Around the same time, Santos Alaska subsidiary, Oil Search, complained that ConocoPhillips is demanding exorbitant fees, totaling hundreds of millions of dollars, in exchange for allowing vehicles to cross its roads that connect the North Slopes Prudhoe Bay oil hub with the new Pikka prospect. Astudy published in the journal Nature Climate Changeprojects that with every 2 degree increase in temperature, 1.5 million square miles of permafrost could be lost to thawing. February 10: TAPS announces plans to build a hot oil pipeline from Prudhoe Bay in the Arctic Circle to Valdez on Alaska's south coast. July 4 (Reuters) - The Trans Mountain pipeline expansion (TMX) was meant to unlock Asian markets for Canadian oil, but analysts and traders said those barrels now will probably land on the U.S. West Coast as Asia gobbles up Russian oil that is cheaper due to sanctions from Western countries after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. State-owned corporation asks for $5.6M to keep Alaska gas pipeline Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. Assessing an access fee for access and use of gravel roads on state lands does not promote exploration or development.. The pipeline was built to flex and absorb some movement, especially from seismic activity, without failing. Alaskan Pipeline 4.5 31 reviews #296 of 978 things to do in Alaska Historic Sites Points of Interest & Landmarks Write a review About An 800-mile pipeline delivering oil from Prudoe Bay to Valdez. What does that mean for Alaska?]. Republican Gov. The purpose of this project is to protect the integrity of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline (mainline) from permafrost degradation,the companys applicationsaid. On an annual basis, that would translate into 8.4 million metric tons of carbon pollution, equal to adding nearly two million cars to the roads each year. The mayor headed to the small airport to pick up the medicine and supplies that arrive once a day on a six-seater from Deadhorse. WASHINGTON, April 13 (Reuters) - The Biden administration on Thursday approved exports of liquefied natural gas from the Alaska LNG project that one day could help the United States compete with Russia to ship natural gas from the Arctic to Asia. Awakening the Dream of Carbonless Energy in Alaska Thermal erosion can occur at any time during a discharge, containment, recovery, and final cleanup period, according to the companys plan. But any harm from an oil spill would likely be greater than in most other landscapes because of the fragile nature of the Alaskan land and water. However, congressional delegation staffers working on getting funding for Alaskas infrastructure priorities said in interviews that securing a $4 billion to $4.5 billion grant for Alaska LNG is an immensely challenged endeavor on several fronts, some more obvious than others. TAPS is one of the world's largest pipeline systems. Riding in a van across the blindingly white territory, Mr. Dunn and five other ConocoPhillips employees said that they understood that fossil fuels are heating the planet and that they wanted to be part of the transition to clean energy. Asia's heavy crude refining market is roughly nine times the size of California's, but the geopolitical upheaval means Canada will struggle to reduce its reliance on its No. Spills have ranged from less than one barrel to 6,800 barrels. My guides don't know why the sign's there. Since opening, more than 18 billion barrels of oil have moved through the pipeline, a milestone that underscores its importance to the states economy and its role in meeting the energy demands of the country, as well as its part in driving the global warming that is thawing the ground that supports it. The installation of the heat pipes builds on an obvious irony. 2023 Anchorage Daily News. The implications of this speak to the pipelines integrity and the effect climate change is having on pipeline safety in general.. If we lose oil and gas money, people are going to forget about us, she said. Somepermafrost, which is composed of a combination of soil, rocks and sand that are held together by ice, has been frozen for thousands of years. In a news release, the California-based group Pacific Environment and Alaska-based Cook Inletkeeper said it runs counter to the Biden administrations climate commitments. I think the next few months will see a lot of change in the investment space and how they view energy globally., Hilcorp declined to comment on whether it has been approached by Santos about Pikka, and ConocoPhillips spokeswoman Rebecca Boys said the company does not comment on commercial matters.. Provide for the greatest long-term opportunities for people to use and enjoy Alaskas fish, wildlife and habitat resources. 6/28/2023 Evening Report. Persily said ConocoPhillips has brought new projects online in recent years, including at the Greater Mooses Tooth-2 in late 2021 and Fiord West Kuparuk in May. 2023 Atigun Awards spotlight, Integrity: Joey Selby - Alyeska Pipeline And as it has . Prudhoe Bay production continues to trend upward as we invest heavily in drilling new wells, fixing old wells and improving and enhancing facility capacity.. Alaska Public Media 2023. And though AGDC leaders have pitched the project as a cleaner source of energy to displace coal, particularly in Asian markets, Dunleavy has taken a highly adversarial approach to addressing his dislike of the Biden administrations energy policies while at the same time seeking billions of dollars in construction funding for the pipeline. While the thawing and subsidence are usually too gradual and incremental to draw attention, the result is increasingly obvious, he said. ConocoPhillips has been drilling in Alaska for half a century, and executives said the company had conquered the unique challenges posed by the harsh conditions. Alaska Cruisetours | Cruise Packages | Norwegian Cruise Line "Today every crude in Asia is having a hard time competing with Russian crude," York said. Explore Denali with a Tundra Wilderness Tour. 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The $3 billion Pikka project could ultimately boost the flow of oil down the trans-Alaska pipeline by 25%, and it faces less opposition from conservation groups and Indigenous residents than other major North Slope developments. The debate was whether the benefits of a pipeline that would bring oil from Canada's tar sands region and North Dakota's shale oil producing regions down to the U.S. Gulf Coast outweighed the. Gov. Alaska oil producers squeezed more oil out of the North Slope in 2022 Industry boosters look to new petroleum projects to sustain jobs and minimize per-barrel costs of shipping oil down the Alaska pipeline, as output falls from older developments. On June 8, 2023, Fox News broke the story regarding the Grassley/Comer claim that a long-time FBI informant had told the FBI in June 2020 about an alleged $5 million . To safeguard the pipeline from possible collapse, the pipeline operator, Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, was granted permission earlier this year by the natural resources department to construct the passive cooling system to arrest the thaw of permafrost that is essential to locking the supports in the ground and keeping the slope from slumping or sliding. In remarks on Tuesday, Emanuel argued that exporting Alaskas gas could offer energy stability to parts of Asia, plus generate thousands of jobs at home. The Trans-Alaska Pipeline System ( TAPS) is an oil transportation system spanning Alaska, including the trans-Alaska crude-oil pipeline, 11 pump stations, several hundred miles of feeder pipelines, and the Valdez Marine Terminal. Thawing Permafrost Is Artificially Chilled to Stabilize Alaska Oil Pipeline Hilcorp has slightly reversed declining oil production at Prudhoe Bay after becoming operator there in 2020, following its acquisition of assets from former Alaska producer BP. Some of the earmark appropriations secured by Alaskas congressional delegation through much of the 2000s drew nationwide scrutiny and provided momentum for a prohibition on earmark funding that lasted roughly a decade before the rule was rescinded by Congress in March. Some studies suggest the. Weimer said this incident should trigger discussions between regulators and the industry about how to safeguard pipelines from the effects of thawing permafrost and other climate dangers. Mike Dunleavys proposal to seek a federal subsidy to support private investment in the project, at least not under President Joe Bidens $2 trillion infrastructure plan. Knowledge awaits. But last month, a news outlet in Australia home of the projects new owner, Santos Ltd. reported that the company has put its 51% stake in Pikka up for sale. Western sanctions on Russian crude following its invasion of Ukraine have upended those plans. But a major focus on Tuesday was a very familiar project: a proposed 800-mile natural gas pipeline to run from oil fields on the North Slope to a liquefaction plant on the Kenai Peninsula. In response, the Alaska Department of Natural Resources has approved the use of about 100 thermosyphonstubes that suck heat out of permafrostto keep the frozen slope in place and prevent further damage to the pipelines support structure. A segment of the trans-Alaska pipeline photographed along the Richardson Highway between Glennallen and Delta Junction on May 13, 2020. By that time, the Biden administration hopes that demand for oil will have plummeted because of federal investments to encourage use of renewable energy and to encourage a transition to electric vehicles. Thats the long-term risk these companies face with electric cars and wind and hydro and everything else, he said. Alaska's proved crude oil reserves of 3.2 billion barrels are the fourth largest of any state. Alaskans receive over $3,000 in state oil-wealth payment checks And it can be seen on the ice roads traveled by oil companies and others, which are growing thinner and melting earlier in the season. Timothy reports on energy and environment policy and is based in Washington, D.C. His coverage ranges from the latest in nuclear power, to environment regulations, to U.S. sanctions and geopolitics. In Pristine Alaska, an Oil Giant Prepares to Drill for Decades Scientists say nations must stop new oil and gas projects to avoid climate catastrophe. The most comprehensive solution to manage all your complex and ever-expanding tax and compliance needs. They lived in tents until permanent housing was built and recalled the years without flush toilets. Any spill from the 48-inch diameter pipeline that flows with an average of 20 million gallons of oil a day, and the resulting clean-up activity, could accelerate the thawing of the permafrost even more, environmental experts said. Bryan Thomas, the station chief at the Barrow Atmospheric Baseline Observatory, which is run by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said greenhouse gas emissions that are rising into uncharted territory mean shrinking sea ice and changing weather patterns. A ConocoPhillips oil drilling site glowing at dusk, seen from Nuiqsut. All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. During a recent visit, temperatures hovered around 4 degrees Fahrenheit, a welcome improvement over winter temperatures that might top out around 40 degrees below zero. Publicly, Santos officials have said theyre focused on advancing Pikka toward a final investment decision, which they describe as the best way to maximize the projects value whether its ultimately sold off to another company or advanced to construction as a Santos project. Many of the pipelines in Alaska were designed decades ago, accounting for the permafrost projections that are now far short of the reality in which annual temperatures are soaring and thousands of square miles of permafrost are thawing. So its the responsibility of the operator to be ahead of the threats, Kuprewicz said. Operators need to understand this new world being brought about by climate change, he said. On Monday, a federal judge denied their request to block work while they pursue the legal challenge. Jun 2, 2023, 07:27am EDT. The Grassley/Comer Claim. Mike Dunleavys administration hinges, at least initially, on a federal subsidy to cover 75 percent of the nearly $6 billion Alaska Gasline Development Corp. officials believe it would cost to construct a large-diameter gas line from Prudhoe Bay to Fairbanks. Just as 5G promises to make North Slope energy development more economical, Fuhs sees the new data pipeline as one way to transform the Aleutian Islands into a renewable energy . Even if leadership in Alaska and Washington, D.C., can reach a philosophical compromise over what energy is clean enough to warrant federal support, there currently is no legislative avenue to fund the Alaska LNG pipeline absent an earmark newly revived by Congress last month because there is no existing federal pipeline development program, according to delegation staff. Still, its a meaningful accomplishment that reflects investments by Hilcorp, the operator of the Prudhoe Bay field, and ConocoPhillips, the states largest oil producer, he said. So the state depends on Alyeskas maintenance crews to be especially watchful in those warmer areas, he said. The increase in part reflects the innovative work of Alyeska staff and TAPS contractors in the face of declining flow, Alyeskas statement said. A cemetery where whale bones mark the graves of whaling captains. June 2023. . By. Oil from Willow is expected to help the 46-year-old Trans Alaska Pipeline, whose daily flow has dropped to fewer than a half-million barrels from two million barrels in 1988, a rate so slow that it leads to periodic buildup of ice and paraffin wax inside the pipeline. "Our in-state refiners create jet fuel, gasoline, diesel, heating fuel, kerosene, asphalt base oil, marine diesel, turbine fuel, ultra-low sulfur diesel, JP-8, and JP-5," she says. Canadian barrels will struggle to compete, analysts and traders said. 2023 Anchorage Daily News. Brigham A. McCown. Will there be demand for the oil in years to come, as renewable power like solar and wind becomes cheaper and more widespread? The Environmental Movement and the Oil Industry | American - PBS Temperatures that can thaw permafrost are more common in the region where the stabilization work is being done than in the Arctic, hundreds of miles to the north, he said. The department has permitted construction of a cooling system designed to keep the permafrost surrounding the vulnerable section of pipeline just north of Fairbanks frozen, as well as to replace the damaged portions of the support structure. Alaska Profile - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) Oil Search and Repsol, a minority owner in the project, have both touted the fact that the greenhouse gas emissions tied to Pikkas construction and operations would be lower than that of most other projects around the world. Exclusive news, data and analytics for financial market professionals, Reporting by Timothy Gardner; Editing by Sandra Maler, Saudi Arabia says new oil cuts show teamwork with Russia is strong, Russia bans tiny U.S.-based NGO for "sabotaging" vast gas pipeline, Focus: South African food producers warn of higher prices as infrastructure crumbles, Oil rises ahead of US holiday demand indicators, Maruti Suzuki goes upmarket in India with new seven seater, Moderna agrees deal in China with view to developing mRNA medicines, Lamborghini sells out combustion engine models - WELT, Audi to unveil electric vehicle manufacturing plans in Mexico -sources, Chinese automakers to take majority of home market for first time - forecast. Riverboat cruise and city tour of Fairbanks including a stop at the Trans-Alaska Oil Pipeline. Its not yet to the level of panic, but it is an issue that has to be considered, he said. Driving a ConocoPhillips road that leads to drilling sites. Executives said they expected their experience working with Indigenous communities in the tropics would translate to working in Native communities on Alaskas North Slope. Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the worlds largest multimedia news provider, reaching billions of people worldwide every day. The Biden administration modified the previous approval to prohibit venting of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide associated with the project into the atmosphere. A transition to renewable energy is going to take a long time, said Connor Dunn, a ConocoPhillips manager in Alaska. [EPA fines Hilcorp $180K for methane leaks, reporting violations in Alaska]. The project, for which exports were first approved by the administration of Donald Trump, has been opposed by environmental groups. Science points to climate change getting worse. For more audio journalism and storytelling, download New York Times Audio, a new iOS app available for news subscribers. Ukraine war latest: Kremlin denies China warned Putin - Sky News 6/28/2023 Evening Report | By Hub City Radio News - Facebook But those chillers only cool the permafrost directly below the pipeline, which holds the supports. Up in Alaska, the permafrost is thawing, putting the Trans-Alaska Pipeline at risk of breaking: The slope of permafrost where an 810-foot section of pipeline is secured has started to shift as it thaws, causing several of the braces holding up the pipeline to tilt and bend, according to an analysis by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources. Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the worlds largest multimedia news provider, reaching billions of people worldwide every day. Its the Kuukpik Hotel, a row of metal trailers that also hosts the cafeteria that serves as the only restaurant in town in fact, the only one for hundreds of miles. Kavitha George, Alaska Public Media - Anchorage. We look at it as, demand is there. In its application to the state, Alyeska confirmed thawing permafrost posed a threat. But after the Biden administration greenlit the $8 billion Willow project, ConocoPhillips is racing ahead. Willow will consist of as many as 199 wells spread across three drill sites, which the company believes could produce nearly 600 million barrels of oil over 30 years. ConocoPhillips' massive Willow oil drilling project on Alaska's North Slope moved through . For fun, teenagers on snowmobiles drove along empty streets, towing younger kids tethered to sleds behind them. Spills have ranged from less . The effects can be seen throughout the region that surrounds the reserve: in flooded ice cellars that can no longer preserve caribou and whale meat. It has been Alaskas most promising project lately, as the other major development on the North Slopes horizon, Conocos Willow prospect, has been delayed by litigation and a new Biden administration environmental review. Reuters provides business, financial, national and international news to professionals via desktop terminals, the world's media organizations, industry events and directly to consumers. Build the strongest argument relying on authoritative content, attorney-editor expertise, and industry defining technology. (Loren Holmes / ADN). In the event of a rupture in the pipe, Alyeska said it can initiate an emergency shutdown to stop the flow of oil and isolate the damaged section of pipeline within 15 minutes. For a few years, until the oil starts flowing, Willow could even have a small negative impact on state revenues. Elevated pipelines seven feet above ground would carry oil from the drill sites to existing pipes at the Alpine site, eventually connecting with the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, which stretches 800 miles from Alaskas North Slope to Valdez in southern Alaska. (Mark Thiessen / AP). 1969. Alaska Quick Facts. Ive been working 40-something years, he said. By sequencing a larger region of the rRNA gene operons, the limitations and biases of sequencing small portions can be removed, allowing for more accurate classification . TMX next year is due to start shipping an extra 590,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude early from Alberta to British Columbia's Pacific Coast, where it will be loaded onto tankers for export. "The Alaska Permanent Fund [dividend] is the closest thing we have to a real-world UBI," says Jesse Rothstein, an economist at the University of California, Berkeley. But, in the last few decades, permafrost temperatures in Alaska have warmed as much as 3.5 degrees Fahrenheit, and the states average temperature isprojected to increase by 2 to 4 degrees more by the middle of the century. The latest plan to develop an LNG export project for North Slope natural gas backed by Gov. Continue reading with a Scientific American subscription. 1 oil customer, the United States. Russia plans to start at end-2023 the first of three lines at its Arctic LNG-2 project, which is among the world's largest LNG facilities. Former Contributor. The fallout from a merger deal and a multimillion-dollar dispute with ConocoPhillips over road access are threatening to snag one of Alaskas biggest new North Slope oil developments. But supporters argue that Russias invasion of Ukraine last year has added new uncertainty to world natural gas markets and Alaskas project could provide stability. He has been a member of three teams in the past two years that have won Reuters best journalism of the year awards. You see it pretty much on all of the pipelines, he said. Biden nixes Keystone XL permit, halts Arctic refuge leasing A. Although the Biden administration reduced the size of ConocoPhillipss original plan, Willow will have a footprint of almost 500 acres and at its peak could generate about 180,000 barrels of oil a day. Share. Access unmatched financial data, news and content in a highly-customised workflow experience on desktop, web and mobile. Build the strongest argument relying on authoritative content, attorney-editor expertise, and industry defining technology. It also said that the state cannot set the amount of compensation itself. As a cyclist he is happiest outside. Emanuel predicted that as Europe turns away from Russian natural gas, there will be increased competition to supply gas to Asia. We know we have enormous natural gas, conventional natural gas resources on the North Slope, Sullivan said in a pre-recorded video. The trans-Alaska pipeline fights off 22 million cyber attacks. Daily. The Trans Mountain pipeline expansion (TMX) was meant to unlock Asian markets for Canadian oil, but analysts and traders said those barrels now will probably land on the U.S. West Coast as Asia . Deet'laa', Swanson, Blind, Basco, Sword, Leonard, Still, Tanana, and Mission; (2) Subdistrict 5-B consists of the Yukon River drainage from the . Inside Climate News reporter David Hasemyer is from the red rock country of Southeastern Utah where he grew up and learned to appreciate the importance responsible stewardship of the environment. The last increase came in 2017. He said the U.S. should move quickly to fill that need with Alaskas gas. About TAPS TAPS Facts Construction Throughput Pump Stations Flow Assurance Ship Escort Response Vessel System (SERVS) Valdez Marine Terminal (VMT) Oil Spill Response Capabilities Drills and Exercises (Bill Roth / ADN), State oil and gas leases do not entitle the holder to exclusive use of associated lands, Oil Search Senior Vice President Joe Balash, a former state natural resources commissioner, wrote in his permit application letter. Caribou near ConocoPhillips oil pipelines, which are elevated to allow herds to pass beneath. REUTERS/Jennifer Gauthier/File Photo. Brad Keithley, a former oil and gas attorney, said Alaska oil flow could increase sharply if two giant new discoveries begin production. Climate change is, of course, worsening the problem of a thawing permafrost. Caribou crossings: the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System, conservation, and The Arctic Ocean off its coast is home to beluga whales, polar bears, walruses and several species of ice seals. Ambassador Rahm Emanuel, the U.S. envoy to Japan, attended the Anchorage conference in person and spoke in favor of the project. Among those advantages, Sullivan said, is the relatively quick shipping time across the Pacific, and the high environmental standards for Alaska gas production. The pipeline's main arm from Prudhoe Bay on Alaska's northern shore to the ice-free port of Valdez in the south of the peninsula would cut through this land between two national reserves, the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve (ANWR) east of Prudhoe Bay, and the US Navy Petroleum Reserve in the west, which had been federal land since the 1920s. In all, the pipeline has spilled 9,784 barrels of oil, which resulted in $52.7 million in damages and costs, according to the PHMSA records. The frames that hold the pipeline, called vertical support members, look like a capital H with the pipeline resting on the cross stroke. Pikkas prospects were announced several years ago by a renowned wildcatter, Bill Armstrong. Pembina Pipeline Corp. stock rises Tuesday, still - MarketWatch Permafrost Melting, Could Break Trans-Alaska Pipeline; Thermosyphons to A nonconsensual appropriation of KRU roads or other facilities would be a textbook taking, Conoco said in its letter, sent in November. Its a reason to be happy, but not to drop balloons from the ceiling, Persily said. Cold weather gear at the Kuukpik Corporation hotel. I can probably retire on it, one man said. The second worst oil spill in modern Russian history, Norilsk Nickel, the owner of the plant, reported in a statement that permafrost thawing during a historic Siberian heat wave led one of the tanks support pillars to buckle. But the North Slope Borough job postings in the villages post office advertise nearly $30 an hour for waste collectors, well-paying jobs that indirectly result from oil and gas operations. Thermosyphons, which have been used in the Arctic for decades to protect roads and buildings, will also be installed on the platforms for rigs that will pull up oil oil that, when burned, will produce the emissions that scientists say will cause the ground to thaw more rapidly.

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