ADN by Lisa Demer.  Shell Oil Co. has scaled back its Curtis Smith, Shell Oil, Beaufort, Chukchi, OCS, Photo by Dave Harbourplans for drilling in Alaska’s Arctic this year, and now is aiming for two complete wells, one each in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas. The company also plans to begin an as-yet-unspecified number of additional wells, said spokesman Curtis Smith (NGP Photo).

 

 

 

Government’s Public Servants Mistreat Corporate Citizens

by

Dave Harbour

A year ago we commented on the Administration’s cozy relationship with those dedicated to destroying Alaska’s natural resource-based constitution and economy.  We further opined that this year’s exploration activity still faced uphill opposition from dug-in environmentalists and passive-aggressive (i.e. hostile) permitting agencies.  Shell has taken abuse like a real trooper, even as a prisoner of war.  She invested billions in leases and exploration with the expectation of reasonable regulatory treatment.  Instead, the company has been constantly delayed even while — in our opinion — presenting the most conscientious exploration plan and related materials ever assembled for this purpose. 

On a lighter note, a long photo trip to Ecuador has produced some wonderful memories and stock photos which we’ll add here in time.  Meanwhile, readers know oiur primary focus is on updating them even when we travel far and wide!  -dh

But prisoner, we imagine the company must feel itself to be.  Permits have continuously been granted late, or not at all … accompanied by continuous environmental litigation.  And now, in confessing its program is too aggressive for conditions, it takes more abuse without complaint or counterattacking the Federal authorities.  Yes, our respect for America’s ‘rule of law’ has further diminished as we calculate that a mistreated permit applicant really can’t complain lest it attract future regulatory wrath.  So, does it sue the government to get back its lease money and other costs?   Good luck.  So Shell really seems confined to a bureaucratic straight jacket tied up by Federalists who show little concern for human society, economy, jobs, wealth creation, energy security, currency value, balance of payments deficits and, yes, the ‘rule of law’ which formerly placed huge value on ‘due process’ and a reasonable but not overbalanced weight on environmental effects of exploration.  – dh   Endnote: this morning, Becky Bohrer correctly reports that opponents to a coastal management initiative are outraising supporters.  We side with the opponents for reasons oft stated herein {Google subjects, upper left column} but will provide more analysis demonstrating why passage of this initiative violates the constitutional role of the Executive Branch, provides power over the state’s majority of citizens by a minority of special interests and drives a dagger into the heart of the State’s investment climate with devastating results on TAPS throughput, all state programs and the future of Alaska’s children, rural and urban.) 

AP/ADN by Becky Bohrer.  TransCanada Corp. on Monday announced that it would hold a solicitation of interest from Aug. 31 through Sept. 14. The announcement came hours before a group of lawmakers were scheduled to get an update on efforts to commercialize Alaska North Slope gas — and two years to the day from which the company ended its first market test.  Terms of TransCanada’s agreement with the state require that it gauge market interest every two years.