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ConocoPhillips Alaska reports income of $416 million in first quarter, and owed $464 million in taxes

Suzanne Downing
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ConocoPhillips Alaska reports income of $416 million in first quarter, and owed $464 million in taxes

ConocoPhillips Alaska reported net income of $416 million in the first quarter of 2023.

During the quarter, ConocoPhillips Alaska incurred an estimated $464 million in taxes and royalty payments due. That included $320 million to the State of Alaska and $144 million to the federal government.

Additionally, in the first quarter of 2023, ConocoPhillips Alaska reported it invested $406 million in capital in the Alaska.

“ConocoPhillips Alaska spent $1.1 billion in 2022, and in 2023, is projected to increase capital spend as the Willow project has commenced construction. Alaska’s existing fiscal regime (SB21) is clearly working to promote new and ongoing investment,” said Erec Isaacson, president, ConocoPhillips Alaska.

“We remain committed to investing in projects on the North Slope that will deliver new barrels and contribute significantly to the State’s economy through job growth and revenue generation.”

Since 2007, ConocoPhillips Alaska has incurred more than $43 billion in taxes and royalties to the State of Alaska and the federal government.

Of that amount, about $33 billion went directly to the state. In that same period, ConocoPhillips Alaska’s earnings were approximately $25 billion.

Doyon acquires Fairweather, LLC

Suzanne Downing
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Doyon acquires Fairweather, LLC

Doyon, Limited, the Alaska Native regional corporation for Interior Alaska, acquired Fairweather, LLC, an oilfield support services company in Alaska, the corporation announced May 1.

The acquisition will support Doyon’s existing operations on the North Slope and provide expertise in oilfield support, weather, logistics and medical services, according to a Doyon news release announcing the acquision.

Fairweather was founded in 1976 by Sherron Perry with a focus on providing aviation weather observation services to remote regions of Alaska. Responding to the growth of the emerging oil and gas industry, Fairweather expanded its operations to include a number of highly sought-after support services designed to support exploration and production activities.

Originally a part of the Edison Chouest Offshore companies, Fairweather provides advanced logistics and drilling support, remote medical support, meteorological and oceanographic forecasting, aviation and airstrip support, and bear guard security. Fairweather supports its remote operations professionals with highly skilled teams of licensed health, safety and environmental professionals.

“We are pleased to cross the finish line on this agreement with Doyon,” said Rick Fox, Fairweather senior vice president and general manager, who has led the company since 2012. “Fairweather has over 80 years of management experience, and over 180 employees, with expertise in oilfield services, aviation, medical services, airport and weather support, and expediting and logistics services. We know our business model will continue to support Alaska’s North Slope.”

Fairweather’s 180 team members will join the Doyon Oil Field Service Pillar, which includes Doyon Drilling, Mid-Alaska Pipeline, Doyon Associated, and Doyon Anvil.

The companies provide Arctic drilling, pipeline ownership construction, maintenance and operations, camps, engineering, and procurement services to Alaska’s oil and gas industry.

“We are very pleased to have Fairweather join our family of companies,” Doyon President and CEO Aaron Schutt stated in the release. “Fairweather has a well-earned reputation, and there are many synergies between our existing Doyon oil field services companies and Fairweather. We are both Alaska-based companies focused on our employees, customers, safety, and successful project outcomes for our clients.”

Doyon, Limited has more than 20,400 shareholders and was established under the 1971 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. Doyon has subsidiaries in oilfield services, government contracting, and tourism, is also the largest private landowner in Alaska and one of the largest in North America.

Public testimony opportunities for May 8-11 include carbon credit program

Suzanne Downing
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Public testimony opportunities for May 8-11 include carbon credit program

Among items up for public testimony this week in Juneau is the governor’s bill on carbon credits.

SB 48, subject to public testimony at 9 am on May 8 in Senate Finance, would allow the state to negotiate and lease land for “carbon management” and establish a carbon offset program for state land, authorizing the sale of carbon credits. Some people object to the plan because it is not actually developing natural resources. Others object because it allows the state to enter into no-bid contracts.

The British newspaper The Guardian has reported that more than 90% the forest carbon offsets approved by the world’s leading certifier, Verra, “are largely worthless and could make global heating worse.”

Another bill of interest to Alaskans is HB 4, a repeal of the ranked-choice general election and open primary. It would have Alaska go back to its previous election system before 2020’s Ballot Measure 2 passed narrowly. Recent polls show that the majority of Alaskans want to go back to the simple system they had before.

A bill sponsored by Sen. Scott Kawasaki changes election law by establishing a ballot tracking system and a ballot curing process. With SB 138, the ballot curing process requires the Division to notify voters if the signature on their ballot does not match the one on their registration. Other updates to the election system include tightening and clarifying residency requirements for voting in order to clean Alaska’s voter rolls and replacing the witness signature requirement with a signature verification system. The bill would also have the State of Alaska pre-pay postage on ballots that are mailed in.

Those and other bills subject to public hearings this week:

HB 169FISHERIES REHABILITATION PERMIT/PROJECTH FISHERIESMay 8 9 am
SB 140INTERNET FOR SCHOOLSS FINANCEMay 8 9 am
SB 48CARBON OFFSET PROGRAM ON STATE LANDS FINANCEMay 8 9 am
SB 138ELECTIONS; VOTER REG.; CAMPAIGNSS FINANCEMay 9 1:30 pm
HB 4ELECTIONS:REPEAL RANK CHOICE/OPEN PRIMARYH STATE AFFAIRSMay 9 3 pm
SB 95LICENSE PLATES: SPECIALTY ORGANIZATIONSS FINANCEMay 10 9 am
SB 125AK HOUSING FINANCE CORP: SUSTAIN ENERGYS FINANCEMay 11 9 am
HB 121UTILITIES: RENEWABLE PORTFOLIO STANDARDH ENERGYMay 11 10:15 am
SB 141NAMING RAYMOND & ESTHER CONQUEST BRIDGES TRANSPORTATIONMay 11 1:30 pm
SB 129MATT GLOVER BIKE PATHS TRANSPORTATIONMay 11 1:30 pm

Alaska cabin, road, island properties go up for auction by IRS this month

Suzanne Downing
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Alaska cabin, road, island properties go up for auction by IRS this month

The Internal Revenue Service will auction off several properties in Alaska this month that it seized from owners to satisfy nonpayment of federal taxes.

Among those properties are island tracts in Kachemak Bay, and road-accessible properties in Sterling, Valdez, Willow, and Wasilla.

Of note, six of the 14 properties around the country being auctioned off this month by the IRS are in Alaska. Only the two island properties are not accessible by road. No other state even comes close to that number of properties seized and auctioned.

The IRS will hold an auction for the island and Kenai Peninsula properties on May 18 at the Kenai Courthouse, 125 Trading Bay Road in Kenai.

The includes for 9.64 acres of land located on Hesketh Island in Kachemak Bay. The minimum bid starts at $146,250. The island itself is 1.2 miles long and is located on the southern shore of Kachemak Bay, 9.5 miles south of Homer and 8 miles northeast of Seldovia.

Also for sale on May 18 is 4.99 acres of land on Yukon Island in Kachemak Bay. The minimum bid starts at $93,750. Yukon Island is the largest island in Kachemak Bay and has its own springs and small streams. It is the home of the Yukon Island Center, an educational retreat center.

Two properties on the Kenai Peninsula re being auctioned at the same time: 7.13 acres at 34255 Sterling Highway in Sterling, has a minimum bid set at $42,675, and 9.31 acres at 33094 Sterling Highway has a minimum bid set at $119,925.

The IRS will also sell 18 acres in Valdez near the airport, at 505 Airport Road, on May 17. That auction takes place at the Palmer Courthouse, 435 S. Denali Street and has a minimum bid of $86,400.

Also on May 17, the IRS will auction off three Mat-Su properties, including on that has a cabin on it in Willow. The auction will also be held at the Palmer Courthouse. Those properties are:

15914 N Darrel Dr, Willow, AK 99654 
Cabin on 1.24 acres, utilities on the property
Legal description: Lot 8 (Eight), Block 2 (two), Kelley Subdivision, according to the official plat thereof, recorded under Plat Number 76-71, in the Palmer Recording District, Third Judicial District, State of Alaska. 
Minimum bid: $65,250

7531 W Scarlet Dr, Wasilla, AK 99623 
0.96 acres of land
Legal description: Rainbow Park Estates, Block 4, Lot 23, according to Plat 1973-32, located in Palmer Recording District, Third Judicial District, State of Alaska. 
Minimum bid: $15,000

7418 W Golden Dr, Wasilla, AK 99623 
0.92 acres of land
Legal description: Rainbow Park Estates, Block 1, Lot 16, according to Plat 1973-32, located in Palmer Recording District, Third Judicial District, State of Alaska. 
Minimum bid: $13,500

Before being permitted to bid at the sale, bidders must display to the IRS a certified check or cashier’s check of at least 10% of the amount of the bid payable to the United States District Court for the District of Alaska. The successful bidder must tender the balance of the purchase price at the office of the Internal Revenue Service within 60 days after the date the bid is accepted.

Bidders have the option to participate in-person at the live auction or by mailing in a bid on or before May 15, 2023.

All properties listed above are offered for sale “as is” and “where is” and without recourse against the United States. The government reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to withdraw the property from the sale.

For more information about the public sale, visit www.irsauctions.gov or contact IRS representative Brittanny Dipla at (805) 479-2552 or IRS, Attn: Brittanny Dipla, PALS, 225 W. Broadway, 2nd Floor, Glendale, CA 91204.

Assembly moves to force deputy library director out of her position

Suzanne Downing
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Assembly moves to force deputy library director out of her position

The Anchorage Assembly, working hand-in-glove with the Anchorage Daily News, will vote on a resolution at its Tuesday meeting recommending that Deputy Library Director Judy Eledge resign.

It’s a response to a set up that occurred over several weeks this winter, when an employee in the library recorded Eledge saying things that some took offense to. The tapes were given to a reporter at the ADN, and with the funding of ProPublica, a leftist media group, was made into a series of stories and podcasts attacking Eledge.

Some of the statements Eledge was recorded saying, according to the resolution, include:

“I worked in an Alaska Native village. If it wasn’t for the white man and his oil money, they’d still be raping their daughters in caves.”

“I don’t have the same views about Eskimos as other people at the library. I worked in Barrow; I know they diddle their kids. It’s a well-known secret, people just don’t talk about it. I knew a 2nd grader that had gonorrhea. They send their FAS [fetal alcohol syndrome] babies to Anchorage because they don’t want to take care of them.’”

“The atmosphere here has gone downhill with woke movements like Black Lives Matter … I’m telling you, the woke culture is killing libraries and this country. If I could get rid of those employees, I could turn this library around for the good.”

“There are too many ‘liberals’ working in libraries.”

The resolution says that Eledge told Library security personnel to “not enforce the policy against ‘mothers with diaper bags,’ but to enforce it strictly against individuals who appeared homeless, many of whom appeared to be Alaska Native.”

The resolution is a vote of no-confidence in Eledge and a recommendation that she resign. It’s sponsored by hard-left Assemblymen Kameron Perez-Verdia and Assembly Chairman Chris Constant.

Socialists picket City Hall to get conservative assistant library director fired; another group pickets to support her

Eledge was originally hired as the director of libraries but moved to the deputy director position when it became apparent the Assembly would not confirm her appointment. Eledge is a conservative, in her mid-70s, and is the president of the Anchorage Republican Women’s Club. She ran for school board in 2020 and lost by only a few votes to Kelly Lessens.

The Assembly, as the legislative and appropriating branch of government, is injecting itself into the executive branch to attempt to dictate employment matters.

Read the resolution attempting to force out Eledge:

AR_2023-167_CALL_FOR_RESIGNATION_OF_LIBRARY_DEPDIR_PEREZ-VERDIA.FINAL_Download
Breaking: Mayor Bronson appoints Judy Eledge as Anchorage library director

Corri Feige: ‘Bait and switch’ tax policies are killing Alaska’s reputation

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
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Corri Feige: ‘Bait and switch’ tax policies are killing Alaska’s reputation

By CORRI FEIGE

Alaska has a credibility problem. We have a habit of attracting investment, especially in our oil and gas sector, and then changing the rules after companies have come and made a commitment, by investing and doing business in our state.  

Don’t kid yourself by thinking “Oh, they are oil companies… they can afford to pay more.”  This reputation is bad for Alaska and very bad for our ability to attract new companies to do things like explore for gas in Cook Inlet, invest in pipeline projects, and explore for the critical minerals that will make Alaska a powerful player in the energy transition. 

Yes, you read that right. Our bad reputation has now begun to spread into the mining sector and companies are questioning whether they can trust Alaska to not change the rules and raise their taxes or reclassify the tax status of their business after they have made huge investments in exploration and possibly development.  

I have spent the last few days at a major global energy conference talking about the massive critical mineral development that will be necessary to achieve the energy transition to more renewables, and how Alaska will help support that. Alaska is prolifically endowed with the very minerals – nickel, cobalt, graphite, copper, and many more – that are essential to making renewables and new battery technology a reality. 

But as I have spoken with people at this conference attended by roughly 30,000 from around the world, I have been shocked and saddened that Alaska’s reputation for changing the rules on oil companies is now recognized more broadly – outside the oil sector — and Alaska is considered a dangerous place to do business because of it. 

In Alaska’s heyday, we attracted very large multinational, public companies that came to explore for and discover huge oil fields. They were successful and we have the Permanent Fund Corporation, an annual dividend, and 70% (or more) support for the State’s operating budget as a result. 

As the years have gone by, our oil fields have declined and most of the big public companies have left Alaska for other places that provide big opportunities at a lower cost than Alaska. Yes, it is expensive to do business in Alaska, even for big oil companies.  

But rather than recognizing that we need to work with companies to make it attractive for them to stay in Alaska, we have seemingly acted out of desperation and raised taxes and removed incentives at exactly the wrong times.

We’ve been successful in one thing, driving companies out because of a misguided notion that they somehow needed to be penalized for producing oil in Alaska, paying taxes, employing Alaskans, contributing to the Permanent Fund and driving the state’s economy.  

And now that reputation has begun to spread like cancer. The perception of Alaska as an unfair place to do business is impacting the reality of our ability to attract companies in other resource development sectors beyond oil.  We should all be a little horrified by that.

There is currently a bill (SB 114) in the Legislature that would again “bait and switch” on Alaska’s businesses. This one is aimed at changing the tax status on private “S-Corporations” in the oil business, making them subject to the same corporate taxes that the big public corporations pay.

But the implications of this seemingly oil-only change are far reaching. The resource development community broadly doesn’t trust that Alaska won’t change the rules on their companies, too. This will result in them going to other places in the world to develop the minerals needed for energy transition. It will also ensure that the smaller private companies that Alaska so desperately needs for the future of our oil business will go other places as well.  

Corri Feige, retired commissioner of the Alaska Department of Natural Resources and current president at Terra Piniun, LLC., has over 30 years of global experience in resource development. Photo: Rob Bussell

AG Treg Taylor adds name to appeal in Colorado case of Christian cake baker

Suzanne Downing
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AG Treg Taylor adds name to appeal in Colorado case of Christian cake baker

Attorney General Treg Taylor of Alaska, along with 21 other Republican attorneys general, has signed onto a legal brief appealing to the Colorado Supreme Court to consider the case of a Christian cake artist who lost a First Amendment lawsuit in a lower court.

Jack Phillips, the owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop, and the Alliance Defending Freedom, petitioned the highest court in Colorado to overturn a decision made by the state Court of Appeals.

The Appeals Court ruled that Phillips had violated Colorado’s Anti-Discrimination Act in 2012 when he declined to create a blue and pink cake for attorney Autumn Scardina, who requested it to commemorate his transition from male to female during a phone conversation.

Scardina is the same attorney who filed an unsuccessful complaint with the Colorado Civil Rights Commission in 2017 over the same custom cake request the attorney made at that time.

The request was for a custom-designed cake, pink on the inside and blue on the outside, to reflect and celebrate a gender transition.

Masterpiece Cakeshop turned away that request because the customer specifically requested that the cake express messages and celebrate an event in conflict with Phillips’ sacredly held religious beliefs. The decision was not because of the person who requested it, as Phillips would not create a cake expressing the requested message no matter who asked for it.

The amicus brief asks the Colorado Supreme Court to review Phillips’ petition and declare that he cannot be compelled to design a custom cake that contradicts his religious beliefs.

The 14-page brief asserts that Phillips’ actions constitute “expressive conduct protected by the First Amendment.” It argues that the requested gender-transition cake, like any other cake, would require Phillips to communicate a clear message about sexual activity with which he fundamentally disagrees. The brief calls upon the court to uphold Phillips’ right to abstain from expressing such messages.

The brief contends that a gender-transition themed cake qualifies as symbolic speech and claims that the lower courts have misapplied the doctrines of the First Amendment. It says a ruling in favor of Phillips would not endorse discrimination.

Scardina and the lower courts perceive Phillips’ refusal to bake a gender-transition cake as an attack on LGBT equality. The attorneys say, however, that a ruling in favor of Phillips would not undermine the established principle that business owners cannot deny “protected persons” equal access to goods and services.

Rather, it would simply affirm that Colorado’s anti-discrimination law cannot be enforced in exceptional cases where it would require compelled speech.

The brief also highlights that Phillips willingly serves LGBT customers by selling them pre-made cakes for any occasion and creating custom cakes that do not express messages contrary to his religious beliefs.

Attorney General Taylor is joined by attorneys general from the states of Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and West Virginia in the appeal.

Americans For Prosperity Foundation has also filed a brief: “Must reasonable and sincere people acting in good faith—who simply adhere to a traditional, Biblical view of the world—be compelled to engage in artistic speech that contravenes their deeply held beliefs? The answer must be no,” AFP’s brief declares.

State attorneys general find fault with JP Morgan Chase for discriminating against Christian groups

Suzanne Downing
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State attorneys general find fault with JP Morgan Chase for discriminating against Christian groups

Alaska’s Attorney General Treg Taylor, along with a coalition of attorneys general from states across the U.S., signed a letter of complaint to JP Morgan Chase regarding its alleged unfair treatment of certain Christians.

The letter, addressed to JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, highlights the contradiction between the bank’s professed “openness and inclusivity” and its persistent discrimination against certain religious liberty groups.

Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, leading the coalition’s efforts, wrote, “Chase cannot claim to be ‘inclusive’ and denounce all forms of discrimination while simultaneously marginalizing its clients based on religious and political differences. I am spearheading this coalition to defend the rights of Kentuckians.”

The eight-page letter reminded Chase that it terminated the National Committee for Religious Freedom’s account last year, an action referred to as “de-banking.” The account closure occurred shortly after the group opened an account at a Chase branch in Washington, D.C.

The attorneys general assert that Chase offered to reinstate the account only if the National Committee for Religious Freedom provided a list of donors, a record of supported political candidates, and an explanation for its endorsements.

The letter highlights that the de-banking of the NCRF was not an isolated incident. It also mentions the account termination of the pro-life Family Council by a credit card processor owned by Chase, labeling it a “high-risk” group.

In contrast, Chase proudly promotes its high ratings and accolades received from organizations such as the Human Rights Campaign, which advocates for LGBTQ+ rights. Kentucky Attorney General Cameron finds this display concerning, calling it a “troubling double standard.”

The letter added, “This discriminatory pattern exposes many Kentuckians and residents of states represented by the signatories of this letter to the risk of being de-banked without warning or recourse.”

A Republican candidate for Kentucky’s gubernatorial nomination, Cameron urged Chase to cease its discrimination against certain groups based on their religious or political beliefs. JPMorgan Chase & Co. is a U.S.-based multinational financial services company headquartered in New York City, and incorporated in Delaware. It is the largest bank in the country and the world’s largest bank by market capitalization.

In addition to Attorney General Cameron, the letter bears the signatures of attorneys general from Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia.

This story is co-written by The Center Square’s contributor Steve Bittenbender.

Bronson and Johnson: Let’s make year-round shelter a priority

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
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Bronson and Johnson: Let’s make year-round shelter a priority

By MAYOR DAVE BRONSON AND ALEXIS JOHNSON

Wednesday’s weather was a strong reminder that winter is always nearby. Snowfall in May seemed like an impossible feat, yet less than 48 hours after the closing of Anchorage’s largest low-barrier shelter – temps dropped below freezing and it began to snow. At the time, an estimated 800 people were living unsheltered outdoors. We can and should do better. 

This is a warning call before next winter; we need year-round shelter. Cities and towns across the country struggle to provide adequate shelter to those in need, particularly during the winter months. However, the problem of homelessness does not disappear once the snow melts and the temperatures rise. We see this right now with the closure of the Sullivan, the need is higher than ever. Year-round, there is a lack of low-barrier shelter for those experiencing homelessness in Anchorage. 

Low-barrier shelters provide a place to sleep and have basic amenities without many of the restrictions that traditional shelters have. For example, low-barrier shelters may allow pets, couples, and people with active substance use disorders. They may also have fewer restrictions or barriers on the time of day when individuals can come and go or allow people to bring in their own belongings. 

Unfortunately, many cities do not have enough low-barrier shelters to meet the needs of their homeless populations, Anchorage is no different. This leaves many people on the streets year-round, vulnerable to the elements and without a safe place to sleep at night. The consequences of this lack of shelter can be devastating, leading to illness, injury, and even death.

Moreover, the Covid-19 pandemic made the need for low-barrier shelters even more urgent. Social distancing guidelines had forced many shelters to reduce their capacity, leaving more people without a place to sleep. The pandemic also highlighted the need for more resources to support those experiencing homelessness, including access to healthcare and mental health services.

One solution to the lack of low-barrier shelter is the Tudor/Elmore Navigation Center and Shelter, which is currently a project that has been halted. If constructed, this new facility will provide at least 150 beds for people experiencing homelessness, as well as case management, job training, and other supportive services. It will be open year-round and will operate on a low-barrier model, with few restrictions on who can stay. 

We have an opportunity before next winter to reimagine what low barrier shelter looks like in Anchorage. Year after year, we continue to learn from the mistakes of our past. With winter 2023/24 right around the corner, let’s take the wins with the losses, and refocus our sights on what shelter looks like this year. 

The Tudor/Elmore Navigation Center and Shelter is an important step forward in addressing homelessness in Anchorage. However, it is just one piece of a larger puzzle. Providing year-round low-barrier shelters is not a simple task, but it is a necessary one. It requires collaboration between government agencies, non-profit organizations, and community members. It also requires a willingness to think creatively and to look for solutions beyond the traditional shelter model.

One example of this kind of innovative thinking is the tiny home village model, which has been successfully implemented in several cities. These villages provide small, private dwellings for individuals experiencing homelessness, along with access to communal spaces and supportive services. This model has proven to be effective at reducing homelessness and improving the health and well-being of those who live in these villages.

Ultimately, we must recognize that homelessness is not just a winter problem. It is a year-round crisis that demands our attention and our resources. Providing low-barrier shelter is a crucial step in addressing this crisis and helping those who are most vulnerable in our communities. It is time for our leaders to act and make year-round low barrier shelter a priority.

Mayor Dave Bronson was elected to lead Alaska’s largest city in 2021; Alexis Johnson is the municipality’s homeless coordinator.

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