Rolling blackouts? 08/02/2009
The day of reckoning may be approaching for CI utility gas deliverability
During a severe cold snap in January 2009 the rate at which utility gas flowed from the Cook Inlet gas fields, providing energy for electrical power and heat for homes and businesses, came close to th...

Refiners move into alternative fuels 06/28/2009
Oil companies shop for discounted ethanol plants forced into bankruptcy by economy, frozen credit, wildly swinging corn prices; of some 200 U.S. plants, about two dozen in bankruptcy
When Sunoco closed in mid-June on the acquisition of a bankrupt ethanol plant in Fulton, N.Y., for pennies on the dollar, it became just the latest oil refiner to step into the alternative fuels marke...

Mining News: Mineral Roundup in Yukon Territory 03/29/2009
Yukon Territory has one producing mine, the Minto copper-gold-silver operation near the Yukon River north of Whitehorse. During 2008, more than 150 active hardrock exploration projects in the territor...

Stevens and Begich promote energy plans 07/13/2008
Both want a similar mix of traditional, renewable and alternative fuels, plus conservation measures and consumer protection
As the election year entered its final half and the state embarked on a new fiscal year, Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, and Gov. Sarah Palin jointly discussed the energy issues facing Alaska on July 2. I...

EIA: $126 per barrel average through '09 06/15/2008
The U.S. Department of Energy said June 11 that oil prices are expected to stay well above $100 a barrel and American motorists can expect gasoline prices around $4 a gallon through next year. Guy Car...

State to host energy town hall meetings 05/04/2008
A new statewide energy plan currently under construction will focus on the smallest communities in Alaska and on developing localized sources of energy, according to a draft version of the plan posted...

Canada seeks oil sands exemption 03/30/2008
U.S. legislation banning use of 'nonconventional' fuels by military, agencies, rising political tide sets off counter-arguments regarding Alberta oil sands development
Forget about greenhouse gas regulations, royalty hikes, construction costs and labor shortages. The Alberta oil sands sector may be getting dragged into its toughest fight yet, especially if Democrat...

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...

Ecuador's president urges political role for OPEC 11/25/2007
Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa, in his first public speech since his country's official re-entry into OPEC, said Nov. 18 that the 13-nation oil producer group must take on a more political role an...

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...

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...

Getting serious about clean energy 07/29/2007
British Columbia wants zero greenhouse gas emissions from power plants; no flaring in oil and gas fields; energy conservation
It's abundantly clear where British Columbia's government, led by Premier Gordon Campbell, stands when it comes to clean energy. "We have always been vigilant about the environment and look after it m...

Peabody, ConocoPhillips explore SNG 07/29/2007
Using Midwest coal and proprietary ConocoPhillips E-GAS™ technology, partners look to produce 1.5 tcf over 30-year period
Peabody Energy and ConocoPhillips plan to explore development of a commercial-scale coal-to-substitute natural gas facility using proprietary ConocoPhillips E-GAS™ technology. The companies said July...

LNG plant owners cry foul 06/10/2007
Conoco, Marathon: SC Alaska has lots of gas, utilities must fix winter deliverability
When Marathon and ConocoPhillips asked the U.S. Department of Energy in January to extend their export license for the Alaska LNG plant from its current 2009 expiration date to 2011, most people seeme...

House OKs taxes on oil companies 01/28/2007
Body plans to use money from fees and taxes, an estimated $15B, for renewable fuels; bill faces less certain future in Senate
The House rolled back billions of dollars in oil industry subsidies Jan. 18 in what supporters hailed as a new direction in energy policy toward more renewable fuels. Critics said the action would red...

Oil sands barrel overflows 11/19/2006
Mined output soars, Devon and Total caught in price grip, natural gas consumption a worry, nuclear power gets a political lift
Sifting through the latest grains from the oil sands seldom fails to yield a mix of the good, the bad, the ugly and the fascinating. The last couple of weeks have produced the following: ...

Oil tax California costliest initiative 10/22/2006
Proposition 87 would tax companies drilling for oil in state until $4 billion accumulated; money would promote alternate fuels
In any other year, a $60 million opposition campaign fueled by a deep-pockets industry would almost certainly spell doom for a California ballot initiative. But the infusion of $40 million by a Holly...

Shell: Greenhouse gases policy needed 09/17/2006
Hofmeister says debate is over, policy makers needed to address science of global climate change by keeping fuel prices high
Touting the importance of a "culture of conservation" and investment in alternative fuels, John Hofmeister sounded less the leader of the world's third-largest oil company as much as a speaker at an E...

Joint Canadian push for renewable fuel 09/10/2006
Old enemies have become new allies in a campaign to persuade the Canadian government to ensure that 5 percent of all gasoline and diesel fuel should originate from renewable sources by 2010. The Canad...

Greenland opens new round of concessions 07/23/2006
Largest North American and European companies said to be participating; seismic acquired; EnCana expected to drill in '08
Several of the world's largest oil companies hope to tap into possible offshore oil and gas reserves as Greenland opened a new round of concessions July 18 for exploration licenses in the fragile Arct...

Gas spur line viable 06/25/2006
DOE report on gas demand in Alaska concludes LNG, fertilizer, GTL shaky
Given the current intense debate over various options for bringing North Slope natural gas to market, objective information is critical to assessing the feasibility of ideas that seem attractive but t...

Willie's way on the highway 06/18/2006
Ethanol sparks interest across North America, boosted by environmental concerns and Bush's drive to lower Middle East oil imports
If you want to stay on the road you might consider hitching your wagon to Willie Nelson's promotion of biofuels. The country crooner is putting his money where his mouth is by manufacturing and sellin...

Oil sands junior rolls out C$7.4 billion plan 05/28/2006
North American Oil Sands eyes initial public offering in fall, regulatory filings in 2007 with 160,000 bpd operation by 2015
North American Oil Sands Corp., the newest arrival on the Alberta oil sands scene, is wasting no time spreading its message and pushing ahead with plans for a possible C$7.4 billion development. In th...

House approves oil price-gouging fine 05/07/2006
Rejects bill that supporters say would make it easier to build refineries in hopes of easing tight gasoline supplies, could come back
On May 3 the U.S. House approved criminal penalties and fines of up to $150 million for energy companies caught price gouging, yet lawmakers acknowledged there is no quick and easy fix to higher pump...

Scientists consider energy from algae 04/30/2006
An alternative fuels study committee is excited about the possibility of using algae to produce oil. "Fuel is the highest thing on everyone's radar screen," said Doug Lynn, an environmental scientist...