THE EXPLORERS 2007: Marathon continues to chase inlet gas 11/18/2007
Company sees significant opportunity in the Cook Inlet region but wants competitive gas pricing and a stable fiscal, regulatory environment in Alaska
Although oil and gas production in Alaska is declining, there are still plenty of resources to find and develop, Mitch Little, Marathon's Alaska production manager, told Petroleum News Oct. 2, 2007. "...

Blockbuster GOM lease sale 10/07/2007
Central Gulf of Mexico lease sale draws breathtaking $2.9B in high bids
Companies opened their wallets in a spectacular display of spending at Central Gulf of Mexico Lease Sale 205, plunking down $2.9 billion in apparent high bids, by far the best showing for a U.S. Gulf...

LNG plant key to stable Cook Inlet market 09/16/2007
Supporters say renewing Nikiski facility's federal export license for two years would be good for economy, industry and state
With what many believe is a natural gas shortage unfolding in Cook Inlet, renewing a license for a plant in Nikiski to ship liquefied natural gas to Asia seems at first glance a frivolous, if not fool...

Saskatchewan startup rolls along 09/09/2007
Oilsands Quest shows no signs of wilting its trail-blazing efforts to commercialize Saskatchewan's oil sands deposits. It picked up five of six blocks of exploration licenses offered in the Saskatchew...

Mitch Little replaces John Barnes as head of Marathon in Alaska 09/09/2007
The head of Marathon Oil in Alaska, John Barnes, is being replaced by T. Mitch Little who is moving to Alaska from Houston, where he has been managing the company's Libya assets, Little told Petroleum...

Triple play in Canada's oil sands 08/05/2007
Royal Dutch Shell launches 400,000 bpd upgrader plans; Marathon bids to acquire Western Oil Sands and enter upstream
The giant Athabasca Oil Sands Project is moving from Canadian to international control, with three deals carrying a combined value of up to C$38 billion getting unveiled July 30 and 31. Royal Dutch S...

Marathon to explore in eastern Ukraine 06/10/2007
Ukraine's state gas monopoly and the U.S. oil company Marathon signed an agreement June 5 that could lead to the extraction of oil and gas in the ex-Soviet republic, the companies said. Naftogaz Ukra...

Cook Inlet sale draws bids over wide area 06/03/2007
Donkel-Cade bids widespread; Marathon, Renaissance, Aurora fill in around existing properties; newcomer Nordik takes four tracts
Seven bidders, six successful, participated in the $3.3 million Cook Inlet areawide oil and gas lease sale held by the Alaska Division of Oil and Gas May 23: Aurora Gas LLC; Daniel K. Donkel (25 perce...

Come-back-kid Marathon chalks up discoveries in deepwater Gulf 05/20/2007
Marathon Oil Corp. has steadily crawled back from a less-than-stellar exploration performance in deepwater Gulf of Mexico, posting worthy discoveries and farm-ins over the past several years as an ope...

Alberta government wins one, loses one 05/13/2007
Hope of new taxes from value-added processing, refining of oil sands bitumen takes hit when Husky buys Ohio plant; Total saves day
The Alberta government's hopes of prospering from the value-added processing and refining of oil sands bitumen took another, not unexpected dent, when Husky Energy opted to buy the Ohio refinery of Va...

Report says Cook Inlet gas likely 1.7 tcf 03/25/2007
Netherland, Sewell estimates proved natural gas 1.2 tcf, probable 515 bcf, for developed fields in basin based on public data
Data publicly available shows a total of 1.7 trillion cubic feet of proved and probable natural gas reserves at 22 active field areas in the Cook Inlet region of Alaska. In a report done for Conoco...

The 10-year itch 03/18/2007
Cook Inlet R-to-P ratio may make users nervous, but it spurs investment
There is a lot of concern in Cook Inlet about running out of natural gas - gas for electric utilities, gas for home heating and gas for industrial use. Dealing with that concern is an issue for Cono...

Barnes: Alaska needs to fix permitting, regs 01/28/2007
While Alaska is to be complimented on providing access with its areawide leasing program, the state has "a difficult, a complex permitting, regulatory (and) political environment," says John Barnes, M...

Export extension filed 01/28/2007
Nikiski plant partners Conoco, Marathon apply to extend LNG license 2 years
John Barnes, manager of Alaska production operations for Marathon Oil, broke the news at The Alliance Meet Alaska conference Jan. 19: Nikiski LNG plant co-owners Marathon and ConocoPhillips had filed...

MEET ALASKA 2007: Meet Alaska 2007 speakers 01/21/2007
Richard F. Guerrant Richard F. Guerrant, vice president-Americas for ExxonMobil Gas and Power Marketing Co., is located in Houston, Texas, and is responsible for the marketing of ExxonMobil's natural g...

Oil Patch Insider 01/21/2007
Husky turns into a lead dog
Once rated the pooch of Canada's integrated oil companies (those who produce, refine and market), Husky Energy has been quietly asserting its pedigree over recent years as it has moved to the head of...

Alaska LNG rumor denied 01/14/2007
News report indicates biggest customer may be edging away from Nikiski supply
The biggest customer for liquefied natural gas coming from Nikiski's LNG plant may be looking for other sources of supply after March 2009. That's when the aging plant will need a new export license f...

PETROLEUM DIRECTORY: COMPANY NEWS IN BRIEF 12/10/2006
Alaska Railroad debuts the AFN Express
During this year's Alaska Federation of Natives convention in Anchorage the Alaska Railroad Corporation celebrated the maiden voyage of the AFN Express, providing free intra-city transit service betwe...

Ghosts, visions part of Meet Alaska petroleum news 12/03/2006
The upcoming Meet Alaska conference sports an unusual theme that does credit to one of the state's most entertaining speech writers, Paul Laird, who currently serves as general manager of The Alliance...

Cold will make propane pricier 11/26/2006
Regional supplier Tesoro must use its own product to power refinery as less natural gas is available from Cook Inlet
Southcentral Alaska's cold snap is sucking up natural gas and curtailing supply to a second Kenai industrial user this winter, and soon propane consumers will pay for it. Tesoro announced Nov. 20 tha...

THE EXPLORERS 2006 - Marathon maintains Cook Inlet pace 11/12/2006
Continues to sustain Cook Inlet gas production; Kasilof to come online; Kenai field gas storage starts up
Producer of about one-third of the Cook Inlet basin's natural gas, Marathon Oil is continuing to develop new gas production from its existing fields while also exploring for and developing new gas fie...

Izzo resigns from Enstar Natural Gas 09/17/2006
The president of Southcentral Alaska's largest natural gas utility announced his resignation Sept. 8, saying he is looking for another job in the state's energy industry. Tony Izzo, 46, has resigned f...

RCA issues order on Marathon's refusal 08/13/2006
The Regulatory Commission of Alaska has issued an order in response to Marathon Oil's refusal to comply with its ruling requiring Marathon to provide information about LNG conversion and shipping cost...

RCA halts Enstar/Marathon hearing 07/30/2006
Commission adjourns hearing to consider response to objection by Marathon to order compelling discovery of LNG cost data
A Regulatory Commission of Alaska public hearing on the proposed new gas supply contract between Enstar Natural Gas Co. and Marathon Oil Corp. jolted to an abrupt halt on July 13 when Administrative L...

Marathon signals oil sands ambition 07/09/2006
Company looks to swap refining for production, while EnCana has offered production for refining, expects September deal
Marathon Oil has been the headline grabber in the latest stretch of oil sands activity by reaffirming that it wants a role in developing the northern Alberta deposit. Chief Financial Officer Janet Cla...