Oil companies spend big on advertising

ANCHORAGE – Oil companies have spent more than $1.4 million in recent months on advertising in a bid to win voter support for their views on oil taxes and a natural gas pipeline.

The Alaska Oil and Gas Association spent more than $800,000 on ads and public relations last fall, according to lobbying reports filed with the state. The industry was grappling with the state over an oil tax hike at the time and was unsuccessful in convincing the state to keep the tax from rising.



The reports cover the last three months of 2007 and show the oil company Conoco Phillips spent about $600,000 in December alone on advertising.

The ads were intended to convince Alaskans to support its proposal for a $30 billion natural gas pipeline from the North Slope.

The Conoco ad blitz continued in January and February. The company didn’t have figures for release on how much it spent but must report them to the state in coming weeks.

Conoco is rethinking the ad campaign and other strategies in response to Gov. Sarah Palin’s refusal to negotiate long-term state gas taxes.

AP