Agrium Out Of Gas

On March 13th Agrium pulled the plug on plans to build a $2 billion dollar coal gasification plant.

The new plant would have supplied the Kenai ammonia plant with gas and consumed 3 million tons per year of Alaskan coal.

Agrium is still on track to implement a similar technology to convert petroleum coke to gas in energy-business friendly Louisiana. That plant will feature carbon capture technology. The carbon dioxide will be used to help unlock more crude oil from mature oil fields.

Well done Louisiana!

Cutting edge technology, job growth, converting a low value resource into multiple income streams, environmentally sensitive, and extending the life of an aging oil field.

The list of losers is pretty long for Alaska - Kenai & Healy lose jobs, no carbon capture or enhanced oil recovery for Cook Inlet, fewer exports and less work for the construction industry. This is the model of economic development that comes from the unfriendly business climate established by the new Governor.