Skepticism Grows About Feasibility of Alaska Gas Pipeline Plans

摘要

Companies vying to build a multibilliondollar Alaska natural gas pipeline are ready to sell pipeline capacity as early as next year. But skeptics are starting to question whether such a project is really feasible under current market conditions. Some analysts argue that rising gas production in the lower 48 US states may be sufficient to satisfy domestic demand for decades. Lower 48 natural production is expected to hit 50 billion cubic feet per day in 2009, according to the US Energy Information Administration. By comparison, the lower 48 produced just 45 Bcf/d in 2007. The increase is largely due to the opening up of prolific new shale and tight sands gas plays. Furthermore, US production will be supplemented by a flood of new overseas gas liquefaction projects that will boost global supplies of LNG.