Company’s First Cook Inlet Geo Survey Permit Since 2005 Granted

August 19, 2019

After nearly 15 years of being stymied by a combination of liberal politics and eco-extremists, a Cook Inlet producer received a permit for geological studies, hopeful of identifying potential oil and gas reserves in its lease areas.

On Wednesday, August 14^th, the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) approved a permit from Hilcorp Alaska, LLC to conduct a geophysical survey in the federal waters of lower Cook Inlet.

The survey of nearly 600 square acres in waters between Homer and the Iniskin Peninsula will identify potential oil and gas resources.

BOEM laid out the conditions for vessels, security perimeters and monitoring in its permit language, as well as the maximum 60-day timeline parameters, designed to minimize the impact on marine mammals.

With Alaskans leaving the state, facing funding shortfalls, battling over budget “wants” versus “needs” and staring down an uncertain future of Alaska’s Permanent Fund, Power The Future is encouraged by the granting of the permit, as it represents a turning point for additional jobs and opportunities in lower Cook Inlet.

The facts are clear: Alaskans didn’t find job stability under the crush of environmental over-regulation, brought about by former President Obama and his abhorrent anti-development decisions. Eco-extremism hurt Alaska’s efforts to bring in more revenues and help balance the budget.  Eco groups – under the guise of “environmentalism” – continue to bring nefarious ballot measures to statewide elections, taking industry’s focus from growing the Alaskan economy and diverting it to unnecessary political activities to save jobs, save projects and save tens of billions of dollars in infrastructure investment.

Homer-based Cook Inletkeeper even preemptively attacked Hilcorp for looking to monetize its lease areas. Over a study – not a finalized development plan…a study! Cook Inletkeeper wouldn’t be forced to move to find a job if the development project moves forward, but if it – and its colleagues in anti-Alaskan activities – “wins”, employees and their families may have to relocate.

That’s just one reason Power The Future works every day as the voice of America’s energy workers. We know there are organizations working every day to harm them, their families and their communities.  Why should Americans suffer from organizational activities designed to say “NO!”, instead of finding ways to work together to move our nation forward?

Power The Future remains bullish on Alaska’s oil and gas present and future, applauding companies like Hilcorp, who have shown a history of always working to strike the balance between environmental stewardship and responsible resource development in its lease areas.  We are hopeful that the surveys find additional opportunities to extract oil and gas, put more Alaskans to work, and create additional revenues for the state and federal governments through royalties and taxes.