November-Issue-2 2011

There’s good news – possibly – about new natural gas discovered in Cook Inlet. But that wouldn’t be in production for two to three years, if Escopeta Oil’s find is proven after more tests and drilling.

Escopeta Oil Co. has made a significant discovery of natural gas in Cook Inlet and believes the project could be put into production as early as 2013, although that may be optimistic.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Thousands of times every day, drilling deep underground causes the earth to tremble. But don’t blame the surprise flurry of earthquakes in Oklahoma on man’s thirst for oil and gas, experts say.

Alaska-based Great Bear Petroleum, an independent company, has formed a partnership with a major oil services company, Halliburton, to test the technical feasibility of producing oil from shale on the North Slope, the company’s president, Ed Duncan, said in an interview Nov. 4.

The Resource Development Council’s annual conference scheduled for Nov. 16 and 17 in Anchorage looks to be a record-breaker. There may be as many as 1,000 attending the event over two days, which is set for the Dena’ina Civic and Convention Center.

Its wireless subscriber base and net income in the third quarter net income were essentially flat for General Communications Inc., but two new projects are set to get off the ground.

Shares in Alaska Communications had a rough day following the third quarter earnings report and a downgrade from RBC Capital Markets.

NEW YORK (AP) — Barnes & Noble Inc. on Monday unveiled its new $249 Nook Tablet, an e-book reader that includes more features of a full-blown tablet than its prior offerings as the tablet wars heat up ahead of the all-important holiday season.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the Alaska district will have its hands full during fiscal year 2012. How long that will last after a year, though, is yet to be seen because of federal cuts.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Here’s where the 2012 Republican presidential candidates stand on a selection of issues.

With the legislative season only months away, a special subcommittee of the House Finance Committee House finance subcommittee is wrapping up the rounds across the state to gather public input on three proposed bills to make a supplemental transportation fund a reality.

NEW YORK (AP) — Mike Mayo is at it again.

INDIAN TOWNSHIP, Maine (AP) — Stung by past casino defeats, the Passamaquoddy Indians aren’t opening their wallets to back a new referendum campaign that would create a tribal-run racetrack casino.

Local chambers of commerce and the statewide chamber do what I, and many other business owners like myself, don’t have time to do on a day-to-day basis. They promote improvement of our business environment through education and advocacy.

It’s not acceptable for the government to lie.

Brilliant babies are setting a precedent for Alaska’s film industry. The “Baby Geniuses” movie franchise has just filmed three installments, bringing more than $18 million into the state. The twist is this series filmed here despite the stories having nothing to do with Alaska.

I must express my deep disappointment with the state of Alaska for rejecting a petition seeking to protect salmon streams from coal strip mining in the Chuitna River watershed that feeds into Upper Cook Inlet.

SEATTLE (AP) — Randy Kinley, a Lummi tribal member, harvests salmon, clams and oysters in northwest Washington, and eats what he catches about three or four times a week.

The 2011 Alaska salmon harvest figures are to rank second-best all time in value after postseason price adjustments.

Over the past six years average employment for Alaska commercial fishermen dropped slightly, but gross earnings were up — and that is a better measure of industry health.