Walker heads to Singapore, Korea to meet with potential gas buyers

Alaska Gov. Bill Walker will be in Singapore and Korea in late September pitching potential buyers of Alaska liquefied natural gas and hoping to find investors in a state-led gas pipeline and LNG project.

Walker will attend the CWC 8th World LNG and Gas Series: Asia Pacific Summit in Singapore. While in Asia the governor will also participate in the Korea Ministry of Foreign Affair’s State Government Key Personnel Invitation Program, which invites select U.S. governors to Korea for one-on-one meetings with government officials and private sector companies.

In Juneau earlier in September the governor with senior Japanese officials from the Ministry of Economy, Trade, & Industry, METI, and the Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corp. to discuss the shift towards a state-led LNG project, and other resource opportunities in Alaska.

METI plays a crucial planning role for Japan, including for adequate supplies of energy, while Japan Oil, Gas and Metals actually invests in overseas resource projects.

At the meeting state officials pitched the Japanese officials to consider investment in “upstream” oil and gas development, pointing out potential in Cook Inlet in particular.

METI representatives included Oil and Gas Division Director Yuki Sadamitsu, and Assistant Director Takayuki Kawamura; Japan Oil, Gas and Metals was represented by Business Strategy Department Director General Hajime Wakuda, and Koji Hoshi, Deputy Director of the organization’s Washington, D.C., office.

Meeting prospective buyers

The comments were in a prepared statement.

Walker’s trip to Korea is being hosted and paid for by the Korea Ministry of Foreign Affairs. While traveling, the governor and his team will provide regular video updates to Alaskans on the progress of their meetings.

The CWC 8th World LNG Series: Asia Pacific Summit brings together LNG buyers and sellers in the Pacific region to network and learn about opportunities in natural gas.

Walker will give a keynote address at the summit Sept. 21 to highlight Alaska’s supply of natural gas.

The governor and other state officials will also meet with representatives from Korea’s state-owned KOGAS, the largest single buyer of LNG in the world, as well as officials from POSCO, GS Energy, the Korea Energy Economics Institute, the Korea Ministry of Foreign Affairs and others in an effort to promote the sale of Alaska’s North Slope natural gas.

The governor will be accompanied by Keith Meyer, CEO of the state’s Alaska Gasline Development Corp.; John Hendrix, the governor’s oil and gas advisor, and Andy Mack, Department of Natural Resources commissioner.

- TIM BRADNER