Officials in the United States are urging Japan and South Korea to make a formal commitment within the next few weeks to a $44 billion natural gas project in Alaska.
The effort, known as Alaska L.N.G., is a centerpiece of President Trump’s energy agenda, and aims to ship gas from northern Alaska in a liquefied form to nations in Asia. Its feasibility hinges on securing backing from the region, home to some of the world’s largest purchasers of liquefied natural gas.
A group advising Mr. Trump on domestic energy production, the National Energy Dominance Council, is seeking to convene officials from the trade ministries of both Japan and South Korea for a summit in Alaska on June 2, according to three people with knowledge of the confidential outreach who requested anonymity.
The project’s proponents want to be able to announce at the summit that they have received signed letters of intent from Japan and South Korea to invest in Alaska L.N.G. or purchase its gas, the people said. Taiwan formally signed a similar letter of intent to purchase gas from Alaska L.N.G. last month.
The White House, as well as the Japanese and South Korean trade ministries, did not respond to requests for comment.
Alaska L.N.G., first proposed more than a decade ago, had been considered by many in the energy industry to be a long shot. But it occupies a prominent spot in Mr. Trump’s efforts to reshape the U.S. energy landscape and restore momentum for fossil fuels.