by wp_sysadmin | May 31, 2019 | Home, News
On Thursday, May 30th, the Alaska Oil and Gas Association hosted its annual conference. Presenters focused on why Alaska is on the “oil and gas map”.
Lt. Governor Kevin Meyers announced that BP Alaska and Exxon Mobil have pledged $20m towards the funding required to obtain permitting for the Alaska LNG project:
BP and ExxonMobil to give a $20 million assist to Alaska LNG
Department of Natural Resources Commissioner, Corri Feige, explained why she felt Alaska was full of opportunity:
- In 2019, a dozen exploration wells were drilled – the highest number in 15 years!
- An ANWR lease sale is pending in 2019
- A Fall SALSA lease sale is planned that will provide extensive data to the winners
Mike Sommers from the American Petroleum Institute noted that in order for the US to be energy dominant, it must leverage Alaska’s North Slope, the Arctic, offshore oil, ANWR and the NPRA!
AOGA conference says Alaska is ‘back on the map’ for oil and gas development
Benji Backer from the American Conservation Coalition participated in a climate change panel and reminded participants that “Companies have a lot of power in how we save our environment and it’s really great to see companies taking action.”
Socially Responsible Investment and Consumer-Led Environmentalism
by wp_sysadmin | May 29, 2019 | Home, News
FERC On Schedule To Release Draft EIS For AK LNG Project, Next Month
Jennifer Williams, KSRM, May 28, 2019
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is scheduled to release the draft Alaska LNG environmental impact statement, or EIS, next month. The Alaska Gasline Development Corporation, the AGDC, announced that it had signed an agreement with BP and ExxonMobil to collaborate on ways to advance the LNG project on March 8. Under the terms of the agreement, the companies will seek to advance the project by working together to identify ways to improve the project’s competitiveness, and progress FERC authorization to construct the project. FERC extended the schedule for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the project by four months. The agency cited the state’s timeline for answering federal regulators’ questions and fulfilling data requests as the reason for the extension. The future of the project could however depend on the results of a economic study conducted by the AGDC. Governor Mike Dunleavy: “AGDC is supposed to come out with an economic study that will determine how or if we move forward. Depending on what that data shows us we will have a discussion with the legislature and see how they want us to proceed.” In the meantime, AGDC Program Management Vice President stated that the corporation is anticipating a 90-day public comment period for the draft document once it’s released.
Related: Macroeconomic impacts of US LNG exports
Shares of rare earth miners skyrocket after Beijing threatens to cut off the minerals
Eustance Huang, CNBC, May 29, 2019
- Shares of rare earth miners in Asia Pacific surged on Wednesday.
- The moves came after a Chinese official recently cautioned that products made from rare earth minerals should not be used against the country’s development.
- The comment, reported by CCTV, is being taken as a veiled threat aimed at the U.S. and its technology companies that are dependent on the materials.
Our Take: Alaska remains potential source for critical rare earth elements
Trump administration appeals ruling that blocked Arctic offshore drilling
Elizabeth Harball, Alaska’s Energy Desk, May 28, 2019
The Trump administration Tuesday appealed a federal court decision that blocked plans to reopen vast portions of Alaska’s Arctic waters to oil drilling. In March, U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Gleason ruled that the president exceeded his authority when he issued an executive order undoing an Obama-era ban on oil leasing in large parts of the Beaufort and Chukchi seas. An U.S. Interior Department spokesperson, Molly Block, declined to comment. The case will now go to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The Interior Department had pushed to hold an oil lease sale in the Beaufort Sea as soon as this year.
From today’s Washington Examiner, Daily on Energy:
ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP, BUSINESSES SEE NEED FOR COLLABORATION ON EMISSIONS CUTS: The environmental group Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, with input from leading businesses, released a report Tuesday detailing the case for the federal government, states, companies, and consumers to work together in order to cut emissions to avoid the worst consequences of climate change.
The report, developed over several years, detailed three pathways for the U.S. to cut economy-wide emissions 80% by 2050.
The group, led by Bob Perciasepe, a former EPA deputy administrator in the Obama administration, drafted the scenarios with input from 21 companies across various sectors, including BP, Berkshire Hathaway Energy, BHP, Dow Chemical, Duke Energy, Intel, Mars, Microsoft, and Toyota.
by wp_sysadmin | May 28, 2019 | Home, News
Environmentalists Say Imprisoned Felons Should Be Able To Vote Because Of Global Warming
Michael Bastasch, The Daily Caller, May 28, 2019
Environmentalists joined the far-left campaign to give voting rights to incarcerated felons, arguing felon voting is crucial to fighting global warming. “Until each and every one of them have their voting rights restored, the movement for climate justice — and every progressive cause — will be severely disadvantaged,” Sabelo Narasimhan, digital campaign manager for 350.org, wrote in an email to supporters sent Monday. The group is now part of the effort, championed by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, to allow millions of incarcerated felons to vote. Currently, only Maine and Vermont allow imprisoned felons to vote.
Our Take: Climate Change Crazy Talk.
Related:
Greenpeace Issues Warning To Joe Biden: Join Us
Conoco CEO says demand growth will consume LNG Supply
Reuters, May 28, 2019
ConocoPhillips expects current weak global liquefied natural gas prices to improve as growing demand soaks up the excess supply in the market, the company’s chief executive said May 28th.
Eminent domain fights now focus on export pipelines
Houston Chronicle, May 28, 2019
Increasing natural gas exports also has brought a boom in pipeline projects across the United States. Not only are landowners and environmentalists challenging the benefits of such projects, but they’re also raising questions over the projects’ eminent domain authority. Federal law allows these companies to seize land for construction as long as the project is deemed in “the public interest.” But landowners and environmentalists argue that exporting gas benefits only the companies, not the public. “Any of the LNG projects being built in Texas and anywhere else where a pipeline is being built, this (issue) is going to be raised,” said David Bookbinder, an attorney with the libertarian think tank Niskanen Center.
Why it matters: Those against oil and gas companies using eminent domain for export projects argue that exporting energy may actually hurt U.S. consumers by decreasing domestic supply and raising costs. But experts warn that not considering the interest of the public abroad would hurt the energy market.
What’s next: There is added pressure for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to develop guidelines as to what is and is not acceptable.
From today’s Washington Examiner, Daily on Energy:
DEMOCRATIC ATTORNEYS GENERAL SAY TRUMP’S ORDER TO LIMIT STATE PIPELINE AUTHORITY IS ILLEGAL: A coalition of 16 Democratic state attorneys general is warning the Trump administration that the president’s recent executive order limiting state authority over oil and gas pipelines is illegal.
Trump signed an executive order April 10 designed to limit the instances in which blue states such as New York can reject pipeline projects using authority granted to states in Section 401 of the Clean Water Act. Section 401 allows states to deny permits if leaks from an energy infrastructure project could harm nearby streams or lakes.
In a comment letter, the Democratic attorneys general argue that any change to EPA’s “guidance and regulations” under Section 401 of the Clean Water Act would violate the law.
They say the law provides states the primary authority to protect water quality within their borders, allowing for “broad discretion” in making decisions over pipeline certifications.
“New York will always defend the right to ensure the people of our state have access to clean water, period,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James.
by wp_sysadmin | May 24, 2019 | General, Home, News
Headlamp will return Tuesday May 28th
by wp_sysadmin | May 23, 2019 | Home, News
State agencies at odds over new law to address ‘orphan’ oil wells
Elizabeth Harball, KTOO, May 22, 2019
A few small oil companies have gone bankrupt in Alaska in recent years, leaving the state or other landowners on the hook for cleaning up the wells they left behind. So this month, the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission started requiring oil and gas companies to put up substantially higher bonds to cover the wells they have drilled. After a years-long push to update the law, the commission raised the bond amount to between $400,000 and $30 million, depending on how many wells a company has. Previously, the bond requirement was capped at $200,000. But a different state agency — the Department of Natural Resources — is criticizing the new law and asking for it to be rescinded.
Our take: We have listened to many committee hearings where legislators ask, “Why is there so much talk about uncertain regulations?” Continual changes like this are counterproductive to investment in the state. No one advocates against strict regulations and responsible development, but as DNR states, these bonds would certainly be “unduly burdensome” to smaller operators.
The Critical Importance of Investing in American Energy Infrastructure
Robin Rorick, RealClear Energy, May 22, 2019
For these reasons and more, demand for natural gas and oil has grown across the country. Upgrading our nation’s pipelines, storage tanks, export terminals, waterways, ports and more, is vital to delivering the reliable and affordable flow of energy resources we all count on to cook our food, heat our homes and improve the quality of our lives. The United States leads the world in natural gas and oil production, yet there are manufacturers, businesses and American families in parts of the country who aren’t adequately connected to America’s energy abundance – and won’t be without new and/or expanded state of the art pipelines and other infrastructure to deliver energy to markets and consumers.
Our take: As mentioned, many of these infrastructure improvements are beneficial in that they improve the safety and efficiency of energy transport, therefore lowering the opportunity for spills and providing many skilled labor jobs for the US. A win-win in our opinion.
HERE’S HOW IRAN WOULD CARRY OUT A PLAN TO DISRUPT GLOBAL OIL TRADE
Michael Bastasch, The Daily Caller, May 23, 2019
- Iranian plans to disrupt the oil trade will likely involve hampering the world’s busiest oil choke point: the Strait of Hormuz.
- Disrupting the oil trade could send oil prices upward, making it more expensive for Americans to fill up their gas tanks.
- It’s part of Iran’s plan to make the U.S. feel economic pain and divide the international community over sanctions.
Alaska energy lease sales draw meager interest: officials
Yereth Rosen, Reuters, May 22, 2019
Hilcorp Energy Company’s Alaska unit submitted bids for three tracts comprising 10,286 acres in the Cook Inlet region, said Kyle Smith, leasing manager for the Alaska Division of Oil and Gas. About 4 million acres of offshore and onshore territory was offered in the Cook Inlet sale. It was the poorest showing for the state’s annual Cook Inlet lease sale since 2016, when no bids were submitted. Cook Inlet sales in 2012, 2013 and 2014 attracted spirited bidding.
Related: Hilcorp lone Cook Inlet bidder for third straight year
Report: Coal’s revival is in high tech
Amy Harder, Axios, May 23, 2019
A new report commissioned by the Energy Department recommends promoting coal for use in other, higher tech ways than electricity. It finds that coal can be refined into what can seem like limitless products, but the ones with the most growth potential include:
- Carbon fiber as a lighter weight and stronger replacement for steel and aluminum in cars, wind turbines and more.
- Rare earth minerals, which are used in a wide variety of renewable energy technologies.
- Graphene, a material used in medical devices.
