Perkins Coie’s Daily Alaska Oil & Gas Newsletter Becomes Perkins Coie’s Weekly

We have received a great deal of positive response over the course of the last several months as we have published Perkins Coie’s Daily Alaska Oil & Gas Newsletter. The time required to edit and publish the daily edition, however, takes its toll on the ability to offer periodic, deeper commentary on the significance of the news items flashing daily across the screen and more importantly, taking a deeper cut at offering commentary – and solutions – on the problems that increasingly are confronting the development of Alaska’s oil and gas resources.

For that reason, effective this week we are converting the daily newsletter to a weekly. The newsletter will be refreshed each Sunday, with articles from the prior week, and then populated as the week goes along with additional articles from the current week. If we do it right, the result each Sunday will be a magazine, of sorts, capturing the most important stories and events from the week. And along the way during the week will be an evolving edition, capturing the most significant stories as the week progresses. We will tweet at PerkinsCoieAKOG periodically during the week when we have added a new set of stories we think are worth reviewing, and on Sunday when the new edition is ready to start the week.

For those of you interested in continuing to stay abreast of developments on a daily basis, we would suggest sometime during each day reviewing the headlines from various oil & gas and Alaska news services that are contained down the lower right side of the front page of “Thoughts on Alaska Oil & Gas.” Those feeds have been the source of many of the articles that have appeared in another form in the daily newsletter. The only difference is that the articles are not ordered and edited for significance as the daily newsletter has been. A quick glance down the column will give you a sense of the same thing, however – the news and analyses that are driving the day. Continue reading

2.14 – 15.2012 Perkins Coie’s Daily Alaska Oil & Gas Newsletter

‎2.14 – 15.2012 Perkins Coie’s Daily Alaska Oil & Gas Newsletter,   http://ow.ly/963xG (permalink). Lead, “State oil industry in harvest mode at maximum rate consultant argues.” For more news, see the “Daily Articles & News” column (lower right side) at https://bgkeithley.com/. Daily headlines and links from Upstream Online, Oil & Gas Journal, Petroleum Economist, Platt’s, LNG World News, Fuel Fix, plus.

Dermot Cole: Legislators should reverse course on bill to limit access to campaign finance reports

From Dermot Cole’s blog today, Legislators about to pass bill to limit access to campaign finance reports,” Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Feb. 15, 2012.:

Our legislators are racing to make it more difficult for the public to follow the money at election time.   In the last two weeks, a bill to ease the electronic reporting requirements of candidates with the Alaska Public Offices Commission has been introduced and moved to the verge of final passage in both houses. …

There are onerous tasks associated with running for state office, but electronic filing with the APOC is not one of them. …  Legislators should reverse course on this bill.  They should focus instead on working with the APOC …. 

As someone who has (attempted to) follow campaign finance reports in the past, I agree with Dermot.  The current law, which requires electronic filing for the first time this year, creates transparency and openness — good things.  This proposed change goes in the wrong direction.

For APOC’s views on the bill, see Casey Kelly, “APOC Blasts Bill Changing Campaign Disclosure Rules,” KTOO Juneau, Feb. 14, 2012.

2.13.2012 Perkins Coie’s Daily Alaska Oil & Gas Newsletter

2.13.2012 Perkins Coie’s Daily Alaska Oil & Gas Newsletter,   http://ow.ly/93Svg (permalink). Lead, “Consultant says state needs new approach to attract oil investment;” “Coastal Management bill remains possible.” For more news, see the “Daily Articles & News” column (lower right side) at https://bgkeithley.com/. Daily headlines and links from Upstream Online, Oil & Gas Journal, Petroleum Economist, Platt’s, LNG World News, Fuel Fix, plus.

Oil, Gas & Juneau

The appearance before Senate Resources last Thursday was interesting.   The slide deck for my testimony is here.   As I said to the Committee, the “August 9” date on the cover is likely because it was snowing (again) the day I did the slide and my subconscious was wishing for another season.  The actual date, of course, was February 9.

The video of the hearing is here.  My appearance begins at 35:35.  There were several questions and comments by members of the Committee.  The most extensive comments came from Senator Stedman.  Part of my presentation contained a series of slides and discussion around recent forecasts made by the Office of Management of Budget (“OMB”).  The forecasts come from the most recent OMB 10-year plan and  compare the level of state expenditures against revenues over the ten year period beginning with Fiscal Year 2012.

Due to declining oil production, the OMB report clearly shows and my testimony reflects that Alaska government starts running a deficit (expenses exceed revenues) sometime this coming decade under all of the scenarios addressed in the plan.  Under OMB’s most probable scenario, the deficits start in FY 2016 — a little over three years from now — and continue to deepen through the remainder of the decade.   But that scenario assumes the continuation of very robust oil prices, ranging from an average of roughly $109/bbl in FY 2012 to $120/bbl in FY 2022. Continue reading

2.12.2012 Perkins Coie’s Daily Alaska Oil & Gas Newsletter

2.12.2012 Perkins Coie’s Daily Alaska Oil & Gas Newsletter,   http://ow.ly/92gFT (permalink). Leads, “Panel tackles Alaska oil production, taxes;” “TAPS: a brighter future than critics say.” For more news, see the “Daily Articles & News” column (lower right side) at https://bgkeithley.com/. Daily headlines and links from Upstream Online, Oil & Gas Journal, Petroleum Economist, Platt’s, LNG World News, Fuel Fix, plus.

2.09 – 11.2012 Perkins Coie’s Daily Alaska Oil & Gas Newsletter

2.09 – 11.2012 Perkins Coie’s Daily Alaska Oil & Gas Newsletter,  http://ow.ly/91c95 (permalink). Today’s lead, “Alaska lawmakers debate tax cut for oil companies,” and “Room in the pipeline, but ….” For more news, see the “Daily Articles & News” column (lower right side) at https://bgkeithley.com/. Daily headlines and links from Upstream Online, Oil & Gas Journal, Petroleum Economist, Platt’s, LNG World News, Fuel Fix, plus.

Talking About Alaska Oil & Gas

My appearance yesterday on the Dan Fagan Show — the television version — is available here.  The segment runs from 1:54:30 to 2:27:10. Dan followed up for a few minutes after beginning at 2:29:30. The discussion started with the recent TAPS decision by Judge Gleason, and went on from there.  We continued the exchange this morning on Dan’s new radio show on KOAN — and ended up having an extended discussion of the Norway business model.  I don’t find a recorded segment available online of the radio discussion, but it was an interesting exchange that I look forward to continuing.

In the meantime, HCR 19, “Acknowledging the lessons learned from the 2011 Norway Policy Tour and encouraging investment in the state’s oil and gas industry,” introduced by Rep. Bob Herron and co-sponsored by Reps. Edgmon, Seaton, Tuck, Guttenberg, Gardner, passed the House Economic Development, Trade and Tourism Committee this week and has been referred to House Rules for consideration before being advanced to the floor for a vote.

Among other things, the Resolution calls on the Legislature to “explore how co-investment in resource extraction activities would benefit private sector job expansion, affordable energy options, value-added options, revenue generation and competitiveness.”  That’s a start.

2.8.2012 Perkins Coie’s Daily Alaska Oil & Gas Newsletter

‎2.8.2012 Perkins Coie’s Daily Alaska Oil & Gas Newsletter,   http://ow.ly/8X7wW (permalink). Lead, “Senate plans to propose generic oil tax bill for start;” “Alaska seeks reversal of ruling on Pt. Thomson.” For more news, see the “Daily Articles & News” column (lower right side) at https://bgkeithley.com/. Daily headlines and links from Upstream Online, Oil & Gas Journal, Petroleum Economist, Platt’s, LNG World News, Fuel Fix, plus.

2.7.2012 Perkins Coie’s Daily Alaska Oil & Gas Newsletter

‎2.7.2012 Perkins Coie’s Daily Alaska Oil & Gas Newsletter,  http://ow.ly/8WILZ (permalink). Lead, “Alaska Senate committee begins pipeline lawsuit review;” “Kitimat LNG investment decision looming.” For more news, see the “Daily Articles & News” column (lower right side) at https://bgkeithley.com/. Daily headlines and links from Upstream Online, Oil & Gas Journal, Petroleum Economist, Platt’s, LNG World News, Fuel Fix, plus.