With a state pipeline system on empty, Alaska’s governor optimistic about a new oil discovery in the state’s North Slope region. Photo by Heather Snow/Shutterstock Alaska Gov. Bill Walker said commitments to the state energy sector have paid off in the form of a major oil discovery in the state’s North Slope region. Described as potentially one of the larger discoveries ever made in Alaska, Caelus Energy said the two wells it drilled into Smith Bay this year led it to believe there may be up to 6 billion barrels of oil in place in the region it holds under a lease. “With an oil pipeline that is three-quarters empty, this is good news for the state of Alaska,” the governor said in a statement . The four-week average to Sept. 23 show total Alaskan crude oil production at around 450,000 barrels per day, down about 4 percent from […]