Federal regulators order Hilcorp to replace 7-mile pipeline that leaked natural gas into Cook Inlet
The company has a year to replace the subsea pipe, installed in 1965, the agency said in a 12-page order.
Energy
Small Australian oil explorer hits potential pay zones in Nanushuk on Alaska’s North Slope
The leaders of 88 Energy Ltd. believe they have continued a trend that is driving two of the largest Slope prospects in decades.
Hilcorp shuts down two offshore platforms in Cook Inlet after natural gas leaks from fuel line
The leak was cut off on Saturday, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation said. The incident occurred in the same 8-inch fuel line as Hilcorp’s natural gas leak in the Inlet in 2017.
Judge throws roadblock into Hilcorp oil exploration in Cook Inlet, citing potential impacts to beluga whales
Conservation groups sued the federal government in 2019 to stop the project.
In a reversal, the oil industry’s top lobbying group now supports a federal price on carbon emissions
The American Petroleum Institute’s shift in policy comes after President Biden suspended leasing in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Dunleavy pitch for federal gas line funding gets chilly reception in Alaska Senate committee
In their first official briefing on the proposal, lawmakers expressed skepticism toward a plan backed by Gov. Mike Dunleavy to seek more than $4 billion in federal money to spur construction of the $39 billion Alaska LNG Project.
Alaska and 12 other states sue Biden administration to reverse pause on oil and gas lease sales
The suit specifically seeks an order that the government go ahead with sales of oil and gas leases in the Gulf of Mexico and Cook Inlet.
Proposed staff cuts in Alaska oil spill response division defended by Dunleavy administration and criticized by Prince William Sound advisory group
A decision to cut positions from the state agency charged with preventing oil spills despite potential new revenue is a step toward longer-term sustainability, according to the Dunleavy administration, while the group dedicated to preventing another Exxon Valdez insists it is a needless step towards unpreparedness.
Joint UAF-Hilcorp study of heavy oil recovery shows promise on Alaska’s North Slope
An advanced oil recovery method could unlock billions more barrels on the North Slope.
Biden administration promises report by summer on suspension of oil and gas sales on federal lands and waters
President Biden announced a temporary suspension of new sales one week after he took office.
Company disputes Interior Department’s account of why its request to hunt for oil in ANWR was rejected
The Interior Department had said earlier this week that aerial surveys of polar bear dens were not conducted on time. Kaktovik Inupiat Corp. shot back in a statement, saying that’s the federal government’s fault.
Seismic exploration in ANWR canceled for winter after feds say polar bear survey wasn’t finished on time
Kaktovik Inupiat Corp., the Alaska Native corporation for the only village in the refuge, had applied to conduct seismic exploration in the refuge’s coastal plain.
ConocoPhillips to cut about 100 jobs in Alaska
A company spokeswoman said the workforce reduction is unrelated to recent court decisions affecting its project on Alaska’s North Slope.
Federal appeals panel stops work on ConocoPhillips’ Willow project
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with conservation and Indigenous groups and halted winter work at a major ConocoPhillips oil project on Alaska’s North Slope.
Judge puts plans for gravel construction and mining at large Alaska oil discovery on hold for up to 2 weeks
Environmental groups appealed a decision last week allowing ConocoPhillips to open a gravel mine or build a gravel road at the Willow oil discovery in the NPR-A.
As Democrats take charge in Washington, lawmakers introduce bills to stop oil drilling in ANWR
Lawmakers have submitted legislation to create a wilderness area in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge’s coastal plain in both the U.S. House and Senate.
Biden administration cancels public comment period for Alaska offshore oil lease sale amid review of program
The cancellation raises questions about whether the Cook Inlet lease sale will be held later this year, as proposed under the Trump administration.
Gov. Dunleavy pitches a new plan for a long-sought Alaska gas pipeline
As currently envisioned, the plan relies on an as-yet-unnamed private partner and federal dollars.
North Slope gas write-down drives $772 million quarterly loss for ConocoPhillips
ConocoPhillips reported a loss of $2.7 billion in 2020, a wholesale reversal from the nearly $7.2 billion the company netted in 2019.
Judge allows work at major ConocoPhillips oil project in Alaska to continue, rejecting efforts by conservation groups
The judge has not ruled on the larger questions seeking to stop the project altogether.