Alberta Oil Magazine by Darren Campbell.  As everyone returns to the office after the Victoria Day long weekend, supporters of the star-crossed Mackenzie Gas Project (MGP) are left to wonder what the future holds for the $16.2 billion proposed pipeline scheme now that BP plc and ConocoPhillips have announced they are dropping out of the race to build an Alaska natural gas pipeline. What does a couple of Big Oil companies giving up on their plans to build a pipeline have to do with the fortunes of a project proposing to ship natural gas from the Northwest Territories’ Mackenzie Valley to southern markets?  

Mead Treadwell by Dave Harbour, Arctic Policy

Hon. Rich Coleman, Minister of Energy and Mines, Government of British Columbia will be delivering the opening keynote address at the BC Natural Gas Symposium on Wednesday, June 1st via Skype.

Lead story today:  This morning at a  meeting of the Alaska Support Industry Alliance, Lieutenant Governor Mead Treadwell (NGP Photo-far right) and Natural Resources Commissioner Dan Sullivan (NGP Photo) outlined concerns about Trans Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS) declining throughput and announced a new Arctic policy for addressing the challenge.    Sullivan said that he is filling three key management positions at DNR with experienced leaders who will be tasked with new, ambitious goals for managing the state’s resources.  Brent Goodrum will lead the department’s Division of Mining, Land & Water, William Barron will lead the Division of Oil and Gas and Kurtis Gibson will lead the Alaska Gasline Coordinator’s Office.  “I want to welcome Brent, Bill and Kurt to their new positions at DNR. I have been focused on building a strong team at DNR to work on the Parnell administration’s goals of responsibly developing our world-class resources and securing a bright future for Alaskans. These three men will be key members of that team,” Sullivan said.  Goodrum, a retired Marine Corps infantry officer, will have a key role in managing the Mining, Land & Water division’s efforts to reform its permitting process and address its permit backlog. Goodrum stood out as an exceptional candidate for the job due to his track record of leading complex organizations and making them operate more efficiently.  He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis and has a Master of Science in Operations Research from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif.  At the Division of Oil and Gas, Barron, a petroleum engineer, will manage the state’s oil and gas resources and he will be a key player in the department’s strategy to achieve the Parnell administration’s goal of increasing the flow of oil through the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System to 1 million barrels per day within a decade. Barron has more than 20 years of experience working in Alaska’s oil and gas fields. He is departing from CH2M HILL, where he managed North Slope, Kenai Peninsula and Cook Inlet operations and maintenance, and in the past two years, the company’s Canada and Lower 48 operations. Barron previously worked in Alaska, the Lower 48 and overseas for Marathon Oil.  As coordinator of the Alaska Gasline Inducement Act (AGIA) Office, Gibson will oversee state regulatory activities involving a large-diameter North Slope natural gas pipeline. Presently the deputy director of DNR’s Division of Oil and Gas, Gibson led the commercial branch of the AGIA team for the past four years. He also provided key guidance on major negotiations between the state and oil industry players, such as the Point Thomson litigation. Gibson previously worked in Lower 48 as a natural gas trader and engineer specializing in natural gas pipeline projects.  Goodrum will start work at DNR today.  Barron and Gibson will start their new jobs on June 1.  The state’s five part strategy with the new team in place will be to: Enhance Alaska’s global competitiveness and investment climate; ensure permitting processes are structured to accelerate resource development; facilitate and incentivize the next phase of North Slope Oil development; unlock Alaska’s resource potential by promoting constructive partnerships; and, Promote Alaska’s resources and positive investment climate to world markets.   -dh

Yesterday, House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (NGP Photo) announced the launch of a mobile-friendly Committee website that allows people to easily follow and interact with the Committee from anywhere.“The launch of our mobile website is yet another way for Americans to engage with the Committee and uphold the … promise of openness and transparency in the way the 112th Congress conducts its business. The mobile website is a convenient, user-friendly, and interactive tool that allows people to follow the Committee’s activities and initiatives while on-the-go,” said Chairman Hastings.

The mobile website allows user to:
  • Read along with witness testimony during hearings
  • Find out what the Committee is doing for the week
  • Monitor House Floor activity when Committee bills are being considered
  • See the latest news from the Committee
  • Track the Committee’s progress on key issues
  • Easily interact with and contact the Committee

 

Visit the mobile website from your mobile device at http://naturalresources.house.gov/ and connect on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or e-mail.

 

Meera Kohler by Dave Harbour, AVEC, Alaska Village Electric Cooperative

Tomorrow, Commonwealth North will review mitigation of energy costs in rural Alaska.  The speaker will be Meera Kohler (NGP Photo), President/CEO of the Alaska Village Electric Cooperative.  The meeting wiil be in the Cook Inlet Region conference room, 2525 C Street from noon until 1.