Yellowknife (July 09/04) - Imperial Oil isn't willing to publicly divulge the extent of benefits it's willing to negotiate with Mackenzie Valley communities along the proposed pipeline route.

Pius Rolheiser, spokesperson for Imperial Oil, said his company is prepared to look at various options to reach access agreements with all affected communities, but he suggested that there will be a ceiling.

"I'll be blunt, the cost of benefits and access agreements will have an impact on the cost of the Mackenzie Gas Project," Rolheiser said Monday. "(It) could have a bearing on the viability of the project. There's no way around that."

Imperial Oil is already in the process of negotiating access agreements with the Gwich'in and the Inuvialuit. Rolheiser said his company wants to talk directly to other Mackenzie Valley groups. He said completing such agreements is "critically important" to the success of the pipeline project.

The proponents plan to file a regulatory application for the pipeline this summer, he noted.