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Month: November 2012

Update — and a recap — on upcoming state oil tax fight

Update — and a recap — on upcoming state oil tax fight

When legislators open their 2013 session in Juneau, the knotty oil tax problem awaits them. Despite the new Republican-led leadership in the Senate, the Legislature will proceed cautiously in considering proposals to reduce the state’s oil production tax. The issue is highly complex and controversial, and the new Republican Senate leaders, while sympathetic to the need for changing the tax, will realize they must move carefully.

Southcentral gas supply situation getting worse?

Southcentral gas supply situation getting worse?

There’s more gloomy information on the Southcentral Alaska gas supply situation. Enstar Natural Gas Co. is about the begin 2013 with about 4.2 billion cubic feet of its gas requirement for the year unmet, meaning not under contract. Enstar’s total annual gas need is about 33 billion cubic feet, so this is a significant amount and the largest supply deficit the utility has ever had at the start of a year. Enstar’s gap grows to about 50 percent of its…

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Japan firms get cold shoulder from state administration on LNG

Japan firms get cold shoulder from state administration on LNG

A group of Japanese companies interested in a large Alaska liquefied natural gas project are getting a cool reception from the administration of Gov. Sean Parnell. The group has been talking with the administration on and off since summer, and would like to develop a large LNG plant either in Valdez or Cook Inlet they would own, with the pipeline owned by other parties. However, they have been asking for some form of Memorandum of Understanding with the state, similar…

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