1-27-09.  KTOO Gavel to Gavel AUDIO.  House Special Committee on Energy (Steve Haagenson) & Senate Resources Committee (Bud Fackrell {NGP Photo-l} and Tony Palmer {NGP Photo-r}) - 1/27/09 1:12 pm- 1/27/09 3:02 pm    *       APRN.   Story on last Friday's conference, particularly Brian Frank's comments and responding comments from TransCanada's Tony Palmer . An official with BP last week said the national economy and low energy prices in the continental U.S. are lowering the chances for the Denali Gas Pipeline project his company and ConocoPhillips have announced. The “Denali” plan is in competition with TransCanada’s project, created in partnership with the State. TransCanada says it’s still confident in its project.           *          Juneau Empire by Anne Sutton.   TransCanada Corp. Vice President Tony Palmer, who is leading the company's effort to build a multibillion dollar Alaska gas pipeline, said the project is moving forward as planned despite the economic downturn that has depressed energy demand and prices.  On Friday, top energy analysts in Anchorage delivered a grim overview of gas markets to the Alaska Support Industry Alliance, representing industry interests. (See our several stories below.)  They said the economic conditions are hammering industries that use natural gas, and that's driving demand and prices down. Palmer said the gloomy forecasts are not impeding progress as the company moves forward to open season. That's when shippers will bid for space in the pipeline.       *      KTUU by Lori Tipton.   "We will be continuing to focus on low cost for this project, keeping the tolls under $3, schedule and attracting customers," said Tony Palmer, a vice president for TransCanada.  "I think 2009 is a very important year for this project," said Denali President Bud Fackrell. "That will put us in a position to conduct an open season and give the shippers confidence that we understand the risks and uncertainties of the project."     *      CEA.  “By further restricting access to the abundant, domestic, and clean natural gas in the Intermountain West, the U.S. Senate is sending a clear message to President Obama and to the American people— ‘We have no interest in increasing energy security and reducing our carbon footprint,” said Marc W. Smith, IPAMS Executive Director.     

1-26-09.   Commissioner Emil Notti (NGP Photo-r, 7-07), Alaska's Department of Commerce, Community & Economic Development, will discuss industry trends and resources available to Alaska businesses to help promote growth, a healthy economy and a strong community at an Anchorage Chamber of Commerce meeting today.  Notti is known as 'Father of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act movement', and will presumably touch on rural Alaska energy challenges.      *        FNM (AP), re: Friday's Alliance Conference.  *       D Three Technology Blog (More on Friday's Meet Alaska Alliance Conference.    *     The Steel Guru gives another report based on Yereth Rosen's Reuters story (below), quoting Brian Frank and Drue Pearce (NGP Photo), the Federal Pipeline Coordinator.       *      ADN by Erika Bolstad on federal stimulus plan effect on Alaska.    *     ADN, By George Bryson.  Will Cook Inlet wind power supplement electricity powered by natural gas?  Who will buy it?     *     Blog Talk Radio by Andrew Halcro.  For those of us who have been keeping tabs on the Palin administration's efforts to secure commitments for the construction of a natural gas pipeline, we've been yelling at the characters for almost two years.     *     FNM by Betty Mills.  Incoming Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood pledged to consider some $2 billion in road and infrastructure projects that are needed before the Alaska natural gas pipeline can be built.  At his Senate confirmation hearing, LaHood responded to questions from Senator Mark Begich about the projects that are necessary before the gas line can move forward. LaHood said if the projects “are ready to go,” they could be included in the economic stimulus package.  Begich replied, “They are all ready. We will talk.”  And Interior Secretary Ken Salazar promised both senators he will visit Alaska as soon as possible to get a first-hand look at the millions of acres controlled by the federal government in the state.     *     This ADN Compass piece was written by author Bob Bell (NGP Photo), a highly respected, major gas pipeline contractor, member of the Alaska Board of Game and a former member of the Anchorage Assembly.

1-24 & 25-09 (Weekend).  ADN by Wesley Loy (NGP Photo-l).  The global economic crisis has dashed demand for natural gas, dimming chances for an Alaska gas pipeline, a top market analyst said Friday.  "It's certainly going to be taken off the urgent list," said Ed Kelly, a Houston-based vice president with the global energy consulting firm Wood Mackenzie.  The recession and credit crunch have hammered industries that use natural gas, depressing demand and prices, said Kelly and Brian Frank (NGP Photo-r), president of BP's gas marketing company.   *      FNM by Dermot Cole.   There is broad agreement among the Fairbanksans that the timing of the proposed 48-inch Alaska Highway projects remains uncertain enough that it makes sense to consider other plans if we are to start switching from fuel oil to natural gas within the next 10 years.      *       Reuters by Yereth Rosen.   It's not a pretty story right now in terms of North American natural gas markets," Brian Frank, president of BP Energy Co and BP's North America Gas and Power, said at the annual conference held by the Alaska Support Industry Alliance.     *     Alaska Cool Blogs.   “This is not a beautiful story now about the North American natural gas markets”, Brian Frank, President of BP Energy and BP North America Gas and Power, said at the annual conference of industry support Alaska Alliance.  (We will provide more stories and photos on the Alaska Support Industry Alliance Meet Alaska Conference coming this weekend.  Tune in!  -dh)    *      PNA by Gary Park.  The Mackenzie Gas Project is alive and kicking again, brought to life by word that the Canadian government has made a formal offer of financial support and is eager to work with the Obama administration on a joint strategy for developing Arctic gas in Alaska and Canada.  Just when hopes for the MGP seemed to be crumbling, Environment Minister Jim Prentice, the cabinet minister responsible for northern pipeline development, issued a statement Jan. 19 that a proposal has been delivered to the MGP proponents.  (See our several story links and editorial comments on this development over the past week, below.  -dh)

1-23-09.  DNR PR Mark Myers Appointment 012209.doc (This is the State Pipeline Coordinator position created under the AGIA legislation.  Mark just completed his federal appointment with the Bush Administration as Director of the USGS. NGP Photo, 5-9-01  -dh). *       KTUU.  Faced with a revenue shortfall that could top $1 billion, Gov. Sarah Palin (State Photo) announced a state hiring freeze and other belt-tightening measures as she delivered her third State of the State address Thursday evening. ... The governor signaled that she's ready to move forward, and the natural gas pipeline is still her main priority.  "Now with the big line, every enterprise, every great thing worth doing involves challenges," Palin said. "But we can be confident in this enterprise because it's founded on the fundamental interests of our state and nation."  Palin said she'll push to get an in-state gas pipeline going in the next five years and promote alternative energy.  But the governor's speech did not give specifics on how that energy would be developed.  (Other: Andrew Halcro Blog; Carlos Echevarria Blog, Fort Mill, S.C. Times, full text.  )    *        ALLIANCE. Today's speaker line up includes Brian Frank (Photo-l), President of BP Energy Company, North American Gas & Power, Economist Scott Goldsmith (NGP Photo-r) and Conoco Phillips' President and COO, John Carrig.     *      PNA via ADN, by Eric Lidji.  Enstar's pipeline would cost close to $3.8 billion, company spokesman Curtis Thayer said in a recent presentation to the Resource Development Council. The company just got a sizable financial commitment -- up to $1 billion -- from Lindsay Goldberg, the private-equity firm that owns Enstar's parent company, Semco Energy.       *     Your Oil and Gas News.  "Canada's federal government has offered financial support for the Mackenzie gas pipeline, a multibillion-dollar project that has been held back by regulatory delays and cost overruns.  (See CBC News Blog, and our 1-21-09 story and editorial comment below.  This continues to be the most under reported gas pipeline news item in Alaska.  -dh)     *    Bradner Report: Southcentral Gas Supply.     *     Element 22 on Alaska's 50th Anniversary and other facts all good gas pipeline followers should know.

1-22-09. FERC Agenda Item: C-5, ConocoPhillips Alaska Natural Gas Corp. and Marathon Oil Co., Docket No. CP09-34-000. On April 19, 1967, the Commission authorized Phillips and Marathon to export LNG from a proposed terminal in Kenai, Alaska. In this order, the Commission concluded that the public interest requires that the Kenai facility be subject to the same reporting and inspection requirements under section 3 of the Natural Gas Act that are routinely applied to every other operational LNG terminal. The Commission directed ConocoPhillips Alaska Natural Gas Corp. and Marathon Oil Co., Kenai’s joint owners, to comply with these requirements.      *     News Miner by Rena Delbridge.  ...Enstar and Alaska Natural Gas Development Authority officials said they are moving on separately with plans for natural gas lines that could offer an alternative energy source to Fairbanks.  ...Sen. Lesil McGuire, R-Anchorage, said the news was a surprise and a disappointment....   Gov. Sarah Palin announced in July a public-private partnership between the two entities, with a goal of getting natural gas to Fairbanks quickly.  ... At the hearing, ANGDA executive director Harold Heinze emphasized progress made in field work and environmental studies. ... Meanwhile Rep. Jay Ramras (NGP Photo-l), R-Fairbanks, introduced a series of legislation addressing statewide energy.

1-21-09.  Enstar Chairman George A. Schreiber, Jr. demonstrates that Southcentral Alaska would have a more secure supply of natural gas at a reasonable price had APL 5 been approved.  See Harbour Dissent #1.  Dissent #2.         *    Toronto Star.  (Also, see our editorial comment and news sources below, 1-20-09.)  Canada's federal government has offered financial support for the Mackenzie gas pipeline, a multibillion-dollar project that has been held back by regulatory delays and cost overruns.  Jim Prentice, the federal minister in charge of pipelines, would not disclose Monday how much federal money is on the table, telling reporters that formal negotiations are still under way.  "I'm not going to negotiate through the media, but it is a reasonable offer we've put forward," said Prentice, who is also the federal environment minister.        *     Financial Post by Claudia Cattaneo.  Tiny MGM Energy Corp., the only oil and gas company still drilling in the Mackenzie Delta, said Tuesday it has made its first major natural gas discovery in the Arctic.  In a news release, MGM said its Ellice J-27 well encountered a number of zones that contain natural gas.  "Based on information obtained while drilling and subsequent logging, testing will be completed on two of these zones," the company said. "It is expected that testing will be sufficient to gain regulatory approval of a significant discovery license to encompass all prospective reservoirs."  A resource estimate for the well, located onshore 175-kilometres Northwest of Inuvik near the Beaufort Sea, will be available next month after completion of a production test, said president Henry Sykes.  MGM was launched by Calgary oilman Clay Riddell (Photo) about two years ago to explore and assemble lands left behind by bigger companies discouraged by the lack of progress of the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline.       *       FMC.  Indian and Northern Affairs Canada is planning to issue a call for bids for Crown Reserve land in Nunavut in February 2009. A nine year exploration license will be issued in a subsequent call for bids. This nine year exploration license will be for two consecutive periods of six and three years each. The nomination deadline is set for January 28th, 2009.     *     Governor Sarah Palin.  “I am dismayed that legislation has again been introduced in Congress to prohibit forever oil and gas development in the most promising unexplored petroleum province in North America – the coastal plain of ANWR, in Alaska.     *     Oil & Gas Online.  Norex Energy recently announced that the Company will acquire petroleum related assets in Alberta, Canada that include a 49% interest in a natural gas processing and compression facility; natural gas pipeline, additional infrastructure and certain lands associated to the infrastructure. This project has been found to have the potential to contain over 8 BCF of natural gas. The Company also has the option to obtain the remaining 51% interest from the owner over a two-year period. (Ralph Claussner, P. Eng. | Director, President & CEO)

1-20-09.  (The following is important news impacting, among other things, control of the High Arctic.  It could also influence a U.S. decision to become more directly involved in construction of the Alaska gas pipeline.  -dh)     *       National Post by Claudia Cattaneo and Carrie Tait.  The federal government has made a financial offer to support the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline, potentially removing one of the key stumbling blocks to the long-stalled Arctic natural gas project.  Environment minister Jim Prentice (NGP Photo, 3-07, Calgary Arctic Gas Conference) told reporters Monday the fiscal deal is not part of Ottawa's economic stimulus package expected in next week's budget, but is aimed at stoking the northern economy, enhancing Canada's energy security and protecting Arctic sovereignty.  (Other stories: Eating Stock, 247 Wall Street, Scandinavian Oil and Gas, Scandoil Blog.       *     NNS by Guy Quenneville.   The year 2008 began and ended with the Joint Review Panel (JRP) and its ongoing assessment of the environmental and socio-economic impact of the long-delayed Mackenzie Gas Pipeline, an event on which the hopes of the Northern oil and gas industry continues to rest.  

1-19-09.   ADN by Sean Cockerham. "My focus is going to be on energy and making sure that Alaskans have access to their resources. In-state gas is top priority for me," Governor Sarah Palin said in an interview last week.      *     PNA by Kristen Nelson.  ExxonMobil is continuing to develop its initial drilling plan for Point Thomson — although the Alaska Department of Natural Resources has terminated the unit and the leases — and that plan now includes nine wells, up from the initial five-well plan the company presented to DNR last year.      *       Andrew Halcro Blog (NGP Photo, 11-08).  Last week in downtown Anchorage, oil & gas contractors who employ hundreds of working Alaskans, paraded through a state hearing room , testifying on the stand about the work they were doing for Exxon Mobil up at Point Thomson.  The hearing, which lasted all week, was a final administrative appeal in trying to  persuade DNR Commissioner Tom Irwin and DNR Manager Nan Thompson that they wrongly canceled leases in the North Slope oil and gas field that is critical to Alaska's natural gas pipeline hopes. (Photo: NGP Photo, Point Thomson Hearing, 3-3-08) .       *         ADN by Wendy King.  For more than 40 years, Conoco Phillips and its predecessor companies have proudly provided jobs, state revenue and a wide variety of charitable contributions that have made a positive difference in the lives of Alaskans.      *     ADN  by Pete Slaiby.  Shell Welcomes Dialogue About Safe Offshore Drilling.     *     ADN Editorial.  The Healy "clean" coal plant is one of state government's biggest economic development boondoggles, so it's tempting to cheer the news that the state might actually get $50 million for the long-mothballed electrical project.

1-17-09.  Governor Sarah Palin (Photo-r with Press Secretary Bill McAllister) released an energy document at a press conference with help from the document's principle architect, Energy Coordinator Steve Haagenson (Photo-l with Special Assistant to the Governor Joe Balash, and Alaska Energy Authority Chairman Pat Galvin (also, Commissioner of Revenue), looking on.  (Listen) The document is entitled, "Alaska Energy - a first step toward energy independence."   The focus of the this Palin/Haagenson "first step" document appears to be providing communities with ideas about how they can improve conservation and efficiency ("the low hanging fruit") and locally harvested energy sources in combination with government support for some proposed, local programs.  Palin (Photo-l, with Deputy Press Secretary Sharon Leighow) said there is no silver bullet for solving Alaska's energy challenges but that new infrastructure supported by ratepayers could achieve a goal of 50% reliance on renewable energy by 2025.  Palin said that the State will not leave any community without the ability to resolve its energy needs.  Haagenson (NGP Photo-r) emphasized that "renewable energy will be the key".  Balash discussed one of the Administration's initiatives, establishment of a "new, robust" Railbelt Energy Corporation whose mission would be to assure electric reliability and "postage stamp" rates.  When the author questioned him, he indicated it is yet to be decided whether to use legislative mandate or regulatory adjudication to set postage stamp rates (a complex and sometimes contentious process whereby ratepayers in low cost areas subsidize ratepayers in high cost areas to achieve rate parity.) The corporation's utility members, according to Haagenson, would cooperatively determine the best sources of electric energy, whether they be from hydroelectric, geothermal or other sources.  Another means for achieving the 50% reliance on renewable energy goal is the research provided in the document, data that is categorized by State House District, State Senate District, by community and by Native Corporation area.  The data includes a community description, analysis of its current energy challenges, potential upgrades to the local power source and suggested alternative resources.  Still another means for achieving the renewable goal will be a state grant program.  The Administration plans to provide $100 million in energy project grants following a three-stage review process.    The "Community Energy Meter concept (Chart-l) is quite creative, allowing for a "quick comparison between energy options based on a range of future crude oil prices for each community in the state. (See ADN article covering press conference, by Dan Joling, and a .pdf of the "first step" document.  See Leyla Santiago's (NGP Photo, 11-1-08) excellent, KTUU video piece here, and Corey Allen-Young's piece for KTVA here.  An unofficial KTUU poll found public support for the Governor's 50% reliance on renewables by a ratio of 63% to 37%.)  Of course, the 900 lb. gorilla in the room Friday was the unidentified, sustainable gas supply for Southcentral Alaska and its future origin: from Cook Inlet or Alaska's North Slope, a subject left for more analysis on another day.  More weekend editorial material to come....  -dh

Shirt Tails Blog quoting Perma Frost Media re: the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline Project:  "We have been studied, consulted, insulted, regulated, stimulated, encouraged, rejected, dejected and abandoned.  It is hard to imagine where else a group of the population could have been more engaged in the study of progress without ever experiencing progress.  Before oil and gas, the average Northern family of five was said to be mom, dad, two children and an anthropologist.  Then it became mom, dad, two children and a consultant, and finally mom, dad, two children and a southern environmental lawyer."     *      EU Observer by Elitsa Vucheva.  The EU has welcomed the idea of a gas mini-summit in Moscow this weekend. But Russian supplies are unlikely to resume before the meeting, while experts say it will take "several" more days for gas to reach the EU even if there is an accord.  The EU on Thursday (15 January) agreed to send energy commissioner Andris Piebalgs and Czech energy minister Martin Riman for a "high-level meeting" in Moscow on Saturday, if Russian and Ukrainian delegates are to be "fully mandated to find a lasting solution."  Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Wednesday proposed holding the event, also inviting the leaders of any affected EU states.

1-16-09.   FDNM.  The heirs of a Native family are finally being heard on a long-standing legal complaint that the federal government is allowing BP to use the family’s North Slope land for purposes outside of a lease agreement.  A federal judge’s interpretation of authorized uses has prompted the Bureau of Indian Affairs to put the oil company on notice. BP must stop activities on land leased from the Andrew Oenga family or face further action, such as cancellation of the lease.  “Operation of wells directed into the Lisburne Participating Area is unauthorized activity ... being conducting in violation of the lease,” states the Jan. 8 letter from BIA Alaska regional director Niles Cesar. “BP and its contractual partners are hereby directed to immediately cease utilizing the leased premises to produce oil or gas from the Lisburne Participating Area.”  BP spokesman Steve Reinhart said the company is carefully reviewing the BIA letter and will respond later.         *       The Earth Times.    The latest developments in the Alaskan natural gas pipeline project will headline the fifth annual Pipeline Opportunities Conference March 11, 2009 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston.  Jeff Share, conference chairman and editor of Pipeline & Gas Journal, said executives from TransCanada Pipelines and the Alaskan Natural Gas Development Authority (ANGDA) will discuss the status of their projects while top officials of Gov. Sarah Palin’s administration and the Office of Federal Coordinator will provide the latest news from the state and federal governments.       *        Andrew Halcro Blog (9-25-08 NGP Photo-r).   (1/15/09) Last week we reported on a pending deal being pushed by the Palin administration that had all the signs of a questionable deal being driven by politics and insider payoffs.  Today Governor Sarah Palin announced that her administration had come to a tentative agreement to sell the Healy Clean Coal Plant to the Golden Valley Electric Association after ten years of legal fighting which saw the state file suit against GVEA in 2005 for $167 million.      *     ADN by Wesley Loy (10-15-02 NGP Photo-l).  The state will sell the "clean coal" power plant at Healy to a Fairbanks electric utility for $50 million, settling years of legal wrangling over an expensive white elephant that's sat idle since 2000.  ...  A second utility, Homer Electric Association, has agreed to buy half the power from the plant.  "Overall, years of conflict have been set aside," said state Revenue Commissioner Patrick Galvin, who helped negotiate the sale as chairman of the AIDEA board.  The three-way deal will take a few months to close -- likely in July or August. After that, it could take 18 to 24 months to get the plant up and running, said Brian Newton, Golden Valley president.  The sale is expected to settle a lawsuit between AIDEA and Golden Valley, which sued and countersued over the fate of the plant.  On Wednesday, however, Golden Valley board chairman Bill Nordmark said buying the coal-fired plant now gives Golden Valley a vital alternative to expensive oil for generating electricity.     *     FDNM, by .   Golden Valley spokeswoman Corinne Bradish said the plant could be operating within 12 to 18 months.       *       ADN.  Alaska North Slope Spill.    *       ADN.    As ice disappears from Alaska's arctic waters, North Pacific fishing fleets may be tempted to push into the newly opening area, seeking whatever fish they might find. But nobody knows very much about the region's marine environment, how the arctic warming trend is changing it, and what damage, if any, commercial fishing might inflict.   *      The Canadian Press by Bob Weber.  Canada's Arctic sovereignty is not under increased threat despite recent forthright statements from the United States and the European Union spelling out their interests in the region, says Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon.  But at least one northern leader is urging Ottawa to move faster to develop the North before Canadian goals are swamped by growing international interest in its resources and shipping routes.  "Here in Canada, we better pay attention and step up," Northwest Territories Premier Floyd Roland said Tuesday before heading off to a first ministers meeting in Ottawa later this week.    *    Canada.com, by Mike Blanchfield and Randy Boswell.  The Harper government must trade "empty rhetoric" for big spending on the Arctic to protect Canada's northern sovereignty from U.S. President George W. Bush's bold ambitions in the north, the premier of the Northwest Territories said Tuesday.     *     Calgary Herald, The White House formally released the text of a sweeping new directive on the Arctic, two years in the making, just eight days before Barack Obama is to be sworn in as the 44th U.S. president.  Key elements of Bush's policy challenge the ambitious Arctic sovereignty agenda put forth by Prime Minister Stephen Harper that includes bolstering Canada's military presence and fostering economic and social development.

1-15-09.   ADN by Tom Kizzia.  HOMER -- Jean Keene (NGP Photos, 6-18-01), the 85-year-old "Eagle Lady" whose feeding program draws hundreds of bald eagles and scores of nature photographers to the Homer Spit each winter, died Tuesday evening in her Spit home.  (Jean was a longtime friend.  While President of the American Bald Eagle Foundation, I arranged support for her winter Eagle feeding efforts from the Foundation, the Homer Chamber of Commerce and the Anchorage Chamber.  Thousands of friends will deeply miss Jean's presence on this earth and her absence will impact winter survival of Katchemak Bay Eagles, especially those which are old or injured.  -dh)      *        See yesterday's ADN editorial on 'global warming'. Monday, the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce got a briefing that might be listed under the heading of "What a difference an election makes." Local attorney Heather Grahame told the business group's weekly luncheon that the new Congress and the new president will push major new laws to reduce greenhouse gas pollution. She urged Alaska businesses to think about getting ready for the coming change.     *     Now see this entry by this balanced, global warming website.  The reality is that much of this talk is about weather and not about climate.  It is not possible to measure climate within a couple year span.  It takes much longer than that to eliminate the various highs and lows from the trend so most climatologists suggest 5-10 years (or longer) before anything is really called climate.  To make matters worse, even the weather may not be the major influence on the arctic ice - it may be the ocean currents which probably have no relationship to global warming.     *     Mike Flynn, the vice president in charge of arctic development for ExxonMobil Development Co., has joined the list of top industry executives scheduled to speak at the Alaska Support Industry Alliance’s annual Meet Alaska energy conference on Friday, Jan. 23.  He joins top executives from ConocoPhillips, BP, Pioneer Natural Resources and Talisman Energy, as well as senior officials from the international oil and gas consulting firm Wood Mackenzie, the Business Roundtable and the University of Alaska’s Institute of Social & Economic Research.  Meet Alaska also will feature a special segment on the challenges of drilling at the Point Thomson and Liberty projects by local officials from Parker Drilling and Nabors Alaska Drilling.  There’s still time to register for Alaska’s premier energy conference … but not much! Seating is limited, and in just 8 days, pre-registration will close. In order to guarantee a seat, register today!     *      See Curtis Thayer's Enstar Presentation at RDC in conjunction with author's earlier presentation on South Central Alaska's energy status.

1-14-09.    Radio Kenai Blog.  I’ll tell you right now that I am really wondering what is going on with the proposed $30 billion + natural gas pipeline from Alaska’s north slope to markets in Canada.
    *     PNA via ADN.  The oil pipeline flow peaked at some 2.1 million barrels a day in the late 1980s, but it since has declined to about 700,000 barrels a day. That decline in North Slope production has resulted in a decline in tanker traffic. When oil throughput was at its peak, the four berths at the terminal "were needed to handle a constant stream of tankers. However, today it is not uncommon for several days to elapse between tanker callings," Alyeska Pipeline Service Co. told the Regulatory Commission of Alaska.     *     Canadian Institute's North American Pipeline Conference is coming to Calgary:

• Obtain forecasts for oil, gas and material supply/demand
• Hear pipeline project updates and how associated hurdles have been overcome
• Assess the implications of climate change policies on the pipeline industry
• Discover tools to mitigate project risk and costs
• Learn how to ensure regulatory approval and compliance

1-13-09.  World Zoo Today.  Eight of the 13 Canadian polar bear sub-populations are either depleted or showing significant signs of stress, and future reduction of sea-ice in the Arctic could result in a loss of two-thirds of the world’s polar bears within 50 years.  These facts form the backdrop to Friday’s federal Environment Minister’s National Roundtable on Polar Bears which presents a critical opportunity to ensure that Canada implements strong new measures to protect polar bears for their long-term survival.      *     Heading Right.  ...the Palin administration is reportedly close to a deal that would have AIDEA, the state's economic development arm, basically give away the $300 million clean coal plant completed in 1999 to GVEA, the very same utility which backed out of paying for the plant and cheated the state out of tens of millions.

1-12-09.  Financial Post by Claudia Cattano (NGP Photo).  It's not inconceivable that the Mackenzie natural gas pipeline could be earmarked in the coming federal budget as a national infrastructure project to stimulate the economy, due to its potential for generating jobs in the North and across Canada, re-enforcing Canada's sovereignty in the Arctic while supplying secure and green energy to Canadians.

1-10-09.  Going down now for Regulatory Commission of Alaska Public Meeting on Southcentral Alaska gas supply.  Story to follow.  Come on down!  https://rca.alaska.gov/RCAWeb/NewsItems/NewsItemDetails.aspx?id=ebda69ca-9eea-4bb6-8546-314d1a359f84  cinematic.

1-9-09.  Story coming on yesterday's Alliance Meeting presentation by Alaska DOE executive.... : ANS Gas Hydrates.    *       WILLIWAW BLOG.  The decision by BP and Conoco Phillips to build a pipeline to take North Slope NG to Canada is a definite change of heart for two out of the three Producers on the North Slope.     *     BBC News.  "It will take at least three days," to get the whole system functioning again, EU energy spokesman Ferran Terradellas said.  More than 15 countries have been hit by the shutdown of Russian supplies.