Two ADN stories by Dermot Cole.  In the midst of a steep decline in world oil prices, CH2M Hill has scrapped plans to look for a buyer of its oil-field services operation in Alaska and on Sakhalin Island in Russia, the company said Wednesday.  More….

Scott Goldsmith, Alaska Economic Model, Alaska oil taxes, fiscal, oil price, Dave Harbour Photo

CBC.  All evidence still points to the Keystone XL pipeline being approved, despite the political storm raging over it in Washington, D.C., Canada's natural resources minister says.

Greg Rickford told a press conference in the American capital today that he thinks, based on U.S. State Department recommendations, the project makes sense and will go ahead. 

"Prime Minister

[Stephen] Harper and myself believe…."  More…

Online Economic Model….  The "ISER Interactive Fiscal Policy Model V1" worksheet and game allows Alaskans to try to overcome — or at least understand — the state's fiscal challenges ….  The Institute of Social and Economic Research released the Excel spreadsheet Wednesday along with an update of the Maximum Sustainable Yield calculation by economist Scott Goldsmith (NGP Photo)….


CBC On Energy East: TransCanada's other big pipeline project facing — not technical, not geophysical, not supply, not labor…but political challenges. (See related TransCanada story left column) -dh

Technical advisers with the Ontario Energy Board want to know more about the impact TransCanada's Energy East pipeline will have on drinking water sources, and they say special testing may be required to evaluate the safety of the pipeline in some areas of northwestern Ontario.  TransCanada has applied to move crude oil from Alberta to New Brunswick through what is now a natural-gas line.