Alaska exports drop as ANS crude goes to West Coast

BP ships oil to refineries gained in ARCO merger, shift impacts foreign trade figures but doesn’t affect employment or state revenue

Steve Sutherlin

PNA Managing Editor

Alaska’s worldwide exports fell 3.9 percent to $2.5 billion in 2000 due to greater amounts of North Slope oil shipped to refineries in the United States rather than being exported to markets overseas, according to the Alaska Division of International Trade and Market Development. Oil, gas and coal exports in 2000 were $572 million versus $722 million in 1999.

The division said that in previous years BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc. had been the state’s major exporter of oil, but in 2000 the company sent a greater amount of its production to West Coast refineries acquired in its merger with ARCO.

“While this shift in markets will not make any appreciable change in employment or revenue to the state, it will impact the bottom line of the state’s international trade statistics,” said Greg Wolf, state director of international trade and market development.

Oil and gas shipments to Japan, Alaska’s number one export partner, increased from $359 million in 1999 to $401 million in 2000. Oil and gas accounted for 30 percent of Alaska’s shipments to Japan, following seafood, which represents 54 percent of the state’s exports to the country. Japan buys 100 percent of the state’s LNG exports, and has received shipments from Nikiski since 1969 without interruption. LNG shipments rose slightly in 2000, to $145 million.

Japan is the number one foreign buyer of crude oil with $185 million in shipments, followed by Korea at $103 million. Crude oil was 22 percent of exports to Taiwan, with a value of $10 million in 2000. Total Alaska exports to Taiwan fell 31 percent, due to reductions in crude oil shipments.

Seafood is Alaska’s leading export commodity. Seafood shipments rose from $990 million in 1999 to $1.034 billion in 2000.