by wp_sysadmin | Aug 27, 2025 | Home, News
Today’s Key Takeaways: AOGA conference kicks off with strong representation from House Natural Resources Committee. Glenfarne’s Texan LNG project on track for end of year final investment decision. Pebble mine project holds steady.
OIL:
U.S House Delegation from Natural Resources Committee Kicks off AOGA Conference
James Brooks, Alaska Beacon, August 27, 2025
Ten members of the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources are visiting Southeast and Southcentral Alaska, including addressing the annual conference of the Alaska Oil and Gas Association
Ten members of the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Natural Resources are making an unusual visit to Alaska this week during a break from business on Capitol Hill.
The 45-person committee deals with a variety of issues pertaining to public lands in the United States, and the visit is giving eight Republicans and two Democrats a chance to put their literal hands on the topics they cover.
On Monday, the lawmakers visited Hecla Greens Creek Mine, which produces silver, gold, zinc and lead from a site west of Juneau. They overflew parts of the Tongass National Forest, the nation’s largest, and observed Suicide Basin in the Mendenhall Glacier, the origin point for glacial floods that have inundated parts of Alaska’s capital city in recent summers.
Outside the hangars of Ward Air in Juneau, several House representatives talked with reporters.
“Obviously, Alaska is a big natural resources state, so we’re here seeing things on the ground, so that when we’re talking about (them) in Washington, DC, it’s not just an academic exercise for us,” said Rep. Celeste Maloy, R-Utah and a member of the committee.
Among the group was the committee’s chairman, Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-Arkansas, as well as the home-state Republican Rep. Nick Begich.
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GAS:
Texas LNG receives FERC final supplemental environmental report
Mikalia Adams, Oil & Gas Journal, August 26, 2025
Texas LNG’s FERC Final Order is expected in November, and the company has reiterated an expectation of a final investment decision by yearend.
Key Highlights
- FERC issued the final supplemental environmental impact statement for Texas LNG.
- Texas LNG expects a final investment decision on the 4-million tpy project by end-2025.
- The final FERC order is anticipated in November, supporting Texas LNG’s development timeline.
Texas LNG Brownsville LLC, an affiliate of Glenfarne Group LLC, is advancing Texas LNG, an export plant being developed in the Port of Brownsville, Tex., following issuance of the final supplemental environmental impact statement (FSEIS) from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on July 31.
The FSEIS concludes FERC staff analysis of air quality and environmental justice matters raised before the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, the company said in a release Aug. 1.
“The FERC final supplemental EIS for Texas LNG strengthens an already robust record of federal analysis and support and confirms the basis for the existing authorization for this project,” said Brendan Duval, Glenfarne’s chief executive officer and founder.
Texas LNG’s FERC Final Order is expected in November, and the company has reiterated its previous guidance that 4-million tonne/year Texas LNG is targeting a final investment decision by yearend.
Texas LNG has secured customer offtake commitments from EQT Corp., Gunvor Group, Macquarie Group, and a European utility “in a volume sufficient for achieving final investment decision,” the company said (OGJ Online, July 4, 2024; July 2, 2024; Mar. 18, 2024
Kiewit is leading the engineering, procurement, and construction of Texas LNG under a lump-sum turnkey structure.
MINING:
Pebble mine project sticks to proposal in battle to lift veto
James Attwood, Jennifer A. Dlouhy, Bloomberg News, August 26, 2026
Despite encouragement from Trump administration officials, the company behind the controversial Pebble mine in Southwest Alaska hasn’t yet submitted a revised proposal that could unblock the stalled copper-gold project.
Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd. hasn’t advanced an “updated submission” for its proposed Pebble mine, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said in a status update posted online Monday, adding that “there is nothing currently before the agency to that effect.”
The EPA update follows last month’s decision by the U.S. Justice Department to effectively uphold a veto on the project, dashing hopes that the Trump administration would roll back regulatory hurdles. The absence of a revamped proposal comes despite government officials advising Northern Dynasty that project changes could prompt the government to reconsider. An EPA spokesperson said there were discussions with agency leadership about a potential further submission that would inform any reconsideration.
It’s the latest twist in a yearslong drama over the controversial project near Bristol Bay that comes as the Trump administration seeks to boost domestic supplies of minerals it considers critical to the U.S. economy and national security. Northern Dynasty has touted Pebble as the world’s largest undeveloped copper-gold resource, but its plans have drawn opposition from prominent Republicans including the president’s son, Donald Trump Jr., as well as conservationists and local fishing operations.
It’s not clear what project changes could possibly mollify EPA officials, but modifications to the handling of mining waste could help address concerns raised since President Donald Trump’s first term in office, when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers rejected an essential permit back in 2020.
Three years later, the project was blocked by former U.S. President Joe Biden on concerns it would harm the prolific Bristol Bay salmon industry. The Biden-era Clean Water Act ban, described as a rarely used preemptive project veto, applied specifically to Pebble Limited Partnership’s plan as well as any future proposals targeting the deposit.
Northern Dynasty’s stock rallied earlier in the year following the election of Trump on bets that his pro-resource push would clear a path for the project to proceed. In July, the Vancouver-based firm said discussions with the EPA had taken place, but no settlement had been reached. The stock has fallen more than 60% since last month’s disclosures.
Northern Dynasty said in an Aug. 7 statement that it continued to have “active” negotiations with authorities for the withdrawal of the veto while at the same time pushing ahead with a case in an Alaskan federal district court. The company didn’t immediately respond to email and phone requests for comment.
by wp_sysadmin | Aug 25, 2025 | Home, News
Today’s Key Takeaways: Alaska wildcatter turns to Aruba. Deadline for Santos takeover extended. US Antimony’s Ester Dome clean-up project. 5 forces driving electric bill increases.
OIL:
Alaska Wildcatter Armstrong Turns South to Massive Aruba Prospect
Chris Matthews, Hart Energy, August 22, 2025 (subscription required)
Armstrong Oil & Gas is working an untapped exploration play offshore Aruba that legendary wildcatter Bill Armstrong calls “the biggest thing I have ever seen undrilled.”
Bill Armstrong, credited with discovering billions of barrels of oil on Alaska’s North Slope, has set his sights south on Aruba.
Last year, a subsidiary of Armstrong Oil & Gas signed a production sharing contract with Aruba’s national oil company for the exploration, development and production of hydrocarbons offshore Aruba.
GAS:
Deadline again extended for XRG’s $18.7 billion takeover of Santos
Amanda Battersby, Upstream, August 224, 2025
Australian prey reiterates there is no certainty a deal will go ahead
The XRG Consortium on Sunday requested a second extension to 19 September for the offer deadline to enable it to complete due diligence for its proposed takeover of Australian gas-focused independent Santos.
A consortium led by Adnoc subsidiary XRG in June made a US$18.7 billion non-binding indicative proposal to acquire Santos in an all-cash deal for an offer price of US$5.761 (A$8.89) per share.
On 11 August, Santos announced it had agreed to an initial extension of the process and exclusivity deed (process deed) dated 27 June to 22 August 2025 to enable the XRG consortium to finalise due diligence and progress the scheme implementation agreement (SIA).
Santos and the consortium are finalising the SIA, which will include customary protections for Santos shareholders in the event there is a longer than expected period before completion of the potential acquisition.
On 24 August, the XRG consortium again confirmed it has not found anything in due diligence that would lead it to withdraw its indicative proposal. However, the consortium has now requested a second extension of the exclusivity period to conclude due diligence and to allow it to obtain all necessary approvals to enter into a binding transaction.
Santos on Monday said it had agreed to a further extension of the process deed to Friday 19 September. The company noted that the exclusivity restrictions summarised in its announcement of 27 June will continue to apply during the period of the extension; adding that a fiduciary exception to those restrictions enabling Santos to deal with potentially superior proposals from competing acquirers has applied since 25 July and would continue to apply during the extension.
However, yet again, Santos — which on Monday released its first-half 2025 results — cautioned there is no certainty that a binding SIA will be agreed or that a potential transaction will proceed.
The XRG Consortium’s cash offer price will be adjusted for any dividends paid by Santos since the indicative proposal.
The consortium is led by XRG, a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) and includes Abu Dhabi Development Holding Company and Carlyle.
MINING:
U.S. Antimony’s first AK project: cleanup
Shane Lasley, North of 60 Mining News, August 22, 2025
Company clears junk cars, trash from the Ester Dome antimony project site near Fairbanks.
Wanting to make a good first impression as it endeavors to leverage Alaska’s high-grade antimony potential to establish an all-American supply of this material critical to the nation’s economy and security, United States Antimony Corp. (U.S. Antimony), through its Alaska subsidiary Great Land Minerals, begins its work at Ester Dome by cleaning up this antimony project west of Fairbanks.
“As newcomers to Alaska and the Fairbanks area, we believe the first thing we can do is contribute to the health of the environment and the community we are working in,” said Rod Blakestad, vice president of the mining division at U.S. Antimony.
Located in a historic mining area on the outskirts of the greater Fairbanks area, the 8,998-acre Ester Dome project acquired by U.S. Antimony has been used as a dumping ground for old vehicles and other junk over the years. So far, the company has removed 10 abandoned vehicles and nearly 12 tons of garbage from the property, and plans to haul off several more tons of refuse once an excavator is delivered to the site.
The company is also evaluating the potential of rehabilitating two heavily vandalized buildings on the property.
“This cleanup reflects not only our values, but the kind of neighbor we intend to be in the future: responsible, transparent, and invested in Alaska for the long haul,” Blakestad added.
The site remediation, and the goodwill U.S. Antimony is building with the local community, are the first steps of the company’s plans to ship high-grade antimony from Alaska to its smelter in Thompson Falls, Montana, for processing.
The Alaska-Montana antimony supply chain that the company is endeavoring to establish is considered strategically important to the U.S.’s economic and national security.
Each year, roughly 50 million pounds of antimony are needed in the U.S. to manufacture ammunition, fireproofing compounds, high-tech devices, specialty glass, and other products for both civilian and military use.
READ MORE
POLITICS:
The Real Reasons Your Power Bill Is Exploding
Robert Rapier, OilPrice.Com, August 22, 2025
- AI data centers, global LNG exports, and extreme heat are major new forces driving up U.S. electricity demand and costs.
- Aging grid infrastructure and stalled policy reforms add structural upward pressure on power prices.
- Regions anchored by nuclear and hydro remain resilient, showing how local energy mixes shape household bills.
Over the past month, friends, family, and acquaintances have asked why their electricity bills have skyrocketed. One friend wrote, “I am curious if you have any thoughts about why electric bills are doubling and, in some cases, tripling? People in my area are in shock. In two months, my bill doubled.”
I live in Phoenix, and we actually have reasonable electric bills because we are served by the Palo Verde Generating Station. Despite the intense heat here, my electric bill never rises above $300 except in July. More on that later.
That’s not the case everywhere. From the Midwest to the Southeast, people are seeing bills that are several times higher than that. What’s driving these sudden spikes isn’t just “using more power” or “a hot summer.” The reality is more complex, and it won’t be easy to solve.
Here are the five biggest forces reshaping your electric bill.
AI Data Centers Are Consuming Gigawatts
The surge in artificial intelligence has unleashed a gold rush in data center construction, and it’s quickly becoming one of the most powerful forces driving electricity demand. These facilities are energy-intensive, often consuming 30 times more electricity than traditional data centers. A single AI center can draw as much power as 80,000 homes, and by 2030, data centers are projected to require 30 GW of new capacity—the equivalent of 30 nuclear reactors.
LNG Exports Are Pushing Up Fuel Costs
Natural gas powers about 40% of U.S. electricity generation, and U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports have risen by nearly a factor of seven in the past seven years to over 13 billion cubic feet per day.
That means when Asian or European buyers bid up LNG cargoes, U.S. households indirectly feel it in their electricity bills. Put simply, you’re now competing with the world for the same fuel—and global demand is strong. The spot price of natural gas in the U.S. is about $1.00 per million Btu higher than it was a year ago at this time. That translates directly into higher electricity bills this year.
Heat Waves Are Breaking the Grid
July 2025 saw record-breaking temperatures across much of the country, with a “heat dome” trapping high humidity and driving peak demand to 758,149 MWh in a single hour—a national record. Air conditioning loads surged, and in many regions, utilities had to buy expensive spot-market electricity to meet demand. That cost gets socialized across monthly bills.
Aging Infrastructure and Grid Bottlenecks
The U.S. grid is old and straining under new loads. More than 70% of transmission lines and transformers are over 30 years old. Replacing and upgrading them is both essential and expensive.
READ MORE
by wp_sysadmin | Aug 22, 2025 | Home, News
Donlin Gold leaders meet with Alaskans
Shane Lasley, North of 60 Mining News, August 22, 2025
Paulson, Kaplan meet Y-K residents, Native corp. partners, state leaders during Alaska tour.
With their sights set on developing Donlin Gold into the largest gold mine in the United States, senior leadership from Novagold Resources Inc. and Paulson Advisers LLC – led by billionaires Thomas Kaplan and John Paulson – met with state officials and local residents during a recent visit to Alaska.
“I was pleased to visit the site, spend time in Aniak, a middle Kuskokwim village, and engage directly with local stakeholders and the Alaska Native Corporations who are owners and stewards of the land where the project is located,” said John Paulson, a renowned mining investor who is chairman of Paulson Advisors. “We also held valuable and highly constructive discussions with government leaders and prospective contractors for key infrastructure components. These engagements underscore our shared dedication to progressing the project in a responsible, inclusive, and collaborative manner.”
In April, Paulson Advisors invested roughly US$800 million to acquire Barrick Gold’s 40% interest in Donlin Gold. Novagold raised its interest in the Donlin Gold joint venture from 50 to 60% through the buyout of Barrick’s remaining interest in the project.
With Barrick’s exit, both partners of the reshaped JV are firmly behind the development of a mine at Donlin Gold, a 40-million-ounce gold project that has been on the cusp of a development decision for nearly 15 years.
“More than ever before, with a beautifully aligned co-owner and the backdrop of a gold bull market, the company remains devoted to responsibly advancing the development of what would be, at present estimates, America’s largest gold mine – and, above all, honoring the enduring values of the region and respecting the long-term interests of all stakeholders,” said Novagold Chairman Thomas Kaplan, who is also renowned for his mining investments.
A first-hand look at Y-K life
With both companies firmly behind the responsible development of Donlin, Paulson, Kaplan, and senior management from both project partners met with residents in the Yukon-Kuskokwim (Y-K) region of Southwest Alaska, where Donlin Gold is located, as well as with state officials in Anchorage.
During their visit to the Y-K region, the Paulson and Novagold chairs met with leaders from Calista Corp. and The Kuskokwim Corp., Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) corporations that own the subsurface and surface lands at Donlin, respectively.
“Being on site for the second time in the last month and meeting directly with representatives from Calista Corporation and The Kuskokwim Corporation, which are the land resource owners of the Donlin Gold project, as well as local stakeholders, government officials, and infrastructure and logistics providers, reinforced both the strength of our collaboration as well as the renewed momentum behind this project”, said Kaplan.
During their tour of Donlin Gold, the project owners were invited to travel by boat on the Kuskokwim River and visit a local fish camp. This provided Paulson with first-hand insights into the subsistence lifestyle important to the Alaska Native residents and emphasized the residents’ reliance on the Kuskokwim River for food and travel.
While the Kuskokwim River offers a major transportation route that will support mine development and operations, the Donlin Gold JV is committed to minimizing barge traffic along this waterway, which is critical to the region’s subsistence lifestyle.
This includes building a 300-mile natural gas pipeline from Cook Inlet in Southcentral Alaska to the project, which will significantly reduce the amount of diesel that will need to be barged to the mine.
Paulson and Novagold said they look forward to ongoing and ever-closer exchanges with Calista, TKC, and their Alaska Native shareholders as the Donlin Gold project advances.
While in Alaska, the Paulson and Novagold leadership teams met with Gov. Mike Dunleavy, Department of Natural Resources Commissioner John Boyle, former Department of Revenue Commissioner Adam Crum, and other state leaders.
These meetings allowed Alaska leaders and the reformed Donlin Gold ownership to discuss specific focus areas important to the state and Donlin.
“As the second largest gold-producing state in the U.S., Alaska offers superb opportunities for the responsible development of employment-generating projects like Donlin Gold,” the Donlin Gold partners stated.
Clear shift toward mine development
The new Novagold-Paulson partnership marked a distinct turning point for Donlin Gold – from years of ongoing studies to a clear focus on a mine development decision.
“I am committed to the development of this truly magnificent project,” said Paulson.
This commitment was less clear with Barrick, which took Donlin to the cusp of an investment decision 14 years ago, but never pulled the trigger on mine development.
A feasibility study completed in 2011 outlined plans for a mine at Donlin that would produce 1.1 million oz of gold annually for 27 years.
This mine plan is supported by 541.3 million metric tons of measured and indicated resources averaging 2.24 grams per metric ton (39 million oz) gold and 92.2 million metric tons of inferred resource averaging 2.02 g/t gold.
Novagold Resources Inc.
The results from drilling over the past four years are expected to significantly upgrade the resources at Donlin Gold.
The resources supporting the feasibility study do not include the results of any of the drilling completed since 2011, including some spectacular results from 220 holes drilled in 2021 and 2022. Highlights include:
• 92.02 meters averaging 7.8 g/t gold in hole DC21-1970.
• 52.27 meters averaging 14.63 g/t gold in hole DC22-2040.
• 19.74 meters averaging 34.17 g/t gold in hole DC22-2063.
• 42.28 meters averaging 30.68 g/t gold in hole DC22-2068.
• 48.96 meters averaging 20.61 g/t gold in hole DC22-2077
Despite these outstanding results, Barrick was not willing to update the more than decade-old resource and feasibility study in preparation for a mine development decision.
Prior to Barrick’s exit in April, the Donlin Gold JV had approved a $43 million budget for project activities in 2025 and initiated a roughly 15,000-meter infill drill program. The new Donlin Gold partnership immediately shifted the focus of drilling toward upgrading and expanding the world-class deposit in preparation for the feasibility study.
The results from this drill program, which is now complete, will be incorporated into a new resource calculation for an updated bankable feasibility study for the globally significant gold mine project.
An additional 3,000 meters of geotechnical drilling is being carried out at the deposit and along the 30-mile road that would connect a future mine to a port on the Kuskokwim River. This program will provide data critical to completing the feasibility study.
While in Alaska, Novagold and Paulson leaders met with natural gas pipeline developers and distributors to analyze opportunities for delivering natural gas to Southcentral Alaska. This could help bring near-term relief to Alaska’s Railbelt, which is dealing with natural gas shortages, and be beneficial for Donlin Gold and the Y-K area over the longer term.
The Donlin Gold JV is currently in the process of selecting top-tier engineering firms with the capacity to complete a feasibility study for a project on the scale of Donlin and its supporting infrastructure.
by wp_sysadmin | Aug 20, 2025 | Home, News
Today’s Key Takeaways: Long-term schedule for Alaska’s offshore lease sales announced. From Alaska with Love: 5 sanctioned Russian LNG carriers sailed during Trump-Putin meeting. Appeals court halts land transfer for copper mine. I-told-you-so oil industry moment in CA.
Oil:
Interior Dept. unveils Alaska, Gulf of Mexico oil drilling lease timeline
Chris Benson, UPI, August 19, 2025
The U.S. Department of the Interior on Tuesday unveiled its long-term schedule for new Alaskan and Gulf of Mexico offshore oil and gas leases that are part of President Donald Trump‘s recently signed legislation called the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.”
The first sale on December 10 will be the start to a minimum of 30 by March 2040 for the gulf and six sales by 2032 for Alaska’s Cook Inlet along Alaska’s south-central coast near Anchorage.
READ MORE
Gas:
From Alaska With Love: Russia’s Shadow LNG Fleet Set Sail for China As Trump-Putin Summit Unfolded
Malte Humpert, gCaptain, August 18, 2025
Five sanctioned LNG carriers, part of Russia’s shadow fleet, got underway as the Trump-Putin meeting took place in Alaska, or changed course in the hours that followed.
The vessels had remained idle for extended periods of time, loaded with stranded liquefied natural gas from Russia’s sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 project.
The White House did not respond to requests for comment if Presidents Trump and Putin discussed the matter of Russian LNG during their meeting in Anchorage. Reuters reported earlier that the US has had internal discussions ahead of the summit about using Russian nuclear-powered icebreakers in support of the planned $44bn Alaska LNG project.
READ MORE
Mining:
Trump blasts appeals court for halting Resolution Copper land transfer
Reuters, August 19, 2025
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday criticized an appeals court’s decision to temporarily block federal officials from completing a land transfer needed for Rio Tinto and BHP to develop Arizona’s Resolution Copper project.
Trump’s post on his Truth Social platform came after he and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum met at the White House with the CEOs of Rio and BHP, two of the world’s largest mining companies, which have been trying to develop Resolution for more than a decade.
The San Francisco-based 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on Monday that the transfer – which had been slated for Tuesday – should be halted while the court weighs a request from the San Carlos Apache tribe to block the project for religious, cultural and environmental reasons.
It was only the second time any court has ruled in favor of the Apache or their allies in more than five years of myriad legal maneuvers against Resolution, slated to become one of the world’s largest supplies of a metal used to build nearly every electronic device.
Trump called the court a “radical left court” and said that those who oppose the mine “are Anti-American, and representing other copper competitive Countries.”
“It is so sad that Radical Left Activists can do this, and affect the lives of so many people,” Trump said in the post. “We can’t continue to allow this to happen to the USA!”
Trump did not outline any actions he plans to take to sway the court, but said that “our Country, quite simply, needs Copper — AND NOW!” He did not provide evidence for his claims about the court and opponents of the project.
READ MORE
Politics:
Gavin Newsom warms to Big Oil in climate reversal
Alexei Koseff, Alejandro Lazo and Maya C. Miller, CalMatters, August 18, 2025
After years of cracking down on California’s oil industry, Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative Democrats are moving to get Kern County wells pumping again to avoid soaring gasoline prices.
The oil industry is having an I-told-you-so moment in California.
For decades, the state has raced to end its reliance on fossil fuels and prioritize clean energy. Its relationship with oil companies became particularly contentious in the past two years, as Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democratic legislators held two special sessions to crack down on alleged price gouging at the pump.
But now two of its last remaining fuel refineries are closing sooner than California expected, tossing a simmering emergency into officials’ laps. With a hotly debated forecast that $8-per-gallon gasoline might be on the horizon, there has been a remarkable shift at the state Capitol. Led by Newsom, who just last fall was lambasting oil companies for “screwing” consumers, California may soon let its black gold flow again.
“We are all the beneficiaries of oil and gas. No one’s naive about that,” Newsom said at a press conference last month. “So it’s always been about finding a just transition, a pragmatism in terms of that process.”
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by wp_sysadmin | Aug 18, 2025 | Home, News
Today’s Key Takeaways: U.S. slams India for buying Russian oil. Russian icebreakers considered for Alaska gas development? Betting big on LNG. Australia interest in Alaska mining. Dunleavy clears the air on Alaska-Russia minerals deal.
OIL:
Trump’s Adviser Navarro Slams India for Buying Russian Oil
Clara Ferreira Marques, Shruti Srivastava, Bloomberg, August 18, 2025
The dramatic increase in India’s purchases of Russian oil since the invasion of Ukraine is “opportunistic and deeply corrosive” of a global effort to isolate the Kremlin and curb Vladimir Putin’s war machine, White House trade adviser Peter Navarro wrote in the Financial Times.
In a strongly worded column, Navarro — long a hawkish voice and now an important force behind Donald Trump’s punitive global tariffs — linked India’s trade barriers and what he characterized as its financial support for Russia, depicting dealings that come at the expense of the US.
“American consumers buy Indian goods,” he said. “India uses those dollars to buy discounted Russian crude.”
India’s External Affairs Ministry didn’t respond to an email seeking comment on Navarro’s column. The South Asian country has defended its right to buy oil from the cheapest source. The threat of penalties and additional tariffs for buying Russian crude is “unreasonable” and “extremely unfortunate,” Randhir Jaiswal, a foreign ministry spokesperson, said earlier this month.
READ MORE
GAS:
Exclusive: US mulled use of Russia icebreakers for gas development ahead of summit – sources
Marwa Rashad, Anna Hirtenstein, Reuters, August 15, 2025
- Trump-Putin summit to discuss Ukraine ceasefire and LNG project
- Alaska LNG project involves 800-mile pipeline for Asian exports
- Russia’s nuclear icebreaker vessels crucial for Northern Sea Route access
The United States has had internal discussions on using Russian nuclear-powered icebreaker vessels to support the development of gas and LNG projects in Alaska as one of the possible deals to aim for when President Donald Trump meets Vladimir Putin on Friday, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.
Trump landed in Alaska on Friday for what he called a “high stakes” summit with Russia’s Putin to discuss a ceasefire deal for Ukraine and end the deadliest war in Europe since World War Two.
Both the U.S. and Russian presidents, meeting at a Cold War-era air force base in Alaska’s largest city, are seeking wins from their first face-to-face talks since Trump returned to the White House.
The icebreaker idea has been discussed among White House officials as one of the potential deals to try to strike with Russia at the Alaska summit, one of the sources said.
The ongoing talks between the U.S. and Russia over Ukraine have included discussions about business deals. The White House is planning to continue this approach at the summit on Friday, said the source, who like the others spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the talks.
READ MORE
Energy supermajors are betting big on LNG, shrugging off peak gas predictions
Sam Meredith, CNBC, August 18, 2025
Key Points
- Several oil majors are ramping up their investments in liquified natural gas (LNG), seeking to diversify their portfolios and capitalize on growing global demand.
- Energy analysts, however, have raised some concerns.
- The International Energy Agency has said it expects gas demand to plateau, or peak, by the end of the decade.
MINING:
Australia shows interest in Estelle, Alaska
Shane Lasley, North of 60 Mining News, August 15, 2025
Australian Consular-General Tanya Bennett visits gold project; discusses investment opportunities with Gov. Mike Dunleavy during Alaska tour.
During a recent visit to Alaska that included meetings with Gov. Mike Dunleavy and other state officials, Australian Consular-General Tanya Bennett touted Nova Minerals Ltd.’s Estelle gold-antimony project as an important example of the strong partnership between Australia and the United States on critical minerals and strategic resource security.
“It is a great example of collaboration between Australia and the U.S. on critical minerals, something that is so important to our economic security going forward,” Bennett said while standing on a drill pad at Estelle.
The Australian Consular-General is the latest on a growing list of dignitaries that Nova has hosted at Estelle or met with regarding the economic opportunities and national implications of the gold-antimony project about 100 miles northwest of Anchorage.
Matsu Borough Mayor Edna DeVries, Gov. Dunleavy, and Alaska’s delegation to Washington, DC, have all voiced support for Estelle and the proposed West Susitna Road that would connect the project to Alaska’s highway system.
“Momentum continues to build as the Estelle Gold and Critical Minerals Project gains significant strategic recognition,” said Nova Minerals CEO Christopher Gerteisen.
READ MORE
POLITICS:
‘That’s not true:’ Governor calls out report of Alaska-Russian rare minerals deal
Will Courtney, Alaska’s News Source, August 15, 2025
Dunleavy says topic addressed during Air Force One meeting with Trump ahead of summit
Gov. Mike Dunleavy, R-AK, said after speaking with President Donald Trump ahead of the summit in Alaska that the rumor he is considering selling Russia Alaskan minerals to help broker a deal to end the Ukraine war are just “rumors.”
“I just got off of Air Force One for a meeting with the President,” Dunleavy said in a video posted to social media. “We talked to the president about these rumors that Alaska’s minerals were gonna be sold off to the Russians or Alaska’s gas was gonna be transported by Russians. We spoke with him and some of his staff on the plane and that’s not true.”
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