Overview

• Two sources told Reuters that Tokyo hired Wood Mackenzie to assess the Alaska LNG proposal, with METI declining to comment on the contract.
• The project envisions an 800-mile pipeline from the North Slope to a southern Alaska liquefaction plant at an estimated cost of about $44 billion.
• The review is intended to reassure Japanese utilities and investors as developers court JERA, Tokyo Gas, Osaka Gas, Mitsubishi and Inpex for potential roles.
• A July U.S.–Japan trade agreement included a pledge to explore new offtake from Alaskan LNG and referenced $550 billion in prospective Japanese investment, though Tokyo has not confirmed a joint venture.
• Developers have engaged Worley for a final cost estimate toward a potential FID this year, and non-binding deals with Thailand’s PTT and Taiwan’s CPC plus possible JBIC support hinge on deeper Japanese involvement.