A review of marine systems use in developing Alaskan natural gas

The successful development of the major supplies of natural gas in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska was expected to follow the President's selection in 1977 of the Alaskan Highway proposal to construct a pipeline across Canada and deliver Arctic natural gas to the lower 48 states. Five years later, the proposed Alaska Natural Gas Transportation System (ANGTS) continues to encounter serious obstacles to its successful development. The partnership of private gas and oil companies sponsoring the pipeline project recently announced a new delay (to 1989) in the projected completion date, and this announcement has sparked new interest in alternative ways to develop the gas present in Alaska's North Slope reserves. Many alternatives appear technically feasible, but successful development will depend on the superior economics necessary to attract the tens of billions of dollars needed as finance capital. If the gas is to reach market without moving through Canada, marine technology will play a role in delivering the gas products. In a recent study for the Maritime Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation, scores of alternatives using marine technology were evaluated. Although most of the marine systems proved uneconomical, a few systems offer potentially attractive alternatives to a trans-Canada pipeline system.