Around the globe, there are two basic systems governing the ownership of oil. In the first, resources are owned and controlled by the government. In the second, personal property rights extend all the way down to the core. The difference between the treatment of subsurface mineral ownership has far reaching implications. And, Alaska finds itself[…]
Many Alaskans have probably heard something about the oil tax initiative called the “Fair Share Act.” You may have been asked to sign a petition while shopping, or you may have read something about it in one of the media outlets. You are likely to see it on the ballot when you vote this November.[…]
ConocoPhillips Alaska did a great job of getting the first Greater Moose’s Tooth (GMT1) development into production, ahead of schedule and under budget. We are all excited to have the new oil flowing. It signals the beginning of another renaissance for the North Slope. But, the oil is coming from non-State land in the NPR-A.[…]
When the 28th legislature narrowly passed SB21 in 2013, I was working as a policy analyst for the Department of Revenue. I still remember the late night committee hearings and the frantic preparation of fiscal notes. At the end of the day, the bill was named the “More Alaska Production” act. While the name didn’t[…]