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Released November 03, 2025 | SUGAR LAND
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Written by Daniel Graeber for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)
Trump left South Korea on Thursday as part of a broader tour of Asian economies, with stopovers in Malaysia and Japan. Meeting last week in South Korea with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, the U.S. president said bilateral talks were "amazing" in their efforts to resolve their trade issues.
Taking to his Truth Social media platform, the president said Thursday that China was keen on purchasing oil and natural gas from U.S. suppliers.
"In fact, a very large-scale transaction may take place concerning the purchase of Oil and Gas from the Great State of Alaska," he wrote. "(Energy Secretary) Chris Wright, (Interior Secretary) Doug Burgum, and our r
espective Energy teams will be meeting to see if such an Energy Deal can be worked out."
Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Oil & Gas Pipeline Project database can see the related project reports here.
China may also be securing natural gas from Iran, which holds some of the richest deposits in the world. And while Trump was enthusiastic about talks with China's president, no formal trade deal was announced between the two leading superpowers. With a disdain for multilateral meetings, meanwhile, the U.S. president opted to skip a summit of the 21-member Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation on Friday.
Oil- and gas-related exports to Asia accounted for $459.4 million in export value last year. Alaska spent some $1.7 billion on energy imports, however. Most of that was spent on imports from South Korea.
Alaska is a big state with lots of natural resources, though its geography makes travel difficult, particularly in the mushy, northern tundra. Alaska this year is expected to produce around 420,000 barrels of oil per day (BBL/d) on average and 1 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) in natural gas. Both represent less than half of total U.S. production.
Subscribers can click here for the Alaska LNG project reports.
The facility would have a nameplate capacity of 20 MTPA of gas in the liquid form, and require an 807-mile pipeline for feed gas from Alaska's North Slope. Engineering firm Worley (North Sydney, Australia) is in the process of finalizing a cost assessment of the pipeline, but it's not yet under construction.
If completed, the facility could start operations as early as 2027. The Trump administration, meanwhile, announced plans last week to open up parts of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drillers. Billions of barrels of oil may be found there, though building up infrastructure and roads for development would be costly.
About Industrial Info Resources
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).
Summary
Trump says he's expecting a "very large-scale transaction" between China and Alaska on energy, though the state might not be able to live up to expectations. Beijing may be meeting with U.S. energy representatives nonetheless.Trump: China Interested in Alaska Energy Deal
China, the second-largest economy in the world, may be keen on purchasing oil and gas from Alaska, U.S. President Donald Trump said.Trump left South Korea on Thursday as part of a broader tour of Asian economies, with stopovers in Malaysia and Japan. Meeting last week in South Korea with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, the U.S. president said bilateral talks were "amazing" in their efforts to resolve their trade issues.
Taking to his Truth Social media platform, the president said Thursday that China was keen on purchasing oil and natural gas from U.S. suppliers.
"In fact, a very large-scale transaction may take place concerning the purchase of Oil and Gas from the Great State of Alaska," he wrote. "(Energy Secretary) Chris Wright, (Interior Secretary) Doug Burgum, and our r
espective Energy teams will be meeting to see if such an Energy Deal can be worked out."
China Dealing with U.S. Enemies on Energy
China, however, is among the major economies still trading with Russia on oil and natural gas. In September, both sides signed a deal for construction of the Power of Siberia 2 natural gas pipeline, which could send some 4.8 million cubic feet per day to China.Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Oil & Gas Pipeline Project database can see the related project reports here.
China may also be securing natural gas from Iran, which holds some of the richest deposits in the world. And while Trump was enthusiastic about talks with China's president, no formal trade deal was announced between the two leading superpowers. With a disdain for multilateral meetings, meanwhile, the U.S. president opted to skip a summit of the 21-member Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation on Friday.
Asia Trades Heavily with Alaska, but Not in Energy
Data from the Alaskan government finds Asia is the state's largest export destination by far, accounting for about 52% of foreign trade. China was the clear leader with $1.5 billion in export value last year. Much of that is in fish and other seafood, followed by metal ores, with both accounting for about half of the total Chinese trade value.Oil- and gas-related exports to Asia accounted for $459.4 million in export value last year. Alaska spent some $1.7 billion on energy imports, however. Most of that was spent on imports from South Korea.
Alaska is a big state with lots of natural resources, though its geography makes travel difficult, particularly in the mushy, northern tundra. Alaska this year is expected to produce around 420,000 barrels of oil per day (BBL/d) on average and 1 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) in natural gas. Both represent less than half of total U.S. production.
LNG Could be an Option, but Where's China?
From Asia, Tokyo Gas Company (Tokyo, Japan) already has a non-binding letter of intent to take 1 million metric tons per annum (MTPA) of gas in the liquid form from the proposed Alaska LNG facility, led by Glenfarne Alaska (Anchorage, Alaska).Subscribers can click here for the Alaska LNG project reports.
The facility would have a nameplate capacity of 20 MTPA of gas in the liquid form, and require an 807-mile pipeline for feed gas from Alaska's North Slope. Engineering firm Worley (North Sydney, Australia) is in the process of finalizing a cost assessment of the pipeline, but it's not yet under construction.
If completed, the facility could start operations as early as 2027. The Trump administration, meanwhile, announced plans last week to open up parts of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drillers. Billions of barrels of oil may be found there, though building up infrastructure and roads for development would be costly.
By the Numbers
- 20 MTPA of gas in the liquid form may be available from Alaska
- 420,000 barrels of oil per day is produced in average, but that's low relative to Lower 48
- $1.7 billion was spent by Alaska on foreign energy imports
Key Takeaways
- Lacking a trade deal, President Trump nonetheless said China is keen on U.S. energy
- China already committed to building a natural gas pipeline with Russia
- Alaska may be a target for future foreign investment
About Industrial Info Resources
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).
