Prudhoe Bay

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Political infighting is taking place in Alaska over the state’s hydrocarbon future. This time, however, it’s not over its oil production which has been steadily declining since reaching a peak of over 2 million barrels per day (b/d) in 1988 to a current average of just over 500,000 b/d. Its over the state’s plans to… Keep reading →

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

The western boundary of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, located on Alaska’s North Slope, has been redrawn and 2 oil and gas exploration leases pending since 2011 have been awarded. There has been a longstanding discrepancy with regard to ANWR’s western boundary – covering roughly 20,000 acres – with US Fish & Wildlife Service maps… Keep reading →

Drone Photography Raises Questions About Privacy And Safety

With an almost eagle-eye-view of the Rocky Mountains from his office in Denver, Robert Attai advises clients on the emerging field of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), otherwise known as drones. A partner in the law firm of Husch Blackwell, his clients sometime seek advice after acquiring a smaller firm that is using UAS in their… Keep reading →

Oil Prices Rise As BP Shuts Pipeline

BP announced yesterday it will sell interests in four Alaska North Slope assets to Hilcorp, a comparatively small, independent, Texas-based operator. BP says the divestment will help focus on increasing output from the giant Prudhoe Bay field and an ambitious LNG export project. “There are some big benefits from this transaction,” said Janet Weiss, President… Keep reading →

Global Warming Forces Greenland Fisherman To Diversify

The steady upward march of oil prices over time is putting increasing pressure on remote communities in Alaska that rely on diesel-fueled generators for much of their power supply, but displacing diesel with other electricity sources, such as renewables, is often an even higher-cost option. Alaska’s rural communities pay some of the highest prices for… Keep reading →

Harsh Weather Threatens Salvage Operation Of Cracked Freighter

A broad swath of energy industry insiders will be converging on Anchorage for the USAEE North American conference next month, giving the state’s governor an ideal forum to lay out his plans to extract and market the state’s massive gas resources. But geologic features of some of Alaska’s most well-known fields may mean that the… Keep reading →