THE EXPLORERS 2005: Welcome to The Explorers 2005

Kay Cashman

Petroleum News

This is an exciting time for the oil and gas industry in Alaska. Prices are good and a number of major projects and previously inaccessible areas have either gotten the green light or are expected to in the near future.

The Explorers is an annual magazine featuring the companies exploring for oil and gas in Alaska. It’s produced by Petroleum News, a weekly newspaper based in Anchorage, Alaska.

The first part of the publication contains editorials from the most knowledgeable individual in state government, Mark Myers, the director of the State of Alaska’s Division of Oil and Gas, and from Judy Brady, the executive director of the influential Alaska Oil and Gas Association. AOGA’s membership list contains the majority of oil and gas exploration, production, refining and pipeline companies in Alaska.

The On Deadline section is reserved for news that breaks about the same companies after our Sept. 25 deadline, although some recent news did make it into a few of the stories.

The four-page center section is devoted to maps — all prepared by Alaska premier oil and gas cartographer, Mapmakers Alaska.

The Other Players section is devoted to companies that are hoping to become active explorers; some of which may be more interested in selling the prospects they have developed than in drilling them. Other sections include New Oil, Old Places, which features BP and XTO.

The final section, Gas for Mines, is devoted to companies looking to explore and develop unconventional gas-prospective properties to meet the demand for energy from mining operations.