For more than thirty years, the Alaska Highway Pipeline Project has been examined with periodic peaked public interest. The proposed pipeline would bring 35 trillion cubic feet of proven natural gas reserves in Alaska’s North Slope basins to growing southern North American markets, via Canada.
Despite the growing demand for natural gas, the project continues to present high financial risks to participants with its incredible complexity, size, cost and long development time commitment.
Project momentum is once again building mainly due to the passing of the Alaska Gasline Inducement Act (AGIA) in 2007. The AGIA is intended to stimulate competition among gas producers and pipeline operator and ultimately award a license with incentives to help move North Slope gas south along an Alaska pipeline.
There are two proponents competing for the development of the Alaska gas pipeline along the Alaska Highway. They include TransCanada Pipelines which has succesfully received an AGIA license, and the recently announced partnership of ConocoPhillips and BP (Denali Project), which is pursuing the project outside AGIA. An intra-Alaska state (all-Alaska) pipeline option is also under review. It would carry North Slope natural gas to tidewater in Alaska. There the gas would undergo liquefaction to produce liquefied natural gas (LNG), be loaded onto tankers and shipped to market.
The AHAPC also monitors the progress of the proposed Mackenzie Gas Project in the Northwest Territories.
Note: Inset image showing the proposed pipeline route: courtesy of the Yukon Government.
News
The news items below are an updated listing on the pipeline and related media releases. They have been compiled by the AHAPC unless otherwise stated. Source materials include: The Anchorage Daily News, Daily News - Miner, KTUU.com, Up Here Business Magazine, Petroleum News, industry media releases, etc.
