Reuters by Robert Campbell.  Despite what you may think, the delay or even cancellation of the Keystone XL pipeline project from Canada to the United States does not ensure that China will become the go-to customer for Canada's vast oil sands.  U.S. President Barack Obama has opted to avoid a tough decision by allowing the government to take more time to study changes to the proposed Keystone XL route to avoid environmentally sensitive areas.  But any delays could kill the project if customers grow impatient and seek release from their binding shipping [...]

The Tyee, by Andrew Nikiforuk.  One of Canada's top energy experts says the National Energy Board's (NEB) approval of British Columbian shale gas exports to Asia via the port of Kitimat last month will shortchange Canadian energy consumers and undermine national energy security. Fairbanks News Miner by Matt Buxton.  State legislators met in Fairbanks Wednesday to discuss progress on building an in-state natural gas pipeline and the hurdles it faces. 

ADN by Richard Mauer.  An independent petroleum company, Escopeta Oil, said Friday it believes it has made the largest discovery of natural gas in Cook Inlet in 25 years.  In a prepared statement issued Friday, the Houston-based company said the discovery, estimated at 3.5 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, was large enough to justify commercial gas production from its exploration well, the Kitchen Lights Unit No. 1. *** Michael A. Crowley, PE  is the owner of Crowley & Associates, Inc. and was President and an  owner of Crowley, Crisp [...]

  Globe & Mail by Nathan Vanderklippe.  Before the end of the year, Husky Energy Inc.(HSE-T25.800.612.42%)will begin preparing 40 kilometres of winter roads through the forests of the western Northwest Territories. Operating just below the Arctic Circle, it will build an ice bridge across the Mackenzie River and clear a landing strip on a frozen lake. By February, it will begin drilling a pair of exploratory wells.   Press Conference Called on In-State Gas Pipeline Speaker Chenault and Others to Address Issue Friday Rep. Mike Chenault  (R-34) Speaker of the House [...]

  "We're not likely over the longterm to displace the most efficient way to move oil, which is going to be pipelines," Canadian Pacific chief executive Fred Green says.  Canada's railways are closely watching their opportunities to transport more of North America's growing volumes of crude oil by rail.  http://www.calgaryherald.com/sees+potential+boom+transporting+rail/5607673/story.html#ixzz1btaOYvGt UPDATED: Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources to Hold Hearing on North American Offshore Energy  WASHINGTON D.C. –On Wednesday, November 2nd, the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources will hold an oversight hearing on  “North American Offshore Energy: Mexico and [...]

Northrim Bank Report: Alaskanomics.  Alaska's oil production continued to decline in the State's fiscal year 2011 that ended in June.  Statewide production averaged 608,000 barrels per day (bpd), falling 7% from 652,000 bpd in fiscal year 2010.  The peak production was over 2 million bpd in 1988 and has declined continuously over the last two decades.  Alaska dropped below the 1 million bpd mark in 2004.   

 National Ocean Policy Coalition.  The U.S. House Natural Resources Committee has announced that a second full committee oversight hearing on "The President’s New National Ocean Policy - A Plan for Further Restrictions on Ocean, Coastal and Inland Activities" will take place at 10:00 a.m. EST on Wednesday, October 26 in 1324 Longworth House Office Building.  According to the Committee, the hearing will "feature testimony from Administration officials and impacted industries on President Obama's Executive Order 13547 that established a new National Ocean Policy and Council that could severely restrict the recreational and commercial uses of our oceans."  The hearing will be [...]

  CEA News Release, Houston's Energy Day A Hit For Young and Old!  – Over 12,000 Houstonians joined Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) and the City of Houston in celebrating the city’s first annual Energy Day Festival at Hermann Square on Saturday, October 15th.  Attendees included students, educators, and local officials who saw over 60 interactive exhibits highlighting a wide range of energy sources and technologies that help to shape Americans' everyday lives and the Houston economy.  Guests were also treated to live music, as well numerous interactive games and displays.       Houston Mayor [...]

Office of the Federal Coordinator by Jennifer Thompson.  The federal coordinator’s office for an Alaska North Slope natural gas pipeline is sponsoring an Oct. 18 public forum in Anchorage (and streamed live on the web) to discuss the state’s options for assisting in gas line development. The panelists will review potential fiscal options that could help in developing an out-of-state and an in-state line, and how the state could benefit from looking at the two projects as a package.  Panelists:  William Garner, senior counsel at Dewey & LeBoeuf in Houston; Gregg [...]

  (Fairbanks, AK) - DNR’s Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys (DGGS) announces the release of the first of several high-resolution LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) datasets for the proposed Alaska Pipeline Project (APP) and Alaska Stand Alone Pipeline (ASAP) corridors. The airborne LiDAR survey was conducted in fall 2011 and spring-summer 2012 by contractor Watershed Sciences, Inc., of Corvallis, Oregon, over proposed transportation and infrastructure corridors from Prudhoe Bay to the Canada border, Delta Junction to Valdez, and Livengood to the Point MacKenzie area. Funding from the state Gas [...]