Good news one or two exploration wells in Alaska on 2017, Texas has 380, no need for tax credits, the Texas regulators are simply not oil haters or monopoly lovers! Alaska needs many more oil companies doing this, Alaska has too few because it seems the agencies run out the competitors for the Monopolies!.

The state of Alaska rules are so harsh is for a reason, the agencies have many who hate oil or love the majors and wants to work or benefit from them. 

You can drill 10 wells in Texas for what it takes to permit one in Alaska, it takes a week in Texas and Alaska it takes a year to permit an oil well and the monopolies love that and no one in Alaska's leadership will fix these harsh cost and abuses in the oil and gas  agencies in Alaska.

No one except the majors have made a profit by finding and selling oil in Alaska, why?  Rigged system!