Hay River (Mar 06/06) - Possible seismic testing in Cameron Hills by a southern oil and gas company has raised the ire of at least one First Nations group in the South Slave region.

NWT Metis Nation President Rob Tordiff said Paramount Resources has ignored his people while planning 45 km of two-dimensional seismic testing in Cameron Hills, southwest of Hay River.

"Paramount is just not following the law," he said.

The Cameron Hills area where the proposed testing would occur is part of the traditional lands open for selection by the Metis Nation which has yet to resolve its land claim.

"Cameron Hills is a very sensitive area, both environmentally and socio-economically," he said.

A scoping session was held in Hay River last week to bring all groups interested in the project together.

"The scoping session was to provide the public an opportunity to ask questions and voice their opinions," said Shirley Maaskant, manger of regulatory and community affairs for Paramount.

"We want to have an open, fair process."

The K'atlodeeche First Nation, also in attendance, wanted to use the meeting as a starting point for re-building relations with Paramount, but maintains it's up to the company to make the first move.

"They are corporate citizens. If they want to make an attempt at a relationship, they will have to offer their hand first," said Lyle Fabian, of K'atlodeeche's resource development advisory.

"It was a good first step, we wanted to go in on a neutral position."

The Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board organized the gathering to help people focus their efforts on the issues that are important, said the board's executive director Vern Christensen.

"Those issues will be a guide for the remainder of the environmental assessment," he said, adding the board will refer its findings to Indian and Northern Affairs Canada.

As far as the Metis are concerned, the meeting did little to calm their fears they've been ignored.

"Frankly, we have the intension and desire to be involved, but Paramount has refused," said Tordiff, adding the issue will be discussed further at the upcoming Metis leadership meeting.

Paramount's existing wells in the Cameron Hills area began producing in 2002 and yield about 305,000 barrels of oil and more than 3.2 billion cubic feet of natural gas annually.