Alaska seeks to woo investors in Asia for LNG project

Trump claims that Japan wants in, but Japanese energy firms yet to commit

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TOKYO - Alaska's governor and state representatives will visit Japan and three other Asian territories starting this week to court investors for a natural gas project US President Donald Trump says could pump trillions of dollars into the US, although Japanese energy firms remain skeptical.

Officials from the state-run Alaska Gasline Development Corporation (AGDC) and development partner Glenfarne Group will visit allied Asian territories "to update industry leaders on Alaska LNG's (liquefied natural gas) economic and strategic competitive advantages, and discuss opportunities for participation", said AGDC spokesman Tim Fitzpatrick.

The officials want to transport gas south from Alaska's remote north via a US$44 billion (S$58.5 billion) 1,300km pipeline, to be shipped as LNG to Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.

The trip, which Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy will also be taking, runs from March 19 to 30, with visits to Taiwan, Thailand, South Korea and Japan.