A candidate for Alaska governor who favors an all-Alaska gas pipeline with export of liquefied natural gas (LNG) over a larger pipeline to Lower 48 markets has petitioned Gov. Sean Parnell’s office for documents related to the open season for the Lower 48 Project proposed by TransCanada Corp.

Bill Walker, who will face Parnell in the Republican gubernatorial primary on Aug. 24, wrote the governor recently asking for the documents.

“Some may not want to have that information available before the election — I think that’s wrong,” Walker said, as reported by KTUU-TV. “Alaskans need to know how their money was spent and what the results of the 100-plus million dollars was spent on.”

According to the Parnell administration, the TransCanada open season documents are proprietary.

Walker has been a critic of the Alaska Gasline Inducement Act process developed by previous Gov. Sarah Palin. He also is seeking documents related to Parnell’s veto of a state Senate bill that would have created separate structures for the taxation of oil and natural gas.

The growing abundance of shale gas supplies in the Lower 48 has moved Walker to assert that a Lower 48 pipeline can’t work.

“According to recent reports by the U.S. Department of Energy, shale gas plays in the Lower 48 can fulfill North American gas demand for 100-plus years,” Walker said on his website. “The only viable option for Alaska is for a gas pipeline to Valdez [AK] and LNG sold on the world markets. This ensures that the jobs resulting from the pipeline construction, operation and value-added industries from the valuable gas liquids remain in Alaska.”

Walker was the general counsel to the Alaska Gasline Port Authority, which has been pushing an All-Alaska gasline for years (see NGI, July 14, 2008).

“I have been actively involved with the All-Alaska gasline efforts for the past 30 years,” Walker said. “Over and over the state has urged outside interests to compete for the right to develop a gas pipeline, to the same ineffectual result.

“Meanwhile dozens of LNG projects around the world have been constructed. Here’s why. Host governments that shoulder some risk and control the gas handling infrastructure, market their gas on their schedule. They act as the sovereigns they are. We must do the same.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission recently approved the open season plan of TransCanada Alaska gasline competitor Denali — The Alaska Gas Pipeline LLC (see NGI, June 14). TransCanada launched the open season for its project earlier this year (see NGI, May 3).

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