(a) Subject to (c) of this section, for purposes of calculating eligible taxes the taxpayer may apply as a credit against eligible taxes the following percentage of the investment credit allowed as to federal taxes under 26 U.S.C. 38 (Internal Revenue Code) on only the first $250,000,000 of qualified investment in the state for each taxable year after December 31, 1984, for a gas processing project: (1) 100 percent on the first $50,000,000 of qualified investment; (2) 80 percent on qualified investment over $50,000,000 but not exceeding $100,000,000; (3) 70 percent on qualified investment over $100,000,000 but not exceeding $150,000,000; (4) 60 percent on qualified investment over $150,000,000 but not exceeding $200,000,000; and (5) 40 percent on qualified investment over $200,000,000 but not exceeding $250,000,000. A credit may not be allowed under this subsection for an investment credit that is allowed as to federal taxes for leased property by reason of 26 U.S.C. 168(f)(8) (Internal Revenue Code). In this subsection, “gas processing project” means the integrated plant, facilities, and equipment, including pollution control equipment, used for preparation of consumer or transportation gas, or for conditioning, fractionation, storage, handling or processing of a product, other than crude oil, of an oil or gas well, into liquefied natural gas, methanol, ammonia, urea, olefins, propanes, butanes, polymers and intermediate hydrocarbon products; it does not include a pipeline from oil and gas wells to or from a plant and facilities.

(b) Subject to (c) of this section, for purposes of calculating eligible taxes the taxpayer may apply as a credit against eligible taxes the following percentage of the investment credit allowed as to federal taxes under 26 U.S.C. 38 (Internal Revenue Code) on only the first $250,000,000 of qualified investment in the state for each taxable year after December 31, 1984, for exploration, drilling of wells, development, or mining of the minerals and other natural deposits listed in 26 U.S.C. 613(b) (Internal Revenue Code) other than sand or gravel unless the mining of sand or gravel is ancillary to a mining development involving a qualified natural deposit other than sand or gravel: (1) 100 percent on the first $50,000,000 of qualified investment; (2) 80 percent on qualified investment over $50,000,000 but not exceeding $100,000,000; (3) 70 percent on qualified investment over $100,000,000 but not exceeding $150,000,000; (4) 60 percent on qualified investment over $150,000,000 but not exceeding $200,000,000; and (5) 40 percent on qualified investment over $200,000,000 but not exceeding $250,000,000. A credit may not be allowed under this subsection for any investment credit that is allowed as to federal taxes for leased property by reason of 26 U.S.C. 168(f)(8) (Internal Revenue Code). In this subsection, “mining” has the meaning given in 26 U.S.C. 613(c)(2) (Internal Revenue Code).

(c) A taxpayer may not claim an investment tax credit under (a) or (b) of this section unless the gas processing project or mining project began operation and production after December 31, 1984. A gas processing or mining project is considered to have begun operation and production when the first product or mineral is produced that is ultimately either sold or transferred for further processing or ultimate use.

(d) A taxpayer may not claim an additional investment tax credit under AS 43.20.036(b) for an investment for which a special industrial incentive investment tax credit is claimed under (a) or (b) of this section.

(e) If a taxpayer making an investment that qualifies for the investment tax credit under this section is a member of a group of affiliated corporations filing a consolidated return under the provisions of this chapter, the amount of the investment tax credit that may be claimed on the consolidated return is limited to the amount the taxpayer making the qualified investment would have been eligible to claim had a consolidated return not been filed.

(f) The investment tax credit per taxable year allowed by (a) and (b) of this section may not exceed 60 percent of the eligible tax liability. Any unused portion of the investment tax credit shall be subject to the carry forward provisions in 26 U.S.C. 46(b)(3) (Internal Revenue Code) except that the unused credit may not be carried forward to tax years beginning after December 31, 1999.

(g) Except as provided in (f) of this section, a tax credit under this section may not be claimed on investments made after December 31, 1994.

(h) In this section “eligible taxes” means the total tax liability of a taxpayer for the annual taxes due under the provisions of this chapter and AS 43.65.