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Pedro van Meurs, unconventional, world fiscal systems, oil and gas, taxes, Photo by Dave HarbourReport Card For Legislators and Governor Released Today; Today…White House To Review oil export ban; REI gets $240k for Alaska LNG study; Pedro van Meurs (NPG Photo) seminar on World Fiscal Systems for Unconventional oil and gas, June 4-6; preliminary bid results, Cook Inlet and Alaska Peninsula oil and gas lease sale.

Steve Butt, Exxon, AGDC, Gas Pipeline, Alaska, Photo by Dave HarbourADN by Pat Forgey. Exxon Mobil Corp. and its partners in the Alaska natural gas export pipeline began work on its summer field season this week….  Exxon's Steve Butt (NGP Photo), now reassigned to the AKLNG project, met Wednesday with the Alaska Gasline Development Corp., the state agency through which some of the state's interest in the project will be managed.  (More….)

Today Is Alaska Mining Day!

(Before The Meeting; See After the Meeting Report)

Before the oil and gas industry's rise to prominence following Richfield Oil's 1957 Swanson River discovery and Atlantic Richfield's 1967-68 winter discovery of Prudhoe Bay, the mining industry was an economic backbone of the state.

Today's miners are providing new power to Alaska's economy and are celebrating their past this morning in downtown Anchorage.

Cathy Giessel, Alaska Mining Day, AMA, SB1, Photo by Dave HarbourThe Alaska Miners Association and friends are celebrating Alaska Mining Day and the 75th Anniversary of Alaska Miners Association today with a breakfast program featuring: Senator Cathy Giessel (NGP Photo), sponsor of SB1, an Act establishing every May 10 as Alaska Mining Day; JP Tangen, AMA Director Emeritus, on Mining Law of 1872; Ed Fogels, DNR Deputy Commissioner, on the future of Alaska's mining industry; Dave Heatwole, a look back at 75 years of Alaska Miners Association.  Deantha Crockett: will unveil AMA's new logo and later today that logo may be seen on a public service sponsor ad on this website.

GAS EXPORTS: Interest from Japan propels another Alaska LNG project  (Wednesday, May 7, 2014)

Margaret Kriz Hobson, E&E reporter

A Japanese business consortium has secured Alaska support to study construction of a medium-scale liquid natural gas export terminal that would ship Alaska's Cook Inlet gas to energy-hungry Japan beginning in 2020.  Resources Energy Inc. (REI), which represents Japanese businesses, utilities and government units, recently received $240,000 from the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority for a prefeasibility study on the proposed LNG export project.  Under that agreement, the Japanese group will repay 75 percent of the cost of the study, which is expected to be completed by March 31, 2015.

Northern Miners Celebrate History and Prepare For Future

(Reference: Fraser Institute Report)

(Event Photos Here)

Last Thursday in Anchorage, Alaska’s mining community celebrated one of Alaska’s oldest wealth producing job sectors. 

Jason Brune, Mining Day, Alaska Miners Association, Photo by Dave HarbourJason Brune (NGP Photo), chapter chairman of the Alaska Miners Association (AMA) launched the business meeting breakfast with the admonition that, “’No On 1’ is one of our most important issues, because without a strong oil industry we don’t have a strong mining industry.”  This referendum is referred to in next Monday’s column and is one of the many ties drawing the various industries together in Alaska to face economic opposition of various types.  (We note that while almost all oilfield tools come from mined sources, all mines require energy to power vehicles and equipment.  All alternative energy sources require both carbon fuels and mined minerals for manufacturing and operations.)

Cathy Giessel, Senator, Alaska, Mining Day, Alaska Miners Association, Photo by Dave HarbourBrune introduced Alaska State Senator Cathy Giessel (NGP Photo) who sponsored SB 1 a year ago, creating Alaska Mining Day in the state.  In the same year, Giessel introduced and the Governor signed into law, SB 2, authorizing Alaska’s full participation in the Interstate Mining Compact Commission, a sister group to the Interstate Oil & Gas Compact Commission, of which Alaska is also a JP Tangen, 1872 act, Attorney, Lawyer, Alaska Mining Association, Mining Day, Photo by Dave Harbourmember.  Giessel acknowledged longtime mining advocate and leader JP Tangen (NGP Photo) with providing her with the background so critical to passage of both laws.

In his presentation, Tangen said that, “The mining law of 1872 is what we really celebrate today.”  He then provided a brief history of the 1872 law (earlier slide pack) and how its provisions have provided so much economic benefit to Alaska and the nation.  Then he quoted one of America’s most beloved Presidents.  A few years before the 1872 law was passed, Tangen said, on the last day of his life before the evening assassination at Ford’s Theater (NGP Photo), President Abraham Lincoln (NGP Photo) paid tribute to the nation’s mining industry and its ability to rejuvenate the wealth of a war-beleagured nation.  “"Tell the miners from me, that I shall promote their interests to the utmost of my ability; because their prosperity is the prosperity of the nation, and we shall prove in a very few years that we are indeed the treasury of the world."

In response to those urging repeal or anti-mining amendments to the 1872 act because of its 142 year age, Tangen recalled that those same advocates would never advocate repeal of an 1872 act creating Yellowstone National Park.

Ed Fogels, Department of Natural Resources, Alaska Miners AssociationAlaska’s Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Natural Resources, Ed Fogels (NGP Photo), congratulated the Legislature on the SB 2 legislation in 2013 authorizing his agency to represent Alaska in the Interstate Mining Compact Commission.   That participation, he said, has confirmed that Alaska is consistent with all other mineral producing states in its views of federal government overreaching jurisdiction. 

He briefed the group on Alaska’s enormous minerals and resulting wealth and job potential for the state and nation.  “If Alaska were its own country,” he said, “it would be wealthier than most countries of the world.”

Fogels stressed the importance of streamlining the permitting process, saying the department had a “culture of continuing permit processing improvement” in the Department of Natural Resources. 

“We have huge mineral resources that can only grow”, he said, as more areas are mapped and explored.   (Reference: Fraser Institute Report)

Karen Matthias, Alaska Miners Association, Council of Alaska Producers, Canadian Honorary Counsel, Photo by Dave HarbourCouncil of Alaska Producers Executive Director, Karen Matthias (NGP Photo), emphasized the importance of public perceptions affecting the ability of producers to be successful.  She pointed that most of Alaska’s new residents are not aware of Alaska’s six large mines along with the local jobs and taxes that benefit so much of Alaska.  To affect public perceptions, she advocated more robust use of social media.  Citizens need to know, she said, “…that we can do it right .  In Alaska we are doing it right!”

In the 1980s when Atlantic Richfield Company had acquired David Heatwole, Anaconda, Atlantic Richfield Company, ARCO, Alaska Miners Association, Mining Day, Photo by Dave Harbourthe Anaconda Company, your writer had the pleasure of representing both companies as ARCO’s Director of Government Affairs.  In the course of that assignment, Dave Heatwole (NGP Photo) became a trusted friend and client as manager of the company’s mining activity in Alaska.  He was a superb manager with government relations and communication skills that contributed to the excellent reputation ARCO/Anaconda enjoyed at that time among the general public and government officials as well.

Heatwole is a former Chairman of the Alaska Miners Association and the Alaska State Chamber of Commerce.  He closed the meeting with a number of stories – including our encounter with then Secretary of Interior Cecil Andrus.  That encounter, among others, may be one reason why he reaffirmed Matthias’ focus on public perceptions.

“I hope that my message is that we do need to be engaged,” he said.  “The public needs to know that we are small miners and larger miners and we speak with the same voice,” he said.

So while the miners and those supporting them celebrated a proud history, they were also preparing for the challenges of an uncertain future.

Event Photos (High Resolution Images Here):

Alaska Miners Association, Mining Day, Jason Brune, Photo by Dave HarbourAlaska Miners Association, Mining Day, Bud Cribley, Jason Brune, Photo by Dave HarbourAlaska Miners Association, Mining Day, Ed Fogels, Dan Sullivan, Steve Borell, Deantha Crockett, Jason Brune, Photo by Dave Harbour

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alaska Miners Association, Mining Day, Deantha Crockett, Photo by Dave HarbourAlaska Miners Association, Mining Day, Deantha Crockett, Photo by Dave HarbourAlaska Miners Association, Mining Day, Deantha Crockett, Karen Matthias, Senator Cathy Giessel, Photo by Dave Harbour

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alaska Miners Association, Mining Day, David Heatwole, Mike Heatwole, Photo by Dave HarbourAlaska Miners Association, Mining Day, Dave Heatwole, Anaconda, ARCO, Photo by Dave HarbourAlaska Miners Association, Mining Day, Mead Treadwell, David Heatwole, Photo by Dave Harbour

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alaska Miners Association, Mining Day, Lesil McGuire, Photo by Dave Harbour