Gov. Bill Walker and other key administration officials will travel to Singapore and South Korea to learn more about interest in those countries in buying Alaska’s liquid natural gas from a future state owned LNG project.
Walker will be attending the CWC 8th World LNG and Gas Series – Asia Pacific Summit in Singapore Sept. 20-23.
Walker is to give a keynote address at the summit on Sept. 21, highlighting Alaska’s abundant supply of natural gas. The summit attracts key LNG buyers and sellers in the region to network and learn about opportunities in the natural gas industry.
The governor’s office said that Walker would also participate in the Korea Ministry of Foreign Affair’s State Government Key Personnel Invitation Program, which invites select U.S. governors to Korea for one-on-one meetings with government officials and private sector companies to advance issues important to that state.
Walker said that as Alaska takes the lead in developing its North Slope natural gas it is critical to go to the global market and meet with prospective buyers.
“The Alaska LNG project would bring billions of dollars in new revenue to our state, provide affordable energy to Alaskans, and ensure a long-term supply of natural gas to Asian buyers,” Walker said. “I am looking forward to the significant networking opportunities this tri will bring, and the chance to promote Alaska’s rich supply of natural gas to the world market.”
While in Korea, Walker and his team will meet with representatives from KOGAS, the largest single buyer of liquefied natural gas in the world. They will also meet with officials from POSCO, GS Energy, the Korea Energy Economics Institute, the Korea Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the U.S. Ambassador to Korea, and others in an effort to promote the sale of Alaska’s North Slope natural gas.
In advance of their travels, Walker administration officials met on Sept. 9 with officials from Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corp. to discuss the recent shift toward a state-led LNG project and other resource opportunities in Alaska.
METI’s mission is to develop Japan’s economy and industry. JOGMEC exists to secure a stable supply of oil and gas, mineral resources and coal and geothermal energy.
Walker said the meeting with the Japanese entities further underscored Japanese interest in Alaska natural gas, and the general optimism that exists across the Pacific for Alaska to enter the international market. “Japan is the largest LNG-buying nation in the world, and their interest in Alaska is very encouraging,” he said.
In the meetings in Juneau, the discussion included JOGMEC and METI’s technological advancements in carbon dioxide capture and sequestration, and the small-scale distribution of NLNG into remote markets, both of which could be very useful in Alaska’s overall development of the project, said Keith Meyer, president of the Alaska Gasline Development Corp.
