ConocoPhillips Alaska's Jim Bowles dies 02/21/2010
Company president leaves legacy of community involvement; Bowles, Alan Gage of Conoco killed in avalanche while snowmachining
Jim Bowles, 57, president of ConocoPhillips Alaska, died Feb. 13 in an avalanche. Also killed was Alan Gage, 40, a member of the company's capital projects organization. The men were part of a group...

Pearce steps down as gas line coordinator 11/22/2009
President asked for resignation; legislative aide Persily says feds are checking his background for 'possible federal position'
Drue Pearce, the first and so far the only person to hold the position of federal coordinator for Alaska natural gas transportation projects, announced Nov. 16 she'll vacate the job at the request of...

Justice drops case against Stevens 04/05/2009
The Justice Department said April 1 it would drop corruption charges against former Sen. Ted Stevens because prosecutors withheld evidence from the senator's defense team during his trial. The reversa...

Mining News: FBI cites rising threat of copper theft 01/25/2009
Spurred by strong global demand for metal, thieves imperil critical U.S. infrastructure; target Alaska's Pogo gold mine
Growing numbers of thieves are seeking out vulnerable public and private structures for easy sources of lucrative copper used in wiring and other products for relatively quick and anonymous sales. Th...

Murkowski chief of staff pleads guilty to fraud 03/09/2008
According to his plea bargain, Clark will assist feds in Alaska corruption probe, giving fuel to rumors of more indictments to come
Jim Clark - the man who represented former Alaska Gov. Frank Murkowski at the gas line negotiating table with ExxonMobil, BP and ConocoPhillips - has pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges. Clark, ch...

Golf tournaments eyed in corruption case 11/18/2007
The Justice Department is investigating whether an Alaska oil contractor used golf tournaments to funnel cash to U.S. Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, people close to the corruption investigation said. The c...

Small independent on board with ACES 10/28/2007
Thompson: ACES train has left station, AVCG wants five things to remain in Palin's bill, four to be changed, favors 22.5% rate
By mid-2008 Alaska Venture Capital Group and its partners will have invested more than $100 million in their oil and gas properties in Alaska, including drilling two exploration wells last winter, one...

ACES' hearings in Juneau intense 10/28/2007
Legislators question past, current consultants, administration, industry: tax rate, proposed floor, exempt auditors, ethics aired
A special session of the Alaska Legislature gaveled in Oct. 18 to consider Gov. Sarah Palin's proposal to change the petroleum profits tax lawmakers enacted in August 2006 under the previous administr...

Judge links Ben Stevens to FBI probe 09/02/2007
A federal judge has linked former Alaska Senate President Ben Stevens to an FBI corruption probe. At the same time, a federal prosecutor revealed there are "multiple, ongoing nonpublic investigations...

Bank on MidAmerican 08/12/2007
Pipeline giant to file Alaska gas line application, despite pressure to drop out
MidAmerican Energy and its partners plan to submit an application to the State of Alaska to build a natural gas pipeline from the North Slope, David L. Sokol told Petroleum News Aug. 7. Sokol is CEO o...

After 2-month delay, Stevens releases report 07/22/2007
U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, filed the annual report on his personal finances with the Senate Ethics Committee July 17 after receiving a two-month extension to fix what he called a few simple tech...

PNA launches book club to help educate novelists about oil and gas industry 07/08/2007
"Tired of being cast as the villain? Then do something about it. Join PNA Book Club." Those are the words at the top of PNA Book Club's Web site. On its home page they are next to the Citizen Blame po...

Governor looking at special session for PPT 05/20/2007
An attempt to amend last year's petroleum profits tax moved in both House and Senate, passing in the Senate, but never reached a final vote in the House. The bills would have added costs resulting fr...

Governor gets AGIA 05/20/2007
More than 2 months of work culminate in Alaska Legislature's approval
The administration and legislators celebrated May 11 after House and Senate passed separate versions of Gov. Sarah Palin's Alaska Gasline Inducement Act. AGIA offers inducements in exchange for gas p...

Public corruption scandal erupts in Alaska 05/13/2007
Former, current state legislators arrested and Veco's Allen confesses in federal probe; PPT and oil field contractor under cloud
In the latest chapter of a political scandal that began unfolding last summer, three Alaska politicians and two oil industry executives are facing federal criminal charges that could earn them stiff f...

Juneau headed toward ethics showdown 02/04/2007
Governor, lawmakers pledge cooperation; actions suggest possible cracks in solidarity as white paper, legislation emerge from Palin's office
It may not be the OK Corral, but that didn't keep Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and state lawmakers from starting this year's session with their ethics guns blazing. Days into the session a Palin initiativ...

Ethics debate heats up in Juneau 01/28/2007
Experts advise state legislators on strategies to restore public trust via overhaul of rules of conduct for citizen Legislature
Republican leaders in the Alaska Legislature have vowed to draft ethics legislation to close loopholes in state laws, and Gov. Sarah Palin is planning to craft her own ethics package. Thanks to prese...

Perception usurps ethics 11/05/2006
Ogan: Doing the right thing is hard when opponents paint you as villain anyway
If you think doing the right thing can't hurt, think again if you are a member of the Alaska Legislature. The question of ethical conduct in the political arena has taken center stage this election ye...

Legal, ethics training may not be enough 10/08/2006
State legislators say Alaska's ethical standards for conduct offer too much wiggle room for lawmakers inclined to cross line
When newly elected Alaska legislators get to Juneau, one of their first duties is to attend an orientation workshop that prepares them for what lies ahead. The detailed grounding, which takes three to...

Some candidates return VECO donations 09/17/2006
Alaska state candidates concerned about public perception; others keep money, say votes not affected by oilfield service company
With the general election less than two months away, incumbents and challengers alike are assessing how to handle campaign donations from oil services company VECO Corp., which the FBI is investigatin...

Influence a horse race in Juneau 09/17/2006
Labor unions compete with oil and gas interests to dominate financial contributions to state campaigns, lobbying in Alaska Legislature
If VECO Corp. executives are guilty of throwing their weight around in Juneau, the rest of Alaska's oil and gas industry, the state's labor unions and to a lesser extent, general contractors, lawyers...

Undue influence a no-no 09/10/2006
Alaska raids seen as second step in FBI crackdown on suspected public corruption
When FBI agents raided the offices of six Alaska legislators Aug. 31, their actions likely stemmed from a new broader interpretation of what constitutes a violation of federal anti-bribery statutes th...

How vulnerable is pipeline to attack? 02/19/2006
Alyeska, state and federal officials say trans-Alaska oil pipeline less vulnerable than it appears; watch kept for heavy weapons
The trans-Alaska pipeline looks like it would be an easy target for terrorists intent on destroying a valuable American asset, but those responsible for its safekeeping say looks can be deceiving. Th...

Web posting calls for attacks on pipeline 01/29/2006
Site claiming al-Qaida affiliation; nonprofit translated information in December; security agencies, Alyeska, aware of posting
A Web site claiming to be affiliated with al-Qaida has called for attacks against the trans-Alaska oil pipeline. The posting calls on jihadists to shower the pipe with bullets or hide and detonate exp...

MINING NEWS: Bre-X trial resumes long journey in Ontario 12/26/2004
Trial of former chief geologist starts again after 31-month lapse; final chapter in multi-billion dollar mining hoax
The world's largest mining hoax fades for long periods, without ever disappearing completely. Now the insider trading case against John Felderhof, former chief geologist of Bre-X Minerals, is back bef...