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Alaska governor seeks 'alignment' from oil companies on exporting gas to AsiaA veritable “Who’s who” of the Alaska political establishment was on hand Thursday at Anchorage’s Dena’ina Center to welcome chieftains of the world’s oil corporations for a “reception” with Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell. The governor’s office claims Parnell himself was invited by Exxon Mobil Corp. chief executive Rex Tillerson, ConocoPhillips CEO Jim Mulva, and BP chief Bob Dudley to the reception. It's a rare occasion when the chief executives of three of the world's largest oil multinationals come together to discuss a project. An Exxon Mobil spokesperson said Thursday he couldn't recall, immediately, when the three chiefs had last been in Alaska together, if ever. A press release dispatched after the reception, by Gov. Parnell's office, confirmed that the oil companies said they hoped to "align" on a project to market the state's gas reserves. “I appreciate the willingness of the chief executives to come to Alaska to discuss the important topic of commercializing North Slope gas,” Gov. Parnell said. “For a gas project to advance, all three companies need to be aligned behind it. This meeting is an important step, but much work remains.” After the luncheon, BP’s Dudley congratulated Parnell and his “real purpose” in recent months trying to bring the majors together in support of an in-state pipeline that gets liquefied natural gas to Asian markets. Dudley said there is potential for alignment between BP, Conoco and Exxon under the state-subsidized Alaska Gasline Inducement Act. Currently Exxon Mobil and TransCanada are working under that framework to study a pipeline from the North Slope through Canada to Lower 48 markets. If the companies can find alignment, they need to study the idea of sending Alaska gas to Asian markets. With the boom in shale-extracted gas in the Lower 48, that idea has “real potential” to become reality, despite decades of failed attempts by the state and oil companies to build an instate gas pipeline. Contact Eric Christopher Adams at eric(at)alaskadispatch.com and Alex DeMarban at alex(at)alaskadispatch.com If you believe Parnell then the oil companies are correct you, Boobus, are ignorant, stupid and very gullible as the oil companies know you are. When Alaskans are paying exorbitant prices for heating oil in the bush communities, the oil companies want to sell gas to Asia. Something very wrong with this picture. So, Who's Who? The Dispatch only named one political player... The Governor. Who else showed Up? What is "alignment?" Mr. Dudley "said there is potential for alignment" between BP, Conoco and Exxon under the state-subsidized Gasline Inducement Act. I guess that means there is also potential for non-alignment. Then what? It is news to me that there is only "potential for alignment." Doesn't sound like much of a commitment. If someone else built a natural gas pipeline we wouldn't need for these folks to get aligned as a prerequisite, and they might also be compelled to produce natural gas for a pipeline whether they liked it or not. If the project discussed today, which seems earlier than even concept development, did go through, (which I think is unlikely), would Alaska owe damages to Trans Canada under AGIA? I don't know. Is the TransCanada concept dead? What is the status of that project? How much has that cost? So our major North Slope producers would need to get aligned. Then they'd need to start studying the idea of sending Alaska gas to Asian markets. Then they'd need to tell us if they like that idea or if it would make economic sense. Sounds like back to the drawing board. Unlike Alaskans, these companies have used North Slope natural gas for decades for oil production-- North Slope natural gas has not been stranded for them. Message to the legislature-- I wouldn't count on these folks for a natural gas pipeline. Transparency and our Alaska open meeting law? Was this not an open meeting? Hope we aren't going back to the days of "Juneau, behind closed doors". Veco, Gov. Murkowski--We all remember how that turned out. |
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