All-Alaska Line Advocate Puts Gas Exports Back On The Table

Now that a firm backed by ConocoPhillips and BP says that a route through Canada to the Lower 48 is not economical, Walker is seizing the day.

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By Bill McAllister
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Story Created: May 18, 2011 at 4:43 PM AKDT

Story Updated: May 18, 2011 at 8:50 PM AKDT

A day after the Denali gasline project was scrapped, the top proponent of an all-Alaska line for exports to Asia says it's time for the state to regroup.

Bill Walker is the gasline wars veteran who is putting a fresh spin on an old idea.
 
Walker ran for governor last year largely on the platform of a gasline with a gas-to-liquids plant at tidewater for shipments overseas.
 
Now that a firm backed by ConocoPhillips and BP says that a route through Canada to the Lower 48 is not economical, Walker is seizing the day.
 
He proposes that the state take control of the project, seeking long-term gas contracts with Asian utilities and becoming an owner of the line.
 
 He says that the failure of the Denali project means that two of the three major North Slope producers have written off the Lower 48 project, despite the fact that state-backed TransCanada is continuing with its rival proposal.
 
"Denali just came out and put their cards face up: no market. No market in the Lower 48. Two-thirds of those that are needed in the TransCanada project just said we're out, there's no economics in the Lower 48. That should be a wake-up call. Let's see what TransCanada has."
 
Both Denali and TransCanada held open seasons last year to determine the interest of potential gas shippers.
 
So far, Transcanada has made only vague statements about the amount of gas committed to the line.
 
Spokesman Tony Palmer in Calgary was said to be tied up in meetings today and unavailable to comment.

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