ENERGY

North Slope Gas Projects Called Not Commercially Viable: Alaska’s three main oil and gas producers have determined that it is not yet worthwhile to transport natural gas to markets in the Pacific Rim, officials said. Officials from Arco Alaska Inc., British Petroleum Co. and Exxon Corp. released the results of a study on the potential expansion of the natural gas market on the North Slope. The companies currently pump the natural gas but do not transport it. The cost of such a project could top $15 billion, officials said. In addition, the companies said, “significant uncertainty remains in the areas of fiscal and regulatory conditions, market timing, product pricing and project costs.”