Yamal Ice Breakers Pique Alaska Interest

摘要

The development of ice breaker technology for Novatak's Yamal LNG project in Russia has revived a longstanding debate about whether tankers could pass north of Alaska and allow the region's oil producers to monetize their giant gas reserves without building an expensive pipeline to Alberta in Canada or a liquefaction plant further down the Alaskan coast near the oil port of Valdez. So far, exports directly from the North Slope have been widely regarded as a wild idea spawned by Alaskans frustrated by the lack of progress on the pipeline planned by Exxon Mobil and TransCanada (WGI Jun.1'11,p10). But a new study from Bahamas-based energy consultant Pedro Van Meurs has piqued the interest of Alaska's politicians and producers alike.