BP hands off keys for Prudhoe Bay to Hilcorp
Hilcorp won’t officially take over the driver’s seat at Prudhoe Bay for at least a few months, but BP Alaska President Janet Weiss offered up the keys to the iconic oil field last week.
Energy
Hilcorp pays $25,000 fine after worker died on North Slope oil rig
Hilcorp contractor Kuukpik Drilling also paid a $30,000 fine for five violations.
ConocoPhillips seeks to gain an ownership partner in future Alaska developments
The oil giant hopes to sell parts of its Alaska projects to offset risks and share the expenses of investments planned in the state, company officials said.
BLM to consider expanded drilling in Alaska oil reserve
Two alternatives would allow lease sales on lands in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska previously designated as special conservation areas under the Obama administration.
Opposition emerges in village close to proposed North Slope oil project
Planning commissioners in the Alaska village of Nuiqsut declined to support a rezoning proposal for the so-called Nanushuk project.
Oil is finally flowing from the Mustang project on Alaska’s North Slope
Anchorage-based Brooks Range Petroleum Corp. has been working on Mustang for years, though the project has gone through fits and starts since oil prices collapsed starting in late 2014.
Alaska’s largest solar farm opens in Willow
It will offset enough power produced by Southcentral’s natural gas power plants to prevent about 2 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions annually, according to the CEO.
Alaska group seeking to raise oil taxes sues state, claiming ‘inaccuracies’ in review
The state certified the measure, but the group argues it did not provide a fair and impartial summary of it.
State: BP sale of Alaska assets to Hilcorp clears federal hurdle
Several state agencies will review aspects of the $5.6 billion deal, and lawmakers are working to set informational hearings.
Hilcorp wants finances kept private in Alaska deal with BP, leading to calls for transparency
Regulators should require the private oil company to disclose its finances before it can buy BP’s North Slope assets, some say.
Group forms to fight Alaska oil tax initiative
OneAlaska will oppose the proposed ballot measure aiming to increase oil production taxes for some companies.
Trump administration’s hope for Arctic refuge lease sale this year seems out of reach
Regulatory timelines indicate the sale, a step toward drilling, won’t be held this year.
Closing arguments made in North Pole refinery pollution case
An Alaska judge will decide who is liable for the cleanup of a substance that leaked from a North Pole oil refinery and contaminated nearby water wells.
Critics gear up for response to lease sale in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
Opponents of oil drilling in America’s largest wildlife refuge have a message for oil drillers and the people who finance them: Don’t become the company known for the demise of America’s polar bears.
Treadwell-led group pairs with ExxonMobil on LNG from Point Thomson
Former Alaska Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell is spearheading a new effort to sell North Slope natural gas with an offshore Arctic LNG plant and icebreaking tankers.
Alaska regulator taking public comments on Hilcorp-BP deal through Friday
The multibillion-dollar transaction, which would significantly change Alaska’s oil industry, has garnered few comments so far.
Alaska is considering whether to change oil spill plan requirements
Thirty years after the Exxon Valdez spilled about 11 million gallons of oil in Prince William Sound, the state is looking at whether to change its requirements for oil spill prevention and response plans.
As BP exits Alaska, 1,600 employees are waiting to find out what’s next
Employees seeking jobs with BP and Hilcorp have been told they will learn what their options are by late December.
Heavy seas blamed for partial collapse of Nikiski dock that supports offshore drilling
The incident means the facility is indefinitely unable to provide fuel and water to vessels that service oil and gas platforms.
Some in oil industry fear impeachment inquiry could crush hopes for North American trade deal
Congressional ratification of a trade agreement between the U.S., Canada and Mexico would secure the free flow of crude oil and refined fuels between the three countries.