Japan has hired energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie to assess a proposed 1,300-kilometer Alaska gas pipeline and liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant in a sign it is weighing support for the $44 billion project touted by U.S. President Donald Trump, two sources with knowledge of the matter said.
The assessment could help assuage lingering concerns among potential Japanese offtakers and investors about a project that has languished for decades due to cost and logistical challenges, said one of the sources, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.
The scope and cost of the deal with Wood Mackenzie is unclear, as is whether any resulting report will be made public.
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