Gas line talk sparks interest from Outside E&P companies

Kay Cashman

For the first time in several years, the state of Alaska’s lease sale manager, Jim Hansen, is getting queries about oil and gas leasing in Alaska from E&P companies that have either never done business in Alaska or companies that left the state after the late 1970/early 1980s exploration boom.

“I think their interest in Alaska has been spurred by the talk of marketing North Slope gas,” Hansen told PNA on Feb. 20. “Geologists know the foothills region is very prospective for gas. Anadarko made that very clear when they picked up leases in the area.”

The state of Alaska has a lease sale scheduled for May 9 for the foothills region.

Although Hansen would not name the companies that were “interested in getting into plays up here,” he did say that they were from in Canada and the Lower 48.”