into production. 
 
BHP says Australia LNG project ‘falls lower’ on its list of priorities
 
(Bloomberg; May 17) – BHP Billiton is lowering the priority of its proposed $10 billion Scarborough liquefied natural gas project with partner ExxonMobil in Australia amid a fall in prices and ….  
 
Natural gas industry faces increasing opposition to pipelines
 
(USA Today; May 17) – The U.S. is producing record amounts of natural gas…. But building the infrastructure necessary to bring that fuel to market is increasingly difficult.  
 
North Dakota farmers, ranchers frustrated over salty wastewater spills
 
(Wall Street Journal; May 16) – For most of the years since wildcatters began tapping the North Dakota prairies for oil, energy companies have existed peacefully with the farmers and ranchers ….
 
State legislatures act to protect drilling from local restrictions
 
(Wall Street Journal; May 19) – A Texas city last year banned fracking; state lawmakers want to make sure that never happens …. 
 
Yukon Territory gold mine would consider using LNG for power
 
(CBC News; May 16) – Kaminak Gold Corp. is aiming to finish a feasibility study for its Coffee Gold project near Dawson City….
 
Yukon First Nation will invest in LNG-fueled power plant
 
(Yukon News; Whitehorse, Yukon Territory; May 15) – The decision to invest in Yukon Energy’s liquefied natural gas-fueled power plant in Whitehorse, the Canadian territory’s capital city, is supported by the Kwanlin Dun First Nation community, according to … Chief Doris Bill…. 
 
Oil exports to Canada help ease pressure on U.S. storage capacity
 
(Wall Street Journal; May 19) – Crude oil exports to Canada provided a crucial relief valve for U.S. producers this year, according to a new report from …