# 96 Trillion Cubic Feet, No Way to Market > The USGS counts a mean 96 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered North Slope gas. The same fact sheet says it has no route to market at scale. Published 2026-10-25 by Alaska AI. 9 slides. Canonical: https://alaskaaihq.com/archive/2026-10-25/ ## The story 96 trillion cubic feet. "No method" to market it. Counted from the mountains to 3 miles offshore. The USGS mean is 96 trillion cubic feet of gas not yet discovered. The same page says "there is no method for bringing natural gas to markets at large commercial scales." A risked range, not reserves. Even the gas already found goes back down. Most gas that comes up with North Slope oil is pumped back underground to hold reservoir pressure. The count stops at the mountains. If the gas can't cross them, the buyer comes to the gas. 715.4 acres beside the Dalton, 26 miles south of Deadhorse. DNR's preliminary decision would lease it to STAK Energy for 50 years, for a gas-powered facility with modular high-performance computing units. A gigawatt or more, per the Anchorage Press. More than 500 comments came in. Pitched as the world's largest gas power plant. North Slope Power, from the North Slope Borough and Twenty First Century Utilities, plans 3 gigawatts first and up to 10, for colocated AI data centers. 800 miles of pipe, still no decision. It would carry North Slope gas to an export terminal on Cook Inlet. Its final investment decision, first proposed for last year, still hasn't been made. Until a pipe exists, first claim on North Slope gas goes to whoever builds beside it. Should the Legislature decide who gets it first? ## What we verified - The USGS estimates a mean of 96 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered, technically recoverable conventional gas in the Northern Alaska Province, 96,094 billion cubic feet in its table, about 96.1 trillion. [U.S. Geological Survey, Fact Sheet 2026-3031](https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/fs20263031), primary document, 2026-10-21. - The USGS range for undiscovered North Slope gas runs from 17,326 billion cubic feet at the F95 level to 276,681 billion cubic feet at the F5 level. [U.S. Geological Survey, Fact Sheet 2026-3031](https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2026/3031/fs20263031.pdf), primary document, 2026-10-21. - In the USGS tables, F95 means a 95 percent chance of at least the amount shown. [U.S. Geological Survey, Fact Sheet 2026-3031](https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2026/3031/fs20263031.pdf), primary document, 2026-10-21. - The USGS estimates a mean of 549 million barrels of undiscovered natural gas liquids in the Northern Alaska Province. [U.S. Geological Survey, Fact Sheet 2026-3031](https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2026/3031/fs20263031.pdf), primary document, 2026-10-21. - The same USGS assessment puts the mean undiscovered oil resource of the province at about 17 billion barrels. [U.S. Geological Survey, Fact Sheet 2026-3031](https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2026/3031/fs20263031.pdf), primary document, 2026-10-21. - The USGS divided the province into 21 assessment units in three sets, one for each stratigraphic sequence. [U.S. Geological Survey, Fact Sheet 2026-3031](https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2026/3031/fs20263031.pdf), primary document, 2026-10-21. - The assessment covers the whole province from the Brooks Range front north to the federal waters boundary about 3 miles off the Arctic coast, so it includes onshore land and state waters. [U.S. Geological Survey, Fact Sheet 2026-3031](https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2026/3031/fs20263031.pdf), primary document, 2026-10-21. - The estimate counts gas found with oil as well as gas found without oil, and covers conventional resources only. [U.S. Geological Survey, Fact Sheet 2026-3031](https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2026/3031/fs20263031.pdf), primary document, 2026-10-21. - The USGS says that as of 2026 there is no way to bring North Slope gas to market at large commercial scale. [U.S. Geological Survey, Fact Sheet 2026-3031](https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2026/3031/fs20263031.pdf), primary document, 2026-10-21. - Most gas produced alongside North Slope oil is pumped back underground to keep reservoir pressure up. [U.S. Geological Survey, Fact Sheet 2026-3031](https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2026/3031/fs20263031.pdf), primary document, 2026-10-21. - The USGS puts the estimated ultimate recovery of the Prudhoe Bay gas cap at about 25 trillion cubic feet. [U.S. Geological Survey, Fact Sheet 2026-3031](https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2026/3031/fs20263031.pdf), primary document, 2026-10-21. - Interior says the 96 trillion cubic feet estimate is nearly three times the roughly 35 trillion cubic feet of proven North Slope gas reserves. [U.S. Department of the Interior](https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/usgs-releases-assessment-undiscovered-natural-gas-resources-alaskas-north-slope), primary document, 2026-10-21. - The Interior Department announced the USGS North Slope gas assessment on October 21st. [U.S. Department of the Interior](https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/usgs-releases-assessment-undiscovered-natural-gas-resources-alaskas-north-slope), primary document, 2026-10-21. - Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said Alaska's natural gas reserves can supply affordable, reliable, secure energy to Americans and U.S. allies. [U.S. Department of the Interior](https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/usgs-releases-assessment-undiscovered-natural-gas-resources-alaskas-north-slope), primary document, 2026-10-21. - USGS Director Ned Mamula said the agency's gas assessments point to resources industry hasn't discovered yet. [U.S. Department of the Interior](https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/usgs-releases-assessment-undiscovered-natural-gas-resources-alaskas-north-slope), primary document, 2026-10-21. - Alaska DNR's Division of Oil and Gas made a preliminary decision to offer STAK Energy Corporation a 50-year lease of state land under ADL 422741. [Alaska DNR Division of Oil and Gas (Online Public Notice)](https://aws.state.ak.us/OnlinePublicNotices/Notices/View.aspx?id=223817), primary document, 2026-05-12. - The proposed STAK Energy lease covers a 715.4-acre parcel. [Alaska DNR Division of Oil and Gas (Online Public Notice)](https://aws.state.ak.us/OnlinePublicNotices/Notices/View.aspx?id=223817), primary document, 2026-05-12. - The STAK Energy lease site sits beside the Dalton Highway about 26 miles south of Deadhorse. [Alaska DNR Division of Oil and Gas (Online Public Notice)](https://aws.state.ak.us/OnlinePublicNotices/Notices/View.aspx?id=224224), primary document, 2026-06-17. - DNR describes the STAK Energy project as a commercial natural gas-powered energy facility that includes modular high-performance computing units. [Alaska DNR Division of Oil and Gas (Online Public Notice)](https://aws.state.ak.us/OnlinePublicNotices/Notices/View.aspx?id=223817), primary document, 2026-05-12. - DNR extended the comment deadline on the STAK Energy lease to July 17th. [Alaska DNR Division of Oil and Gas (Online Public Notice)](https://aws.state.ak.us/OnlinePublicNotices/Notices/View.aspx?id=224224), primary document, 2026-06-17. - DNR issued a preliminary decision proposing to convey about 19,950 acres of state land near Houston to AIDEA. [Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA)](https://www.aidea.org/Portals/0/AIDEA_Houston_Land_Fact_Sheet.pdf), primary document, 2026-07-01. - The Houston conveyance would be a no-land-value transfer under the state's public and charitable use statute. [Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA)](https://www.aidea.org/Portals/0/AIDEA_Houston_Land_Fact_Sheet.pdf), primary document, 2026-07-01. - AIDEA's own fact sheet says no specific end use for the Houston land has been selected. [Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA)](https://www.aidea.org/Portals/0/AIDEA_Houston_Land_Fact_Sheet.pdf), primary document, 2026-07-01. - NOAA's Alaska Fisheries Science Center is using FT-NIR spectroscopy coupled with trained machine learning models to read otolith rings and age fish. [NOAA Fisheries, Alaska Fisheries Science Center](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/leadership-message/2026-fisheries-assessment-process-conversation-acting-alaska-fisheries-science-center), primary document, 2026-10-07. - Ageing fish the traditional way means a scientist prepares the ear bones by hand and reads the rings under a microscope. [NOAA Fisheries, Alaska Fisheries Science Center](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/leadership-message/2026-fisheries-assessment-process-conversation-acting-alaska-fisheries-science-center), primary document, 2026-10-07. - Alaska produces more than half the seafood caught off the U.S. coast, with an average wholesale value of nearly $4.75 billion a year from 2020 through 2024. [NOAA Fisheries, Alaska Fisheries Science Center](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/leadership-message/2026-fisheries-assessment-process-conversation-acting-alaska-fisheries-science-center), primary document, 2026-10-07. - In 2018 NOAA said FT-NIR reads an otolith in 30 to 50 seconds, more than 10 times faster than traditional methods, with preliminary pollock efficiency gains of 600 to 800 percent. [NOAA Fisheries](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/innovative-technology-promises-fast-cost-efficient-age-data-fisheries-management), primary document, 2018-07-30. - The USGS assessment spans three stratigraphic sequences, the Ellesmerian, the Beaufortian and the Brookian. [U.S. Geological Survey, Fact Sheet 2026-3031](https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2026/3031/fs20263031.pdf), primary document, 2026-10-21. - The USGS defined 8 assessment units in the Ellesmerian sequence, 7 in the Beaufortian and 6 in the Brookian. [U.S. Geological Survey, Fact Sheet 2026-3031](https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2026/3031/fs20263031.pdf), primary document, 2026-10-21. - By the showrunner's sum of the Table 1 gas means, the Ellesmerian sequence holds 19,093 billion cubic feet of the undiscovered gas, the Beaufortian 32,013 and the Brookian 44,988. [U.S. Geological Survey, Fact Sheet 2026-3031](https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2026/3031/fs20263031.pdf), primary document, 2026-10-21. - By the showrunner's sum of Table 1, about 14,502 billion cubic feet of the undiscovered gas is associated with oil and about 81,592 billion cubic feet is not. [U.S. Geological Survey, Fact Sheet 2026-3031](https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2026/3031/fs20263031.pdf), primary document, 2026-10-21. - The single largest gas mean among the 21 units is the Beaufortian Deformed Central unit, 12,921 billion cubic feet of gas found without oil. [U.S. Geological Survey, Fact Sheet 2026-3031](https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2026/3031/fs20263031.pdf), primary document, 2026-10-21. - The USGS puts the estimated ultimate recovery of Point Thomson field at 8 trillion cubic feet of gas. [U.S. Geological Survey, Fact Sheet 2026-3031](https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2026/3031/fs20263031.pdf), primary document, 2026-10-21. - Existing gas discoveries across the Brooks Range foothills range from 4 to 600 billion cubic feet, per the USGS. [U.S. Geological Survey, Fact Sheet 2026-3031](https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2026/3031/fs20263031.pdf), primary document, 2026-10-21. - The USGS says several ways of bringing North Slope gas to market have been proposed, citing the Alaska LNG developer 8 Star Alaska. [U.S. Geological Survey, Fact Sheet 2026-3031](https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2026/3031/fs20263031.pdf), primary document, 2026-10-21. - The USGS gives the mean undiscovered oil of the province as 17,099 million barrels with a range of 3,044 to 46,617 million barrels. [U.S. Geological Survey, Fact Sheet 2026-3031](https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2026/3031/fs20263031.pdf), primary document, 2026-10-21. - The USGS median, the F50, for undiscovered North Slope gas is 66,357 billion cubic feet, about 66.4 trillion. [U.S. Geological Survey, Fact Sheet 2026-3031](https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2026/3031/fs20263031.pdf), primary document, 2026-10-21. - North Slope exploration has historically focused on oil, which is carried across Alaska by pipeline toward markets, the USGS writes. [U.S. Geological Survey, Fact Sheet 2026-3031](https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2026/3031/fs20263031.pdf), primary document, 2026-10-21. - The USGS dates the discovery of the Prudhoe Bay field to 1968. [U.S. Geological Survey, Fact Sheet 2026-3031](https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2026/3031/fs20263031.pdf), primary document, 2026-10-21. - USGS energy resources program coordinator Alicia Lindauer said the estimate is almost as much gas as the United States consumes in three years. [Alaska Public Media (KNBA, Alena Naiden)](https://alaskapublic.org/news/alaska-desk/2026-10-21/new-usgs-estimate-says-undiscovered-north-slope-gas-resources-equal-nearly-3-years-of-u-s-consumption), report, 2026-10-21. - The Alaska Beacon reports that this is the first resource assessment for natural gas covering the whole North Slope. [Alaska Beacon (Yereth Rosen), published by Anchorage Daily News](https://www.adn.com/business-economy/energy/2026/10/23/new-geological-estimate-puts-alaska-north-slope-gas-resources-at-96-trillion-cubic-feet/), report, 2026-10-23. - State officials received more than 500 public comments on the proposed North Slope data center and power plant. [Alaska Public Media (KUAC, Shelby Herbert)](https://alaskapublic.org/news/alaska-desk/2026-10-15/in-fairbanks-interior-secretary-burgum-touts-deregulation-and-data-centers), report, 2026-10-15. - STAK Energy's generators could produce a gigawatt or more of power, according to the Anchorage Press. [Anchorage Press (Nathaniel Herz)](https://www.anchoragepress.com/data-center-critics-flood-alaska-land-managers-with-opposition-to-north-slope-project/), report, 2026-07-03. - STAK Energy chief strategy officer John Boyle said the project would cost more than $10 billion. [Anchorage Press (Nathaniel Herz)](https://www.anchoragepress.com/data-center-critics-flood-alaska-land-managers-with-opposition-to-north-slope-project/), report, 2026-07-03. - The Anchorage Press reports the STAK Energy power would serve artificial intelligence and cloud computing customers. [Anchorage Press (Nathaniel Herz)](https://www.anchoragepress.com/data-center-critics-flood-alaska-land-managers-with-opposition-to-north-slope-project/), report, 2026-07-03. - The North Slope Borough and Twenty First Century Utilities partnered to create North Slope Power. [Reporting From Alaska (Dermot Cole)](https://www.dermotcole.com/reportingfromalaska/2026/5/12/north-slope-maps-plan-for-largest-natural-gas-power-plant-in-the-world), report, 2026-05-12. - North Slope Power proponents describe a 3 gigawatt first phase that could expand to 10 gigawatts. [Reporting From Alaska (Dermot Cole)](https://www.dermotcole.com/reportingfromalaska/2026/5/12/north-slope-maps-plan-for-largest-natural-gas-power-plant-in-the-world), report, 2026-05-12. - North Slope Power is designed to supply colocated AI data centers and industrial load. [Reporting From Alaska (Dermot Cole)](https://www.dermotcole.com/reportingfromalaska/2026/5/12/north-slope-maps-plan-for-largest-natural-gas-power-plant-in-the-world), report, 2026-05-12. - Proponents say North Slope Power would be the world's largest natural gas power plant, sited near Prudhoe Bay. [Reporting From Alaska (Dermot Cole)](https://www.dermotcole.com/reportingfromalaska/2026/5/12/north-slope-maps-plan-for-largest-natural-gas-power-plant-in-the-world), report, 2026-05-12. - President Trump called Alaska LNG a U.S. federal government project in a social media post. [Anchorage Daily News (Alex DeMarban)](https://www.adn.com/business-economy/energy/2026/10/19/trump-says-alaska-lng-is-now-a-federal-government-project-what-does-that-mean/), report, 2026-10-20. - The Alaska LNG plan calls for an 800-mile pipeline carrying 20 million metric tons of gas a year from the North Slope to an export terminal on Cook Inlet. [Alaska Beacon (James Brooks), published by Alaska Public Media](https://alaskapublic.org/news/economy/energy/2026-10-15/taiwan-is-nearing-an-investment-in-the-trans-alaska-natural-gas-pipeline-project-officials-say), report, 2026-10-15. - Official estimates put the Alaska LNG project's cost between $44.5 billion and $54.5 billion. [Alaska Beacon (James Brooks), published by Alaska Public Media](https://alaskapublic.org/news/economy/energy/2026-10-15/taiwan-is-nearing-an-investment-in-the-trans-alaska-natural-gas-pipeline-project-officials-say), report, 2026-10-15. - Private developer Glenfarne owns 75 percent of Alaska LNG and the state-controlled Alaska Gasline Development Corp. owns the rest. [Alaska Beacon (James Brooks), published by Alaska Public Media](https://alaskapublic.org/news/economy/energy/2026-10-15/taiwan-is-nearing-an-investment-in-the-trans-alaska-natural-gas-pipeline-project-officials-say), report, 2026-10-15. - Alaska LNG's final investment decision, first proposed for last year, still hasn't been made. [Anchorage Daily News (Alex DeMarban)](https://www.adn.com/business-economy/energy/2026/10/19/trump-says-alaska-lng-is-now-a-federal-government-project-what-does-that-mean/), report, 2026-10-20. - Taiwan's economic affairs ministry said state-owned CPC will invest up to $4.4 billion in the Alaska LNG pipeline project. [Alaska Beacon (James Brooks), published by Alaska Public Media](https://alaskapublic.org/news/economy/energy/2026-10-15/taiwan-is-nearing-an-investment-in-the-trans-alaska-natural-gas-pipeline-project-officials-say), report, 2026-10-15. - AGDC president Frank Richards said negotiations were nearing conclusion on price and term for 6 million metric tons of gas a year for Taiwan. [Alaska Beacon (James Brooks), published by Alaska Public Media](https://alaskapublic.org/news/economy/energy/2026-10-15/taiwan-is-nearing-an-investment-in-the-trans-alaska-natural-gas-pipeline-project-officials-say), report, 2026-10-15. - Korean officials said the Alaska pipeline isn't yet confirmed as part of South Korea's U.S. investment deal. [Alaska Beacon (James Brooks), published by Alaska Public Media](https://alaskapublic.org/news/economy/energy/2026-10-15/taiwan-is-nearing-an-investment-in-the-trans-alaska-natural-gas-pipeline-project-officials-say), report, 2026-10-15. - DNR is still reviewing public comments on the Houston land transfer and the timeline for a decision is unclear. [KTNA (Marion Chesterton), published by Alaska Public Media](https://alaskapublic.org/news/economy/energy/2026-10-19/residents-worry-that-a-proposed-land-transfer-near-houston-could-open-the-door-to-data-centers), report, 2026-10-19. - The Houston City Council and Meadow Lakes Community Council voted unanimously in July to oppose the transfer. [KTNA (Marion Chesterton), published by Alaska Public Media](https://alaskapublic.org/news/economy/energy/2026-10-19/residents-worry-that-a-proposed-land-transfer-near-houston-could-open-the-door-to-data-centers), report, 2026-10-19. - The Willow Area Community Council passed a resolution in September to send the Mat-Su Borough a letter opposing the transfer. [KTNA (Marion Chesterton), published by Alaska Public Media](https://alaskapublic.org/news/economy/energy/2026-10-19/residents-worry-that-a-proposed-land-transfer-near-houston-could-open-the-door-to-data-centers), report, 2026-10-19. - AIDEA director Randy Ruaro testified that no developer, tenant, power source or site plan exists for the Houston land. [Alaska's News Source (KTUU, Hannah Lee)](https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2026/10/15/senators-subpoena-dnr-commissioner-over-aidea-land-transfer/), report, 2026-10-14. - Ruaro called the rumored Houston data center implausible because there is no excess energy supply. [Alaska's News Source (KTUU, Hannah Lee)](https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2026/10/15/senators-subpoena-dnr-commissioner-over-aidea-land-transfer/), report, 2026-10-14. - Senate Resources chair Cathy Giessel estimated the Houston land is worth about $14 million a year in state general fund revenue that would be forgone. [Alaska's News Source (KTUU, Hannah Lee)](https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2026/10/15/senators-subpoena-dnr-commissioner-over-aidea-land-transfer/), report, 2026-10-14. - Giessel said the University of Alaska charges a private Mat-Su developer $586,740 a year to lease 829 acres. [Alaska's News Source (KTUU, Hannah Lee)](https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2026/10/15/senators-subpoena-dnr-commissioner-over-aidea-land-transfer/), report, 2026-10-14. - The joint committee's subpoena of DNR Commissioner John Crowther passed with five yes votes. [Alaska's News Source (KTUU, Hannah Lee)](https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2026/10/15/senators-subpoena-dnr-commissioner-over-aidea-land-transfer/), report, 2026-10-14. - The next committee meeting on the land transfer was scheduled for October 26th at 10 a.m. [Alaska's News Source (KTUU, Hannah Lee)](https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2026/10/15/senators-subpoena-dnr-commissioner-over-aidea-land-transfer/), report, 2026-10-14. Slides and the deck PDF are linked from the canonical page.