5-13-14 Hanging In There Together

 “Let’s Hang In There Together” by Dave Harbour At the signing of the Declaration of Independence – in the face of political oppression -- founding father Benjamin Franklin urged his fellow countrymen to, “…all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.” See last week's report and photos: Alaska Mining Day! Today, the enemy of freedom and economic stability – as we have demonstrated – is a dedicated enviro-industrial-governmental cabal perhaps more menacing than King George’s foot guards, fusiliers  and lancers.  Why is this so? Today's Wall Street Journal Joins [...]

5-9-14 Alaska Mining Day

You likely read it here first: Report Card For Legislators and Governor Released Today; Today...White House To Review oil export ban; REI gets $240k for Alaska LNG study; Pedro van Meurs (NPG Photo) seminar on World Fiscal Systems for Unconventional oil and gas, June 4-6; preliminary bid results, Cook Inlet and Alaska Peninsula oil and gas lease sale. ADN by Pat Forgey. Exxon Mobil Corp. and its partners in the Alaska natural gas export pipeline began work on its summer field season this week....  Exxon's Steve Butt (NGP Photo), now reassigned to the AKLNG [...]

4-17-14

Comment: We have long held that the White House Memorandum and Executive Orders establishing and implementing a new "Ocean Policy" was one of the Administration's first acts of federal overreach. Comment: The "Rule of Law" subject appears when we discuss "Ocean Policy", but arises as a theme wherever federal regulatory powers are exercised--including with an Alaska mining project on state land.  -dh Last week Pebble CEO Tom Collier spoke at the Alaska Miners Association conference in Fairbanks, updating attendees on the status of the Pebble project, discussing next steps, and addressing a major federal [...]

By |2016-12-22T22:29:38-09:00April 17th, 2014|Commentary, Federal Obstruction, Rule Of Law|0 Comments

4-15-14 Alaskanomics

  KTUU.  In this year’s legislative push to approve an all-Alaska natural gas pipeline, the driving force has been state Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Joe Balash (NGP Photo). "It's kind of like a big boulder," Balash said. "Once you get it moving, you want to keep it moving." Alaska Economic Update: Interest Rates, by Katie Bender.  As readers review this, consider the effect of interest rate increases on Alaska state budget debt, on the cost of debt to fund state projects and on the effect of higher interest rates on the [...]

By |2016-12-22T22:29:38-09:00April 15th, 2014|Commentary, Intrastate Gas|0 Comments

4-11-14 LNG Jobs For Alaskans In BC?

Northrim Bank and its President, Joseph Beedle (NGP Photo), hosted a packed house economic briefing yesterday at the Dena'ina Convention Center in Anchorage featuring Economists Mark Edwards and Bill Conerly.  We'll have more for readers by Monday.  -dh Opportunity For Alaskans In Canada? Petroleum News: British Columbia Premier Christy Clark, supported by a delegation of top cabinet ministers and petroleum leaders, has persuaded the Canadian government to declare that the LNG sector is a potential “nation-builder” which could create 100,000 jobs. Although the accord signed in Ottawa earlier in April is [...]

4-10-14 Hostility Toward Alaska’s Major Investors

COMMENTARY: "Alaska Should Never Become Like Hostile Argentina!"  In this video of yesterday's Senate Resources Committee meeting a minority senator (i.e. Hollis French {NGP Photo} of Anchorage) proposes that witnesses be required to testify under oath.  This unprecedented (or at least rare) action is sure to further convince investors that Alaska is a risky place to do business.  Some might say, "Well, we have the statutory right to interview witnesses under oath."  Our concern with that clever response is, "Fine, then why not interview all witnesses under oath?  Why just interview major investors under [...]

By |2016-12-22T22:29:38-09:00April 10th, 2014|Commentary, Interstate Gas, Intrastate Gas, LNG|0 Comments

4-8-14 What Do Underfunded Pensions Have To Do With An Alaska Gas Pipeline?

Remember this announcement, 5 years ago today?  ANCHORAGE, April 8, 2008 - BP [NYSE: BP] and ConocoPhillips [NYSE: COP] today announced they have combined resources to start Denali - The Alaska Gas Pipeline. The pipeline will move approximately four billion cubic feet of natural gas per day to markets, and will be the largest private sector construction project ever built in North America. The project combines the financial strength, arctic experience and technical resources of two of the most capable and experienced companies in the world. Globe & Mail.  The [...]

4-7-14

WILD CANADA: This spectacular four-part series on the wildlife and the wild lands of Canada reveals a Canada that few have seen before.  This morning, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (NGP Photo) ... This afternoon at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, readers may watch a legislative hearing (i.e. live streaming) in Juneau before the Senate Resources Committee.  One of the items heard will be "Updates From The Field", including testimony concerning Alaska's tax and investment climate by Alaska Support Industry Alliance representatives, Rebecca Logan and Doug Smith (See photos).   ... commented on Rio [...]

3-25-14 A Frontal Attack On States’ Rights

OP-Ed by Joseph Cafariello.  The EU’s 28 member states have mandated that the European Commission come up with a plan within three months to outline ways in which Europe can satisfy its energy needs without continued reliance on Russia.  (Energy Nation says, "Tell Congress To Increase LNG Exports"; Photo: Map of Ukraine gas pipelines bringing gas from Russia to the EU states.) U.S. Senator Mary L. Landrieu, Chair of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, yesterday called the proposed EPA wetlands rule unfair, unwise and unnecessary.’  (Murkowski also opposes EPA rule.) U.S. [...]

By |2016-12-22T22:29:39-09:00March 26th, 2014|Commentary, Federal Obstruction|0 Comments

3-22-14 “We can’t always judge a book by its cover.”

Governor's Prayer Breakfast In Anchorage This Morning   While the live event is sold out, NGP readers can attend the virtual event on line by going here.  The Prayer Breakfast coverage begins at 8 this morning, which is noon EDT. We have attended and covered these events in the past. Question.  Why would we do that?  Answer.  We make occasional reference to the omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent creator of the Universe here because we are lost in the chaos of temporal issues without Him.   American and Canadian energy projects, family plans, [...]

By |2016-12-22T22:29:40-09:00March 22nd, 2014|Commentary, Notes From the Road, Personal|0 Comments

3-21-14 Court Weighs In On Pebble Referendum

Some Dear Readers have inquired about our travels.  While we always devote hours keeping NGP current -- no matter where we are --- we do not deny opportunities for consulting, photography, general writing projects and a little personal enjoyment.  Last Friday, here in Cuenca, Ecuador, we went to a nearby 'volcanic spa' after updating our pipeline projects and wrote about it on Facebook last Saturday.  Here is a glimpse.  Enjoy your weekend!  -dh Calgary Herald by Mario Toneguzzi.  A bright outlook for Alberta’s economy is being haunted by pipeline risks, [...]

By |2016-12-22T22:29:40-09:00March 21st, 2014|Commentary, Notes From the Road, Rule Of Law|0 Comments

3-20-14 Learning From History

What Does This Week's Gas Pipeline Effort Have To Do With The August Primary Election? by Dave Harbour                                 Thirty-three years ago this week, Alaska's governor, Jay Hammond (NGP Photo), gathered with House and Senate leadership to announce bipartisan legislation aimed at reforming oil taxes. Point of Personal Privilege:   We celebrate the life and mourn the passing of our great friend, Dr. Milton Byrd (NGP Photo).  (See our later update and obituary on March 3, 2014)   [...]

3-17-14 Is Alaska Flirting…?

Part IV: Can Alaska be a place where A DEAL IS A DEAL? Competition Perspectives: Part IV (Part I, Part II, Part III) Is Alaska Flirting With The Last Gas Pipe Straw? by  Dave Harbour We had written a very long commentary which tried to shed light on the effect of currently discussed issues on Alaska investment climate competitiveness.  We then delved into the effect various pending decisions could have on prospects for an economically feasible gas pipeline. And we concluded that, as in Canada's MGM case, investors would do the best [...]

3-13-14 Is Alaska Flirting With The Last Gas Pipe Straw?

Is Alaska Flirting With The Last Gas Pipe Straw? Competition Perspectives: Part IV (Part I, Part II, Part III) by  Dave Harbour ​(Read More) Our friend, John Hofmeister (NGP Photo), former Shell President, offered this "quotable quote" on the energy situation during his interview with the Oxford Club's Energy and Infrastructure Strategist Dave Fessler:   Please Consider Testifying Today, Friday, March 14 on HB 77: Improve Alaska's Permitting Efficiency (We at NGP believe this is one rather small but important way citizens can improve Alaska's investment climate--rather than our usual challenge to fight off additional investment climate attacks!  -dh) Our friends at the [...]

3-13-14

Alaska Public Media by Alexandra Gutierrez.  The latest version of a bill advancing a natural gas megaproject restores language concerning collective bargaining.  The Senate Finance Co-Chair Pete Kelly announced on Tuesday evening that the committee will scrap the less specific language they had planned to use when dealing with labor terms. Commentary: The following post by the Pebble Project precisely reflects the editorial position we have taken for several years.   We would add that the White House has no business lecturing Russia and other nations on the importance of [...]

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