Climate change takes U.S. center stage 11/25/2007
Consultant: Climate change, energy security concerns setting the agenda for U.S. government energy policy; could favor NS gas line
There was a time not too long ago when the forces that guided what passed for a U.S. energy policy in the corridors of Washington, D.C., could be summed up as a three-statement mantra: maximize supply...

Canada lags behind emissions target 11/25/2007
The Canadian government will fall far short of its own 2020 target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent from 2006 levels, the government's own energy regulator predicts. Even with bold m...

Breaking through the ice 11/25/2007
Finland leading the way in evolving icebreaker designs from Baltic Sea that are opening new opportunities for marine operations in Arctic seas worldwide
The old adage of necessity being the mother of invention would certainly seem to apply to the icebreaker industry in Finland: The country depends on marine trade routes through Baltic Sea waters that...

Solving Cook Inlet's gas conundrum 11/18/2007
Region needs gas for foreseeable future; gas exploration, gas storage, North Slope gas, LNG all factor into energy supply options
The days of an overabundance of cheap natural gas from Cook Inlet basin may be over, but Southcentral Alaska needs reliable gas supplies for years to come was a recurring theme during the first day of...

Where from here on Arctic energy? 11/11/2007
Arctic Energy Action Team will prepare roadmap of international issues relating to extractive, renewable, rural energy in the north
Whether it's offshore oil and gas development, skyrocketing fuel costs in rural communities or the development of renewable energy sources, it seems that there's no shortage of issues that relate to t...

NWT regime set to lock horns 10/28/2007
New premier promises tougher stance to give territory greater control over resource development, taxes; likes 'no-prisoners' style
The Northwest Territories has installed a new government that is ready to tackle a set of old issues, led by a perennial effort to wrest control of its natural resources from the Canadian government....

'Cool It: The Skeptical Environmentalist's Guide to Global Warming' 10/21/2007
Danish pragmatist Bjørn Lomborg has done it again. His first book, "The Skeptical Environmentalist" infuriated the Green lobby and propelled him to become "one of the world's 100 most influential peop...

BLM on aggressive schedule for NE NPR-A 09/30/2007
Supplemental integrated activity plan/EIS to be final next summer; lease sale could occur in late summer or early fall 2008
The Bureau of Land Management has "been on a very aggressive timeline" for the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska northeast planning area, BLM Alaska Associate State Director Julia Dougan told the Reso...

Aging Icebreakers slow U.S. in Arctic 09/30/2007
When Coast Guard Adm. Thad W. Allen imagines a melting Arctic, it's not a pretty sight: Cruise ships collide with icebergs. Oil tankers and ore ships run aground. Foreign fishermen sneak into American...

High-stakes clash looms 09/30/2007
Former Alberta premier's chilling prediction; test of wills could undermine key U.S. source
He doesn't always spread a welcome message these days among Canada's oil patch leaders, but ignoring him is not an option. Peter Lougheed led the beginnings of an Alberta political dynasty as the prov...

Low ice means passage may be possible 09/23/2007
Recent photos show ice-free passage along northern Canada, Alaska and Greenland
Arctic ice has shrunk to the lowest level on record, new satellite images show, raising the possibility that the Northwest Passage that eluded famous explorers will become an open shipping lane. The E...

Climate change sub-cabinet established 09/23/2007
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin signed an administrative order Sept. 14 creating a sub-cabinet to prepare a climate change strategy for the State of Alaska. At a press conference following the signing of adm...

Mark Myers on USGS, scientific challenges 09/23/2007
U.S. Geological Survey Director Mark Myers, an AAPG member who was nominated by President Bush and confirmed by the Senate in 2006, heads up an entity that has more than 10,000 scientists, technicians...

State plans Mount Spurr lease sale 09/02/2007
Call for applications for geothermal exploration rights attracts enough interest for competitive lease sale, probably in January
An escalating interest in renewable energy sources, driven no doubt by high oil prices and concerns about climate change, seems to have encouraged some significant interest in developing possible geot...

Oil Patch Insider 08/26/2007
Boyd joins Norsk Hydro in Alaska; Arctic Energy Summit extends early bird deadline to Sept. 7
Norsk Hydro USA has hired Ken Boyd as a consultant in Alaska. Jim Meek, manager of business development for the Houston-based affiliate of Norway's mega-major Hydro, said Boyd would be the company's "...

NPR-A in limbo 08/26/2007
Draft EIS for Northeast NPR-A out, earliest lease sale after 2008 election
The federal government's plan to open the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska to oil and gas development has officially been derailed for at least two years, starting with a September 2006 court order t...

Push to protect planet 08/05/2007
North American free trade partners sign alternative energy agreement
The United States, Canada and Mexico - the big energy user in North America and its two leading suppliers - have moved another step closer to lowering trade barriers to cleaner, alternative energy dev...

Energy groups act to protect consumers 07/29/2007
National Petroleum Council, regulatory commissioners seek policy safeguards for taxpayers, nation's future energy security
Growing concern over the impact of high energy prices on consumers prompted two national groups to take action July 18 that could affect oil and gas development in Alaska. The National Petroleum Counc...

Canada offers C$1.5B in biofuels incentives 07/22/2007
The Canadian government is offering C$1.5 billion over nine years to producers of renewable alternatives to gasoline and diesel fuel, ignoring the latest warnings that biofuels are transforming agricu...

Canada opts for Arctic patrol ships 07/15/2007
United States cries foul in resource-rich region that includes Northwest Passage, which U.S. claims is international territory
The Canadian government will spend C$3.1 billion reinforcing its Arctic sovereignty claims, with an eye on one of the world's largest untapped oil and natural gas resources in a region that includes t...

Senator wants new icebreakers in Arctic 07/15/2007
Murkowski urges international cooperation, supports involvement in international initiatives, stresses importance of Arctic to Alaska
In a July 10 speech at the National Ice Center and U.S. Arctic Research Commission's "Impact of an Ice-Diminishing Arctic on Naval and Maritime Operations" symposium, U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alask...

U.S. lawmakers propose cap on emissions 07/15/2007
The nation can begin to address the risks of climate change while avoiding harm to the economy, senators said July 11 in unveiling anti-pollution legislation. The bill would establish a mandatory cap...

Chavez ripples head north 07/15/2007
Venezuelan strongman's policies give Exxon reason to expand in Alberta
The turmoil in Venezuela, as President Hugo Chavez moves to nationalize heavy oil ventures in the Orinoco Belt, could send some positive ripples in Alberta's direction. ExxonMobil, having decided to p...

Pain could soon follow gain for trusts 07/01/2007
Gross revenues, cash flows from operations and total assets were all inflated in Canada's energy industry last year and they might be needed to cushion some bumps that lie ahead, warns Pricewaterhouse...

Sands top enviro hit list 06/24/2007
International environmentalists, think tanks put Alberta oil sands in cross-hairs
At the same time the Alberta oil sands are gaining attention from global investors they are also becoming a target for international environmental groups troubled by the consequences of developing wha...