BP agrees to sale of interests in four Alaska North Slope assets
Calgary Herald by Dan Healing. Oilsands company reports 13,400 barrels per day in Q1. Calgary Herald by Deborah Yedlin. Will there ever be an end to the largely uninformed commentary and analysis about the oilsands and the evils of the Keystone XL pipeline? … former U.S. president Jimmy Carter, …, sent Barack Obama a letter urging rejection of the project.
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| See comment of one of our readers, submitted today! |
Today is the last day to show support for ConocoPhillips' Moose's Tooth draft, supplemental environmental impact statement regarding Unit 1 (GMT1) oil and gas development project in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A). Please take a moment to comment TODAY before COB. Thanks to the Resource Development Council for Alaska, here's how…. (Photo with apologies to the book and, in recompense, this link. -dh)
Register now, before it's too late, for the May 29, 2014 Alaska Oil & Gas Association Annual Luncheon featuring Jack Gerard, President and CEO of the American Petroleum Institute.
APRN by Robert Woolsey. ("Gas will never replace oil, from a revenue viewpoint.")
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Alaska Dispatch by Suzanna Cauldwell. The natural gas of Cook Inlet does a lot for the hundreds of thousands of Alaskans who live in Southcentral. |
With an oversupply of natural gas in the country, Alaska is exploring the construction of a relatively small, low-pressure gasline within the state’s borders – while still holding out hope for a much larger project should prices improve.
Dan Fauske (NGP Photo) is the president of the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation – or AGDC. He spoke to Sitka’s Chamber of Commerce last week about when and where Alaskans may see gas. (More here, including audio….)
Our friend, Pedro van Meurs (NGP Photo-L, with author), reminds us that the course, "World Fiscal Systems for Unconventional Oil & Gas" is still accepting registrations for the June program.
"The course", van Meurs says, "will deal with International and North American fiscal systems for shale oil and shale gas, coal bed methane, oil shales and oil sands."
We understand that the software used during the course simulates the economics of the unconventional systems of Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada (various provinces), China, Colombia, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Morocco, Poland, South Africa, Spain, Turkey, UK and the United States (various states). Participants will be able to keep this advanced software. (Here is the detailed agenda.)
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Comment of reader, Mary Ann Pease (NGP Photo), in support of Moose's Tooth Development:
Dear Ms. Psarianos,
I am writing to you today in support of the Proposed Greater Mooses Tooth Oil and Gas Development – Alternative A in NPR-A!
This project brings long term Economic Benefits for Alaskans. Alaska and this nation needs an increase in production (Peak production from GMT1 is estimated at 30,000 BOPD), which would help offset our declining North Slope production.
As with many sustainable economic development opportunities- Development would provide benefits to local, state, and national economies through jobs creation during construction and operations, tax revenues, royalties, and new US sourced resources to help meet U.S. domestic energy demand.
I also support from environmental safety perspective (as proposed in Alternative A, GMT1), the gravel road connection to the main Alpine facilities. The road is necessary to ensure that the operator can respond to any environmental and safety issues in an adequate and timely manner.
It is also relevant to note that Environmental /Subsistence Issues are minimized with a road.
Finally, the time for action is now! This Project Was Previously Approved! We do not need any more delayed actions by the Federal Government to adversely impact economic development opportunities to Alaska.
Mary Ann Pease, Owner, MAP Consulting
Help from RDC on how to comment before the deadline TODAY:
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) held public hearings in March to gather comments on the proposed Greater Mooses Tooth Unit 1 (GMT1) oil and gas development project in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A). Hearings were held in Anchorage, Fairbanks and in the NPRA villages.
The BLM released a Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (DSEIS) for the proposed project last month, launching a public comment period, which ends on Tuesday, April 22. In July 2013, ConocoPhillips, Alaska, Inc. (CPAI) submitted an application to construct a drill site, pipelines, road and other facilities to support development of petroleum resources within the Greater Mooses Tooth (GMT) Unit.
The project is approximately 14 miles west of the CPAI-operated Alpine field. The GMT1 drill site would be operated and maintained by Alpine staff and supported by existing Alpine infrastructure. The project would include construction of an 11.8-acre drill pad, an 8-mile access road, above-ground elevated pipelines, and an electric power line connecting the GMT1 drill pad to CPAI’s CD-5 drill pad currently under development. The GMT1 pad would have a capacity for up to 33 production wells, including several injection wells, and be located on a federal oil and gas lease previously issued by BLM.
The project proposes to access federal oil and gas resources, as well as resources owned by the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation and Kuukpik Corporation. The proposed development was originally analyzed in the BLM’s 2004 Alpine Satellite Development Plan (ASDP) (then referred to as CD6), and is also subject to the 2012 NPR-A Integrated Activity Plan (IAP).
The BLM has prepared a draft supplement to the ASDP to evaluate any relevant new circumstances and information which have arisen since 2004. The draft plan is available on the BLM website at http://www.blm.gov/ak/GMTU1.
RDC has submitted comments in support of Alternative A, view full letter at http://www.akrdc.org/alerts/
Action Requested:
RDC members are encouraged to submit written comments by April 22nd. Public comments can be submitted by any of the following methods:
Email: gmt1comments@slrconsulting.com
Fax: (907) 271- 3933
Mail: GMT1 Draft SEIS Comments, Attn.: Bridget Psarianos, 222 West 7th Avenue, Stop #13, Anchorage, Alaska 99513.
Points to consider in your comments:
Economic Benefits:
- Peak production from GMT1 is estimated at 30,000 barrels of oil per day and would help offset declining North Slope production.
- Development would provide benefits to local, state, and national economies through local hire for jobs created during construction and operations, tax revenues, royalties, and new resources to help meet U.S. domestic energy demand.
- Development will also provide significant economic benefit to Alaska Natives on the North Slope as well as throughout the state through direct payment of royalties and revenue sharing among the Alaska Native Regional Corporations.
Alternative A is the Preferred Alternative
Road Needed for Emergency Spill and Safety Response
- As proposed in Alternative A, GMT1 will include a gravel road connection to the main Alpine facilities. The road is necessary to insure that the operator can respond to any environmental and safety issues in an adequate and timely manner. Alternative D, the aircraft and ice road access alternative, would not allow adequate access (on bad weather days, there would be no access) to emergency response resources and creates significant environmental and safety risk.
Environmental/Subsistence Issues are minimized with a road
- CPAI’s proposed project, Alternative A, has been modified to reduce environmental impacts and lower the overall footprint. In support of subsistence resources and access, the proposed project drill site location was moved out of the Fish Creek buffer to provide additional protection to this area. Road access will avoid the need for air traffic to the drill site, which is the number one complaint of subsistence hunters. Additionally, the project will be subject to various lease stipulations and the new Best Management Practices Adopted by BLM in 2013.
- The overall gravel footprint of Alternative A is the smallest of all the options. Alternative D has a larger gravel footprint than Alternative A because of the need to construct an airstrip and a larger gravel pad to accommodate more production equipment and a camp.
- Alternative A has the lowest estimated emissions because it requires the least amount of new infrastructure and eliminates the need for airplane support.
This Project Was Previously Approved
- The currently proposed GMT1 project (formerly CD6) is essentially the same as that approved for permitting in the 2004 ASDP Record of Decision.
- A review of new data and information shows there are no appreciable changes in the physical, biological, or social resources associated with the project study area. New data includes multi-year studies on hydrology, birds, and caribou.
Comment Deadline: Tuesday, April 22, 2014
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