12-4-17 We're Back, Refreshed And Find The Alaska Gasline/LNG Challenge Remains

12-4-17 We’re Back, Refreshed And Find The Alaska Gasline/LNG Challenge Remains

Suzanne Downing, Courtesy, Must Read Alaska

The main Alaska gas export project obstacle is the 49th state’s political leadership that believes socializing the private energy industry justifies rejection of logic, supply-demand principles and industry expertise when,”now is not the time” for an Alaska gas export project.

Today, the publisher of Must Read Alaska, Suzanne Downing, has written a compelling critique of the “non-binding agreement” Alaskan bureaucrats have signed with communist Chinese-owned company bureaucrats. Find her “China Takes All” analysis here.

But what is the most frightening element of this multi-tens-of-billions-of-dollars-of-risky-investment by the state on behalf of its citizens? The element of most concern to citizens is that they are entrusting the future of the state and the well-being of their children to a socialized energy project controlled by: temporarily elected and appointed politicians and bureaucrats.

We are amazed that America’s president and Alaska’s congressional delegation have at least tacitly endorsed the project when it has created, as Ms. Downing has pointed out, so many unanswered questions at a time when Alaska is embroiled in a fiscal crisis, when China and the US teeter toward unknown entanglements as the North Korea crisis grows and when the project’s economics are unproven and likely to render the project infeasible when final, front end engineering and design due diligence is complete. -dh

Representative Rob Bishop, courtesy Civil Services.

TODAY, The House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Rob Bishop issued the following statement:

“I applaud President Trump for recognizing the limitations of the law. Americans of all political stripes should commend him for reversing prior administrations’ abuses of the Antiquities Act and instead exercising his powers within the scope of authority granted by Congress.

“These new proclamations are a first step towards protecting identified antiquities without disenfranchising the local people who work and manage these areas. The next steps will be to move beyond symbolic gestures of protection and create substantive protections and enforcement and codify in law a meaningful management role for local governments, tribes and other stakeholders.”

State opens bids for Northern Alaska oil and gas lease sales on Dec. 6

(Anchorage, AK) – The Division of Oil and Gas will hold its annual Beaufort Sea, North Slope Foothills, and North Slope areawide oil and gas lease sales on Wednesday, Dec. 6. Bid opening will begin at 9 a.m. at the Dena’ina Center at 600 W. 7^th Avenue in Anchorage.

The three lease sale areas include onshore and offshore tracts, with nearly 7.3 million acres available for lease this year. The lease sales include terms and conditions to promote exploration and development of Alaska’s oil and gas resources.

“The State of Alaska’s oil and gas leasing program is critical for the responsible development of our world-class resources and for our economic well-being. Through our lease sales, we seek investors to explore and develop on state lands for the benefit of all Alaskans,” said Chantal Walsh, director of the Division of Oil and Gas.

Learn more about the lease sales at http://dog.dnr.alaska.gov/Services/LeaseSale.

Interested individuals can sign up for e-mail updates about state oil and gas lease sales by visiting http://list.state.ak.us/mailman/listinfo/DOG.Leasing.

Your Somewhat Peripatetic Publisher

As our dear, long-time readers know, we travel at times–though less and less as time goes on.

During such times we endeavor to make useful, daily postings that will properly serve our Northern Gas Pipelines archives and those who depend on them: about 10,000 who labor in Academia, Government, Industry and Media … and several hundred, faithful and independent readers.

During the last year, we spent time in rural Alaska, Southern California, Texas and Ecuador. Hopefully, to have done our job well (i.e. thanks to our laptop and local Internet ‘hot spots’), you did not often notice breaks in continuity. If you did, we thank you for your patience!

-Dave

ANWR Progress!

See the point? Dulles Airport area, within 1.5 million area, within 19.6 million acre area, restricted to winter when caribou and migratory birds are absent…. Unreasonable? No. Allowed by law with Congressional approval.

Reuters: Senate passes tax bill that would open Alaska refuge to drilling
The Senate on Saturday voted 51-49 to approve a tax bill that includes a provision to allow oil and natural gas drilling in the coastal plain of Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The Senate and the House of Representatives are expected to begin discussions on a final tax bill this week.

Washington Examiner: Senate Republicans approve plan to allow drilling in Arctic
Senate Republicans passed legislation early Saturday allowing oil and gas drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as part of a tax reform package, moving closer to fulfilling a long-time GOP goal. The passage of the bill marked a significant achievement for Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, the chairwoman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, who has introduced legislation to open a portion of the Alaskan refuge to drilling every term she has served in the chamber, only to be blocked by Democrats.

About the Author: wpnorthern

Dave Harbour, publisher of Northern Gas Pipelines, is a former Chairman of the Regulatory Commission of Alaska, a Commissioner Emeritus of NARUC, NARUC's Official Representative to IOGCC and Vice Chairman of NARUC's Gas Committee. He served as Gas Committee Chairman of the Western Conference of Public Service Commissioners. He also served as commissioner of the Anchorage Bicentennial Commission and the Anchorage Heritage Land Bank Commission. He earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree: English, at Colorado State University, a Master of Science Degree: Communications-Journalism at Murray State University and graduated from Utility Regulatory School for Commissioners at Michigan State University. He served as a Vice President for Communications and Public Affairs at Alaska Pacific University, taught bank marketing classes at the University of Alaska and was an English teacher at Los Alamos High School. Harbour served in ranks of Private - Captain during a 4-year assignment with the Army in Korea, Idaho, Georgia and Fort Meade and received the Meritorious Service Medal among other commendations. Harbour is also a past Chairman of the Alaska Council on Economic Education, the Alaska Oil & Gas Association Government Affairs Committee, the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce, the Export Council of Alaska and the Department of Commerce's District Export Council. He is a past President of the Alaska Press Club, American Bald Eagle Foundation, Consumer Energy Alliance-Alaska and Common Sense for Alaska. Harbour was instrumental in founding the American Bald Eagle Research Institute (UAS), the Alaska Support Industry Alliance, the Downtown Anchorage Business Partnership, and Arctic Power. He also served as CEO of several small Alaska organizations, including the Anchorage Parking Authority and Action Security, Inc. Harbour is also Chairman Emeritus of the Alaska Oil & Gas Congress. Harbour's wife, Nancy, is a professional, performing arts administrator and his three boys, Todd, Benjamin and William work in the fields of environmental management, energy marketing and medicine.