"Urging the governor to direct the division of oil and gas, Department of Natural Resources, to undertake a comprehensive review of the subject of Cook Inlet oil and gas platform abandonment for the purpose of developing new oil and gas platform abandonment regulations and their adoption and implementation. "

The Senate and House Resources Committees held a joint committee meeting in Kenai in February 2005. The purpose of the meeting was to receive testimony from individuals and companies doing oil and/or natural gas business in the Cook Inlet basin.

The committee heard comments and suggestions on methods to improve the business conditions in the oil and natural gas industry. One of those suggestions was the need to provide for regulations on the abandonment of the platforms in the Cook Inlet.

Production in the Cook Inlet has declined since the date the platforms were in place in the 1960’s. Four of the sixteen platforms are "lighthoused" and inactive. However, it is possible that the platforms could be instrumental in reversing the declining production trend. The platforms could be used to drill new, deeper wells and might tap into larger fields than have been developed to date.

In 1996, the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (AOGCC) proposed implementation of revised platform abandonment regulations. However, a decision by the attorney general indicated that the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and not the AOGCC was responsible for developing regulations.

This resolution urges the Governor to direct the DNR to undertake a comprehensive review of the platform abandonment.

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