TOKYO—Governor Bill Walker on Monday kicked off a weeklong series of meetings in Japan about taking Alaska’s natural gas to market. He and members of his team met with officials of a leading Japanese trade company, a governmental financing organization and two major utilities. They also met in Tokyo with U.S. Department of Energy officials and U.S. Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy.
Governor Walker, Department of Natural Resources Deputy Commissioner Marty Rutherford and Gas Team General Manager Audie Setters discussed Alaska’s liquefied natural gas potential with the presidents of Itochu Corporation, a trade company; Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation, a government agency that provides financing for Japanese companies interested in natural gas exploration; Tokyo Electric Power Company, the largest in the country; and Tokyo Gas, which serves more than 11 million customers in seven cities.
“I want our trade partners and customers to know Alaska is serious about taking our rich natural gas reserves to market,” Governor Walker said. “Alaska has vast untapped natural resources available to meet in-state demand, as well as the needs of Japan.”
The earthquake and tsunami of March 2011 disabled the Fukushima Daiichi power plant, which provided energy for much of the country. Since then, Japan’s need for liquefied natural gas has grown.
“In Prudhoe Bay and Point Thomson lie 33 trillion cubic feet of natural gas—and those are just the proven reserves,” said Marty Rutherford, Deputy Commissioner of Alaska’s Department of Natural Resources. “Upsizing the pipeline from 42 to 48 inches lowers the overall operating costs and increases deliverability for our customers.”
Alaska’s relationship with Japan dates back to 1969, when the first natural gas shipment was delivered from Nikiski.
“When Phillips Petroleum Company began shipping LNG to Japan from Nikiski 46 years ago, we provided 100 percent of Japan’s liquefied natural gas supply, but today we are supplying less than 1 percent,” Governor Walker said. “I’m here in Tokyo this week to change that, and to continue the mutually beneficial relationship.”
In his meeting with U.S. Department of Energy officials, Governor Walker was briefed on the growing need for LNG in Asian countries like Japan, Korea and Singapore. Governor Walker discussed with Ambassador Kennedy the potential of developing the vast resources of methane hydrate on the North Slope of Alaska.
Governor Walker will meet Tuesday with the Chief Executive Officer of the Energy and Metals Group of Marubeni Corporation, an energy trading company, and on Wednesday will deliver a keynote address about Alaska’s LNG potential at the 4th LNG Producer-Consumer Conference in Tokyo.
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