Our Alaska BP friend, Julie Hasquet, notes the launching this week of, "BP's inaugural, Technology Outlook.  Readers may obtain a copy here.  -dh

Our Washington D.C. friend with IER, Dan Kish, notes that House democrats have filed this bill targeting an Alaska oil  & gas prohibition in Cook Inlet and the Arctic — not to mention coal.   Founded on the religious belief in a concept called, Global Warming, the bill (i.e. called the "Keep It In The Ground Act Of 2015") is being filed as in concert with other Paris Climate Change preparations by the U.S. President, including disapproval of the Keystone XL project.  We assume Alaska's Congressman Don Young is on top of it.  Unbelievable how so many could appear to love their country's economy, civilization, standard of living and culture so little.  -dh


For gas pipeline and LNG export planners, the EIA reportsWinter natural gas futures prices are significantly lower than previous years


Support Hilcorp's Liberty Project HERE!


 

David Holt, Consumer Energy Alliance, Alaska, TAPS, Hilcorp, Liberty,  Photo by Dave HarbourToday's Relevant Consumer Energy Alliance Energy Links


Calgary Herald/AP: Killing (TransCanada's) pipeline allows Obama to claim aggressive action on the environment….​

Senator Lisa Murkowski says Obama Ignored Keystone Facts

Congressman Rob Bishop calls Obama, "…the most anti-energy extremist President the nation has ever had…."

Financial PostPresident Obama’s first recognition of Canada’s new Prime Minister is an apparent slap in the face. In rejecting (TransCanada's) Keystone XL pipeline — which Justin Trudeau has supported — Obama has offered up yet another sacrifice to his presidential legacy en route to the climate melee in Paris. (See our commentary: "Killing Capitalism") ​

Our earlier report on TransCanada financial challenge/layoffs

TransCanada sells 49.9 percent interest in Portland Natural Gas Limited Partnership

TransCanada Challenge With Energy East Port


President Obama rejects TransCanada's application to build the Keystone XL pipeline, saying — either misleadingly or stupidly — that the project would not spur economic growth. 


Alaska's Historic Week

Dear Reader:

Yesterday, we published an early, draft report of the recent special session of the Alaska State Legislature concerning the 'buy-out' of TransCanada's interest in the Alaska LNG project.  

We should have waited for a later draft.

Dissatisfied with the result, we reworked it overnight, attempting to do better justice to a historic week in Alaska.

We hope that any reader who was disappointed with that first draft will scroll down or click back to read the newer, edited and shorter version.

We thank the several dozen readers who provided helpful comment during the special session and, as always seek the guidance of those wiser and more knowledgeable than we, as daily reports are submitted into the archives of Northern Gas Pipelines for future study and reference by industry, government, academia and the news media.

Respectfully and warmly,

Dave

P.S. New Special Session Reports and References: 


 

SUPPORT HILCORP WITH ITS ALASKA NORTH SLOPE LIBERTY PROJECT ELECTRONICALLY  — OR IF YOU LIVE IN ANCHORAGE, PLEASE RESERVE MONDAY NIGHT TO GIVE A FEW SENTENCES OF ORAL SUPPORT!!!!

(Thanks to the Alliance for this notice)

WHO: Hilcorp’s Liberty project
WHAT: Needs public comments in support of development
WHEN: Mon., Nov. 9, 2015, Between 7-10 p.m. 
WHERE: Embassy Suites Hotel, 600 E. Benson Blvd., Anchorage
WHY: We need responsible resource development and the investment dollars they bring to Alaska
MORE INFO: www.libertyprojectak.com

As the Liberty Unit Operator, Hilcorp Alaska, LLC is currently pursuing all of the necessary permits and authorizations to develop the Liberty Reservoir.  One step in this process is the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).  During this time, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) will hold public scoping meetings throughout Alaska to analyze the potential environmental effects of Hilcorp’s Development and Production Plan (DPP).  Please consider attending the local scoping meeting and making these points:
Based on proven technology currently being employed in the Arctic… 
Hilcorp will utilize the construction and operational technology perfected at Alaska’s other offshore facilities. It’s proven to be a safe and effective means for oil & gas development in the Arctic.
Artificial islands in the Alaska Beaufort Sea date back to the mid-1970s. In the last 40 years, eighteen (18) islands have been responsibly constructed for exploration and development of oil and gas off the coast of Alaska. Like Liberty, the majority of the artificial islands were constructed in shallow water depths less than 20 feet.  
Alaska has a 30-year record of safely operating offshore in the Arctic. Endicott, the first offshore development on the North Slope, has been in operation for almost three decades, and now there are three other offshore fields in production: Northstar (2001), Oooguruk (2008) and Nikaitchuq (2011).
More oil in TAPS…
The Liberty oilfield contains one of the largest potential sources of new light oil production on the North Slope, with an estimated 80-130 million barrels of recoverable oil. 
Development of Liberty will help offset declining light oil production on the North Slope and contribute to increasing the life span and efficiency of TAPS.
New oil is needed to keep the pipeline operating efficiently now that throughput is less than 25 percent of capacity. An additional 60,000-70,000 BOPD from Liberty will be an important addition to keeping the pipeline operational for decades to come.
Economic Benefit…
As the first Outer Continental Shelf oil project in the U.S. Arctic, Liberty will provide important tax and economic benefits to the federal government, State of Alaska and North Slope Borough. It will generate construction jobs – primarily for Alaskans – and good-paying permanent jobs. It will create business opportunities for many Alaska businesses.
More information about Liberty can be found at www.libertyprojectak.com

To comment, or to review comments, go to www.regulations.gov and enter “BOEM Liberty” in the search field or BOEM-2015-0096. Comments must be received by 11:59pm Eastern Daylight Time on November 17, 2015.
Hilcorp’s Liberty DPP can be viewed at: http://www.boem.gov/Hilcorp-Liberty/


 

David Holt, Consumer Energy Alliance, Keystone XL, Photo by Dave HarbourThe CourierClean Line station preferred in Pope 
The converter station represents a direct investment of over $100 million in Arkansas, according to David Holt (NGP Photo), president of the Consumer Energy Alliance — a group which stated on its website it provides the energy consumers with sound, unbiased information on U.S. and global energy issues.

 
Electric Light & PowerVIDEO: Plains & Eastern Clean Line transmission project moves forward 
David Holt, President of the Consumer Energy Alliance said, “Modern infrastructure projects like the Plains & Eastern Clean Line are critical to ensuring an affordable, reliable power supply for energy consumers here in Arkansas and across the Southeast United States. This project will not only deliver low-cost clean energy to Arkansans, but will create jobs and manufacturing opportunities here, as well. We are pleased to see this critical infrastructure project come closer to fruition.”

 
Coastal ObserverPolitics: Offshore drilling opponents see victory in city election 
Voters in the city of Georgetown elected three Democratic candidates to City Council this week after members of a local environmental group campaigned for them on the basis of their opposition to offshore oil drilling in the Atlantic. Democrats Al Joseph, Sheldon Butts and Clarence Smalls soundly defeated Republicans Richard Powers, Lee Padgett and Tom Winslow.

 
Washington TimesObama, TransCanada say little about likely doomed Keystone pipeline
Twenty-four hours after claiming authority to make the final decision on the Keystone XL oil pipeline, the Obama administration said little about the issue Thursday, even as it looks increasingly likely that the project will die at the hands of the president.
 
The HillDems to Obama: Reject Keystone before Paris
Democrats and environmental groups are ratcheting up pressure on President Obama to reject the Keystone XL pipeline now, ahead of major international climate talks in Paris next month. After a week of action on Keystone, Democrats say that denying the project before the conference would send a powerful — if symbolic — message about the United States’ resolve to combat climate change.
 
ReutersFed's Harker says Marcellus natural gas boom likely has peaked
The U.S. natural gas boom centered on the Marcellus shale fields has probably hit a peak for now, Philadelphia Federal Reserve President Patrick Harker said on Thursday. "The robust natural gas drilling that carried this region through the worst of the Great Recession has likely plateaued in the past few years," Harker said in prepared remarks to be delivered in Philadelphia.
 
ReutersU.S. shale producers see big budget cuts for 2016
U.S. shale oil producers, having slashed fat from 2015 budgets after a 50-percent drop in crude prices, risk cutting to the bone next year as they pare spending further and get ready for a prolonged downturn. Top shale companies including Devon Energy Corp, Continental Resources Inc and Marathon Oil Corp this week released preliminary 2016 plans for capital spending that may fall by double digits.
 
Wall Street JournalOil Slump Forces Deep Cuts by Service Providers
Oil-field service companies are slashing costs amid an industry-rattling fall in crude prices, and no cut is too small—such as using white paint instead of yellow on underwater equipment.  “It’s not big money,” said Hallvard Hasselknippe, president of subsea at Technip SA, noting that adding pigment to make the industry standard yellow paint is more expensive. “There are many examples like this.”
 
Fuel FixChina keeping an eye on surging U.S. oil and gas production
The United States’ energy renaissance is catching attention in Beijing, where Chinese leaders view the phenomenon as “a double-edged sword,” according to a white paper from the free-market group American Council for Capital Formation. “China trusted the United States more when U.S. oil import dependency was higher and Washington actively sought increases in global oil production, a mutually shared objective,” writes George David Banks, executive vice president of the group.
 
Houston ChronicleBleak results continue for oil companies
More oil companies Thursday reported the bleak financial fallout from a crude price drop in the third quarter, even as the price of a barrel continued a fairly steady streak into the final three months of the year. At least three Houston-based independent oil producers reported third-quarter losses.
 
E&E NewsGulf of Mexico is bright spot for otherwise depressed industry
Offshore drillers appear to be muddling through the oil price bust. Production continues to rise in the Gulf of Mexico. Discoveries have been reported in new and mature offshore provinces. And offshore drilling may perk up again in Canada and elsewhere, even with oil prices in the doldrums.
 
OilPrice.comObama Admin Throws Alaska an Oil Lifeline
On Oct. 22, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) gave the go ahead to a drilling plan in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPR-A), one of the last ditch efforts to keep the Trans Alaskan Pipeline from running dry. ConocoPhillips has plans to drill the Greater Mooses Tooth Unit (GMT-1), which could result in the first oil and gas production from federal land in the NPR-A.
 
E&E NewsAlaska poised to gain equal share in LNG megaproject
The Alaska Legislature this week opened the door for the state to become an equal partner with three major oil companies on a multibillion-dollar venture to commercialize Alaska's abundant North Slope natural gas reserves.
 
Juneau EmpireArctic drilling complaint clears Legislature
After passing a landmark gas pipeline deal, the Alaska House approved a formal complaint against the Obama administration’s decision to cancel oil and gas lease sales in the Arctic. Unlike the gas pipeline bill, which passed unanimously in the House, the Arctic complaint broke mostly along majority/minority lines as it passed 27-12, with one representative absent.
 
BreitbartShock: Jerry Brown Used State Experts to Seek Oil On Family Land
California governor Jerry Brown used state experts to prepare a 51-page report on the prospects for oil development on his family’s private land in Northern California, according to an Associated Press investigation released early Thursday morning.
 
Seattle TimesWashington state joins legal fight to defend Obama climate plan
Washington and Oregon have joined a coalition of 18 states to defend President Barack Obama’s plan to slow climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. They are opposing lawsuits filed last month against the Environmental Protection Agency by 25 mostly Republican states and allied industry groups.
 
KDRV 12Oregon Joins Legal Fight to Defend Obama Climate Plan
Washington and Oregon have joined a coalition of 18 states to defend President Barack Obama's plan to slow climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. They are opposing lawsuits filed last month against the Environmental Protection Agency by 25 mostly Republican states and allied industry groups.
 
Denver PostCSU study says oil and gas water contaminants low in DJ Basin
A new Colorado State University report says there is no evidence water-based contaminants are seeping into drinking-water wells over a vast oil and gas field in northeast Colorado.
 
The ColoradoanColorado’s ozone fight could drive up costs
Larimer County is one of only 14 U.S. counties headed for the Environmental Protection Agency’s ozone blacklist in 10 years. The EPA adopted a new ozone pollution standard of 70 parts per billion last month, prompting cheers from many fans of smog-free skies but triggering a unique challenge for Northern Colorado, which is still out of compliance with the 75 ppb ozone standard adopted in 2008
 
Midland Reporter-TelegramComptroller: Saudi Arabia leaders “gambled and Texas won”
In June, Midland broke its streak where the sales tax collections were higher each month than the same month the year before but the economy is not all doom and gloom, according to Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts Glenn Hegar.
 
The Times-PicayuneSt. Tammany fracking fight heard by appeals court in Baton Rouge
The protracted controversy over fracking in St. Tammany Parish returned to the courtroom on Thursday (Nov. 5) where attorneys presented oral arguments to the 1st Circuit Court of Appeal in Baton Rouge and answered questions about how much control the state and individual parishes have when it comes to oil and gas drilling in Louisiana.
 
The Register-HeraldCouncil to mull support for banning fracking waste
Local geologist Brandon Richardson, on behalf of the Fayette County Headwaters Defense group, asked Fayetteville Town Council at Thursday’s meeting to pass a resolution in support of the Fayette County Commission passing a county-wide ordinance to ban fracking waste disposal.
 
The VindicatorAnti-fracking proponents snubbed by voters again
Why won’t the advocates of the absurd proposal to ban fracking in the city of Youngstown just go away? Because like all other self-appointed protectors of society, they can’t fathom not being embraced by a majority of the public. And so it is that the leaders of FrackFree Mahoning Valley are contemplating a sixth attempt to pass a charter amendment that would prohibit the use of fracking to extract oil and gas in the city of Youngstown.
 
Harriot Patriot-NewsFor a cleaner future, Pa. needs to focus on natural gas and nuclear energy: J. Winston Porter
President Barack Obama's new Clean Power Plan, which calls for a 32 percent reduction in carbon emissions from our power plants by 2030, places too much focus on solar and wind power. That's unfortunate since natural gas and nuclear energy must play the lead roles in meeting these carbon emissions targets.
 
Saint Peters BlogToday on Context Florida: Fracking, U.S. Therapist General, delayed justice and the latest Salt Shaker Test
Sarah Maricle Ayers warns that Floridians should weigh facts on fracking before banning its benefits. The exciting energy frontier that hydraulic fracturing represents is one of the best-kept secrets in Florida. The process consists of blasting a water, chemical, and proppant solution under high pressure to create fissures in rocks, which then allows the release of the oil and hydrocarbons locked within.​


CANCELLATION OF EXISTING LEASES.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall cancel any lease issued under section 8 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1337) on or before the date of enactment of this Act in the Beaufort Sea, Cook Inlet, or Chukchi Sea.