Alaska state senator Lesil McGuire has introduced a bill ( Senate Bill 109 ) that would grant $475 million in state investment tax credits toward development of plants converting natural gas-, coal- or biomass-to-liquids products (GTL, CTL or BTL = xTL) on the state’s North Slope. The $475 million credit against state corporate income tax liability would be for each plant built in Alaska, although the credit cannot exceed 60 of the total cost of the facility. MORE

Underground coal gasification company Linc Energy has completed the drilling of the LEA #1 exploration well in the Point Mackenzie Block of the Cook Inlet Basin in Alaska, USA. I am very excited about the opportunity that Alaska offers, particularly for the potential for early cashflow to Linc Energy. Earlier post.). The well was drilled to a total depth of 6,323 feet into the basement volcanic rocks. MORE

Key findings of the updated study include: Alaska, Spirit, Frontier, and Southwest Airlines remained the top four most fuel-efficient airlines on US domestic operations in 2014. On average, Alaska has operated the most efficient US domestic flights for five years running since 2010. MORE

The US Department of Energy; the Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation; and ConocoPhillips will work together to test technologies for producing methane gas from hydrate deposits on the Alaska North Slope. The collaborative testing will take place under the auspices of a Statement of Intent for Cooperation in Methane Hydrates signed in 2008 and extended in 2011 by DOE and Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry. MORE

The Department of the Interior (DOI) will hold a lease sale for oil and gas parcels in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A) on 11 August, offering 190 tracts of land, totaling about 1.8 MORE

It schedules 15 potential lease sales for the 2012-2017 period: 12 in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) and 3 off the coast of Alaska, and none off of either the Pacific or Atlantic coasts. Alaska program areas. MORE

Gevo has signed a strategic alliance agreement with Alaska Airlines to purchase Gevo’s renewable jet fuel and fly the first commercial flight on alcohol-to-jet fuel (ATJ). Alaska Airlines was the first US airline to fly multiple commercial passenger flights using a biofuel from used cooking oil. Earlier post.). The single demonstration flight is expected to occur after Gevo receives ASTM International certification for its fuel, sometime in mid- to late-2015. MORE

Tags: Electric cars Alaska Racing Green Endurance South America SRZero MORE

Alaska Journal of Commerce. The US Defense Logistics Agency is developing a pilot program to supply 50:50 Fischer-Tropsch synthetic fuel blends to Air Force and Army units operating in Alaska, officials with the agency said 11 March at a Defense Energy Support Center conference in Anchorage. An Alaska location for the plant is preferred, however, because transportation costs would be reduced. MORE

Among the findings: Alaska Airlines led all fifteen mainline carriers operating in the US in 2010, followed closely by Spirit Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines—all three being relatively small carriers serving geographically limited markets. MORE

Concept of the Alaska Southcentral LNG Project. million tons of steel, a peak construction workforce of up to 15,000, a permanent workforce of more than 1,000 in Alaska, and an estimated total cost in today’s dollars of $45 to $65+ billion. MORE

A new set of buoys in Alaska waters will help scientists understand how climate change may be affecting the pH level of northern seas. University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) researchers placed the first buoy last month. Other moorings have been deployed with ocean acidification sensors, but this is the first complete package in Alaska. This is the first dedicated ocean acidification mooring to be deployed in a high-latitude coastal sea. MORE

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar outlined a proposed plan that will allow for additional access for oil and gas development in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPR-A) while also protecting wildlife and coastal resources. Map of preferred alternative. Download original pdf. MORE

The resulting methanol would be blended with crude and transported via the trans-Alaska oil pipeline to Valdez, where it would be extracted from the oil and processed via Methanol-to-Gasoline technology into gasoline. Methanol-to-gasoline process flow diagram. Source: EMRE. Click to enlarge. MORE

Alaska Airlines had the most efficient US domestic operations in both 2011 and 2012, the same position it occupied in a 2010 benchmark assessment published by the ICCT last year. The two most efficient carriers, Alaska and Spirit, had the highest net operating profit margins from 2010 to 2012. MORE

billion barrels of recoverable light oil in the Nanushuk play in Alaska’s North Slope. The contingent resources identified with the existing data in Repsol and Armstrong Energy’s blocks in the Nanushuk play in Alaska could amount to approximately 1.2 Spain-based integrated global energy company Repsol has been actively exploring Alaska since 2008, and since 2011 the company has drilled multiple consecutive discoveries on the North Slope along with partner Armstrong. MORE

Source: Alaska Airlines. Alaska Airlines demonstrated next-generation flight procedures this week during a test flight over Puget Sound that burned less fuel and reduced emissions by 35% compared to a conventional landing. Ben Minicucci, Alaska’s chief operating officer. MORE

US Senator Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, introduced legislation that would allow the use of advanced directional drilling to tap the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) coastal plain. Mark Begich, D-Alaska, would allow access to the coastal plain’s oil and natural gas resources through the use of underground directional drilling from state-owned lands to the west of the refuge and state waters from the north. MORE

With its drilling window closing and a number of factors—the most recent being a damaged containment dome on its Arctic Challenger barge—creating delays, Royal Dutch Shell has decided to postpone drilling into hydrocarbon zones offshore Alaska this year. MORE

CIRI), an Alaska Native corporation, is proposing an underground coal gasification (UCG) project that would use the resulting syngas to fuel a new 100 MW combined cycle power plant. CIRI executives presented the plan to state lawmakers at a joint hearing in Alaska on Friday. CIRI is one of 12 Alaska-based regional corporations established by the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971 to benefit Alaska Natives who had ties to the Cook Inlet region. MORE

Some places, like Alaska, suffer the effects of global warming more than others.and the rest of the us depend on places like Alaska to keep OUR climate stable MORE

The Alaska Railroad (ARRC) will demonstrate the transport of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in intermodal LNG ISO containers from southcentral to interior Alaska during a month-long operational performance project in early fall 2016. MORE

Alaska Governor Sean Parnell proposed a $355-million financial package for construction of a natural gas liquefaction plant on Alaska’s North Slope and a Fairbanks-area natural gas distribution system through the private sector, and an area-wide utility. A North Slope LNG plant has the potential to deliver gas via truck to Fairbanks and to provide access to gas for road and river communities, as well as Southcentral Alaska. MORE

Under the MOU , DNR and DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy will work together—and with potential investors—to study unconventional energy resources in Alaska’s Arctic. The Alaska North Slope has two of the largest conventional oil fields in North America (Prudhoe Bay and Kuparuk) as well as several other smaller but still significant fields. Alaska will also participate in periodic reviews of all scientific data and reports collected or created during the course of the MOU. MORE

Caelus Energy Alaska, LLC, a privately held independent exploration and production company, announced that its subsidiary, Caelus Energy Alaska Smith Bay LLC, has made a significant light oil discovery on its Smith Bay state leases on the North Slope of Alaska. MORE

​The Port of Seattle, Boeing and Alaska Airlines released a first-of-its-kind study that identifies the best infrastructure options for delivering aviation biofuel to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. In pursuit of its goal to power every flight at Sea-Tac with sustainable aviation biofuel, Sea-Tac is among the first airports in North America to work with aviation, energy and research partners to systematically evaluate all aspects to developing a commercial-scale program from scratch. MORE

TransCanada Corporation and ExxonMobil have reached an agreement to work together on an Alaska gas pipeline. In November 2007, TransCanada Alaska and Foothills jointly submitted an application under the Alaska Gasline Inducement Act (AGIA) to build a 4.5 MORE

The US Geological Survey has released its first estimate of the potential of undiscovered, technically recoverable onshore shale oil and gas resources in Alaska’s North Slope. Northern Alaska province showing boundaries of assessment units (AU). MORE

Alaska’s oceans are becoming increasingly acidic, which could damage Alaska’s king crab and salmon fisheries, according to new findings by a University of Alaska Fairbanks scientist. This spring, chemical oceanographer Jeremy Mathis returned from a cruise armed with seawater samples collected from the depths of the Gulf of Alaska. They show that ocean acidification is likely more severe and is happening more rapidly in Alaska than in tropical waters. MORE

Through this process, BOEM will consider a range of important factors including industry interest, resource potential, and the need to protect and respect Alaska’s communities and unique environments. BOEM will remain in close coordination with the state of Alaska, as well as with local and Native Alaskan governments, and other stakeholders throughout this process. MORE

ConocoPhillips will put its 2014 Alaska Chukchi Sea exploration drilling plans on hold given what it called “the uncertainties of evolving federal regulatory requirements and operational permitting standards. —Trond-Erik Johansen, President, ConocoPhillips Alaska. A recent Department of the Interior (DOI) report called on industry and government to work together to develop an Arctic-specific model for offshore oil and gas exploration in Alaska. MORE

Alaska Airlines and Hawai`i BioEnergy LLC signed an agreement for the carrier to purchase sustainable biofuel for its aircraft. Alaska Airlines is Hawai`i BioEnergy’s second customer, and the first airline to sign a contract. Hawai`i BioEnergy will ramp up production of the sustainable fuels within five years of regulatory approval, allowing Alaska Airlines to begin procuring sustainable jet fuel for its Hawai`i flights possibly as soon as fall 2018. MORE

Shell announced on Monday that it will cease further exploration activity in offshore Alaska for the foreseeable future. The company said the decision reflects the results from Burger J exploration well located in Alaska’s Chukchi Sea; the high costs associated with the project; and the “ challenging and unpredictable ” federal regulatory environment in offshore Alaska. The balance sheet carrying value of Shell’s Alaska position is approximately $3.0 MORE

EPIC Fuels , a fuel supplier to the general and commercial aviation industries, provided expertise in fuel blending as well as technical and logistical support to Alaska and Gevo, Inc., Alaska Airlines selected EPIC Fuels as a partner to ensure project success based on EPIC’s extensive experience in renewable fuel operations. The results met the required specifications for ASTM 1655 jet fuel and were cleared for use on two Boeing 737s in Alaska’s fleet. MORE

Alaska Airlines will fly 75 commercial passenger flights in the United States powered by a biofuel blend, starting this Wednesday. Alaska Airlines and its sister carrier, Horizon Air, will continue to operate select flights between Seattle and the two cities over the next few weeks using a 20% blend of renewable biofuel. —Alaska Air Group Chairman and CEO Bill Ayer. MORE

The Port of Seattle, Alaska Airlines and Boeing are partnering to move toward powering all flights by all airlines at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport with sustainable aviation biofuel. Over the past five years, Alaska Airlines has become a leader in the pursuit of finding a sustainable supply of biofuels. In 2011, Alaska was the first airline to fly multiple flights using a 20% blend of sustainable aviation biofuel made from used cooking oil and waste animal fat. MORE

Linc Energy Ltd has acquired the grant of 181,414 acres of Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) coal exploration licences in Alaska from the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority following a competitive bidding process. This is an excellent outcome for Linc Energy which greatly advances our strategic goal to bring commercial UCG development to Alaska and become a significant part of the USA domestic energy market. MORE

The Municipality of Anchorage’s (MOA) Public Transportation Department (PTD) will put a new 40-foot Proterra Catalyst E2 electric/battery powered bus on trial next week. The bus will begin serving routes for the general public for a four-month trial period. The four-month trial period will test how the bus performs in winter weather, how cold temperatures affect the battery life and whether it’s feasible to pursue an electric bus fleet in the future. MORE

Proposed route for the Alaska Pipeline project. Alaska Governor Sean Parnell announced that two major milestones have been met in the state’s effort to bring Alaska’s North Slope natural gas to Alaskans and markets beyond. Alaska Pipeline Project. MORE

ExxonMobil, BP, ConocoPhillips and TransCanada have selected a site in the Nikiski area on the Kenai Peninsula as the lead site for the proposed Alaska LNG project''s natural gas liquefaction plant and terminal. MORE

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As previously announced, Alaska Airlines is now poised to fly the first commercial test flight using Gevo’s renewable ATJ-SPJ fuel. Gevo is preparing the shipment of ATJ to Alaska Airlines for this first flight. MORE

A separate Heads of Agreement was signed providing Rosneft (or its affiliate) an opportunity to acquire a 25% interest in the Point Thomson Unit, which covers development of a remote natural gas and condensate field on Alaska’s North Slope. MORE