Glen Korstrom
Northern News Services

NNSL (Apr 30/99) - The first volumes of natural gas are set to flow to Inuvik today or tomorrow, according to project manager James McDougall who addressed council April 26.

The gas flow will follow behind a rubber pig about 15 centimetres in diameter to test for leaks -- something McDougall said would happen on an intermittent basis.

The next step, if no leaks are found, will take place May 10 when "purging" the pipeline will take place.

Then, gas will flow through the 50 kilometres of 15-centimetre diameter pipe from the Ikhil site to a flare stack near the almost-finished metre regulator system by the Power Corporation.

As such, a flame will be visible for about one week to 10 days in May.

After the initial purging, the flare stack will not be continually lit like the flame in Norman Wells, as McDougall says it is unnecessary and would be a waste of gas.

"Our aim is June 1, (but that) depends on their schedule for new engines that have arrived."

Inuvik Gas Project manager, Lyle Neis, stresses the price of gas will be 15 per cent less than fuel oil regardless of the price of fuel.

"There will be an incentive program. We just haven't worked out all the mechanics of it yet," says Inuvialuit Petroleum Corporation chair Russell Newmark, who was also at the council presentation.

"We're hoping that over the next few weeks, we'll have the details about how much it is and who it will apply to -- whether it will be just residential or also commercial."

One possible incentive plan would be for homeowners to only pay one- third of the cost for new furnaces and other appliances with the GNWT paying one- third and the Ikhil project paying one third.

Neis says Rocky's Plumbing is the only area business to have so far expressed an interest in marketing the natural gas appliances.

The current pipeline is able to transport the gas to Inuvik, the distribution system throughout the town still needs to be constructed by a southern company.

"We only had one bid from Inuvik on the contract here and that bid was substantially, way, way higher," Newmark says.

"That was the only reason we couldn't consider it. It would have been all our preferences to have a local contractor."

Special training for firefighters is set for late summer, a situation which caused initial concern to fire Chief Al German since gas could be flowing to the Power Corporation by June 1.

McDougall stressed gas representatives would be on hand to shut off flow valves in case of emergency.

"We're in the start-up and commissioning phase of the project, the fun part of it when you can see the light at the end of the tunnel."