Why America May Not See Alaska Natural Gas Soon

• Main Author: Roger Marks
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Subjects: Alaska North Slope; north slope; Alaska
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10.2753/JEI0021-3624430310

The Alaska Gasline Inducement Act (AGIA) was enacted by the State of Alaska in 2007 in an attempt to progress the construction of a natural gas pipeline from the Alaska North Slope to North American markets. The Act conveys monetary inducements from the state to the exclusive licensee in exchange for certain performance requirements. The financing of any pipeline requires the contractual commitment from the shippers (producers) to pay to ship the gas over an extended period of time. However, many of the performance requirements of AGIA are antithetical to the commercial interests of the shippers. A flawed financial analysis of the project by the administration overstated the economic vitality of the project, and hence understated the severity of the commercial issues. Consequently, the prospects for success in getting a pipeline constructed appear doubtful.