Keeping Alaska Fueled.

• Author: KANE, ROGER
• Position: Petroleum and natural gas industries

While gas and oil operators and producers play a key role in keeping the state's economy healthy, there are many companies whose partnerships and efforts to distribute gas and oil in Alaska keep the state vibrant.

ENSTAR, for example, provides its residential and commercial customers in Anchorage and on the Kenai Peninsula with natural gas. Williams Alaska's and Tesoro's retail gasoline outlets, fuel terminals and refineries power autos, marine vessels and aircraft in Alaska.

These companies' contributions to the economy in Alaska are significant. As new oil and gas opportunities develop, these companies will become even more prominent and more important to the safe, efficient delivery of fuel to keep the state running strong.

Anadarko Petroleum Corp.

Anadarko is the largest independent oil and gas, exploration and production company in the world.

Anadarko's main office is in Houston, but the company is active in 14 other countries. The company is among the largest natural gas producers and reserve holders in North America and currently has the single-most active drilling operation in North America, with more than 80 rigs at work.

Anadarko traditionally has grown by expanding drilling, but in July 2000, it nearly doubled its reserves when it merged with Union Pacific Resources Group Inc. As Anadarko has grown, it has picked up momentum and is creating the opportunity to accelerate growth. The company chalked up a 150 percent increase in employment with the acquisition of UPR and has an aggressive exploration program under way in Alaska, Texas and the Gulf of Mexico.

Anadarko also has a 22 percent working interest in the 80,000 barrel-a-day Northern Alaska Alpine Oil Field. Phillips Alaska retains the rest of the ownership in the field and acts as the operator.

While Anadarko has only five people working in Alaska, the company is poised for growth, according to Mark Hanley, the company's public affairs manager in Alaska.

Hanley said one of Anadarko's goals is to become an operator in the state of Alaska. Anadarko has a very detailed strategy in place to accomplish that goal and is exploring for Alaska's untapped resources with expansion in mind.

Anadarko's worldwide production of 112 million barrels of oil in 2000 was an increase of 124 percent over the 50 million barrels of oil the company produced in 1999.

Revenue for 2000 eclipsed $5.6 billion, up from $1.7 billion in 1999.

ENSTAR Natural Gas Co. and Alaska Pipeline Co.

ENSTAR is the sole...