While many North Slope fields are on the decline, production at Hilcorp’s Milne Point has actually increased by huge amounts. Now the company is acquiring the massive Prudhoe Bay field, raising hopes of a similar revival there.
Business
Alaska businessman John Binkley launches group to defend Dunleavy in recall
John Binkley has worn a lot of hats: stints in the Legislature, a primary challenge to Gov. Frank Murkowski in 2006 and, more recently, the face of the cruise industry in Alaska. But he’s also wading into the biggest political fight in the state: defending Gov. Mike Dunleavy from being recalled.
Wells Fargo becomes 3rd major US bank to nix Arctic oil investment
Wells Fargo’s announcement follows similar policies against Arctic drilling adopted by Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase, as well as a string of European banks.
Cruise ships dumped more than 3 million pounds of trash in Juneau last year
Juneau’s landfill managers say it took over 3.3 million pounds of trash from cruise ships in 2019, up from 1.8 million pounds in 2018. That concerns some in Juneau, since the landfill is expected to be full in 20 years.
With no ferries to haul waste, Southeast Alaska’s septic tank problem could get messy
Not all rural communities have normal sanitation systems like city sewer and water treatment plants: They rely on septic systems that need to get pumped periodically. And while the Alaska Marine Highway System is closed, pump trucks can’t get to some small towns that rely on them.
Anxiety creeps into oil-dependent Alaska as banks step back from Arctic investment
Development in the Arctic is booming as the global climate warms and ice melts. But environmental opposition has come along with it, making some big banks like Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase more reticent about investing.
Bethel taxis stop taking Medicaid vouchers for medical trips
Taxis are a main form of transportation to and from medical appointments for people who travel to Bethel for health care. But one cab company owner says the Medicaid vouchers were too expensive.
Yukon aims to sell renewable power to Skagway cruise ships
The Yukon produces a lot of renewable energy. And they have a surplus in the summer months, when cruise ships are in port at Skagway.
Behind the scenes, Pebble leaned on Dunleavy, pleading for its survival
“Asking the governor to shill for them, right? It’s extraordinary,” Heimer said. “The governor is giving a sales pitch, on behalf of a foreign mining corporation.”
Without Alaska’s ferries, timber and fish businesses wonder who will carry that freight
The breakdown of the Alaska Marine Highway System has Southeast Alaska businesses scrambling for alternative ways to send their products out of town.