Oil & gas: a year to remember.

• Position: Alaska Business Monthly's 2010 OIL & GAS DIRECTORY - Brief article

Alarm about reduced oil exploration, especially by the majors, intense debates about tax issues, and fears the proposed gas line from Prudhoe to the Lower 48 will not happen dominate conversations and spread concern among government leaders and businessmen and women alike. After all, we are a resource-driven state, with our main investment, and main income, being oil and potentially gas.

What are we to do?

A look at this directory shows oil and gas is not dead, and in fact holds promise. Look at the list of exploration companies. There are many more than the majors, some doing successful work up north and in Southcentral. Take Eni for example or Shell, who returned full-force after a hiatus that began in 1988.

Production companies also dominate the list, as do services and support and other...