Derek Neary
Northern News Services

NNSL (Sep 17/99) - Three gas companies are proposing to combine their efforts to build a 50-kilometre pipeline near Fort Liard, and some Fort Simpson businesses want to know how they can tap into the market.

Chevron, Ranger Oil and Canadian Forest Oil are the three business interests that are awaiting the permits to construct the gas pipeline. They sent representatives to Fort Simpson Wednesday evening for an "information sharing" forum. Some of the information the 15 people in attendance wanted was how they could benefit from oil and gas exploration, and when exploration would begin in Fort Simpson.

Ted Grant, owner of Simpson Air, was the first one to pose the question directly.

"What's in it for us?" he asked the industry representatives. "Are the companies going to keep exploring?"

The answer, according to Chevron engineer Brent Naherny, lies within the political ranks. It's up to the political leaders to open up the land, he said.

"You, as people in the communities of the Northwest Territories have to talk to your governing bodies," he said. "From what we've seen so far with the well results (near Fort Liard), I think everyone's interested in being in the North. It's a natural progression ... it's something we're working on."

The work the companies have done in Fort Liard has resulted in a couple of huge natural gas finds. They now want to build the pipeline to get that gas to market. The construction process, which would take approximately three to six months, could get under way as soon as January or February, pending the outcome of the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board's (MVEIRB) public consultations and whether the permits are granted by the National Energy Board, according to Naherny.

Construction would employ 300 people at its peak. Afterwards, only three to six people would be directly employed through the operating and maintaining of the gas facilities. The wells will have a 15-year lifespan, he estimated. A variety of spin-off jobs would also exist during that time, he added.

Resident Nola Modeste said the gas companies aren't "offering anything concrete as far as being responsible citizens." The skills they profess to offer to employees would become useless once they leave the NWT, she suggested. Naherny replied that if the gas companies are permitted to continue exploring and keep finding huge gas deposits in the North, they will remain here for many years and those skills would remain advantageous.

Liidli Kue Chief Rita Cli expressed dismay over the potential for pollution from Fort Liard to affect Fort Simpson, as Fort Simpson lies down river.

Derek Melton, representing an environmental consulting firm, said there would be a monitoring system in place to minimize any errant pollutant, which Naherny said would be unlikely to exist in the first place due to the numerous safeguards in the equipment.

David Anderson, with Ranger Oil, said he takes great pride in his job as an engineer and is also interested in protecting the environment.

"I want to see my children enjoy this land as well, and I take a sincere approach to that," he said.

Fort Simpson Chamber of Commerce president Andrew Gaule questioned the timing of the industry representative's visit. It was their first time in Fort Simpson to address the public and it fell a few weeks before the MVEIRB public consultations are to be held here. As well, the Village of Fort Simpson happens to be a stakeholder in the MVEIRB, he noted.

Anderson said the open house was held because the building of the pipeline is possibly about to begin and there is a need to share information about the project and its potential benefits.

"We want to give everyone an opportunity here," said Anderson. Gaule said Fort Simpson businesses would be interested to know where gaps exist in gas-industry services and how they could fill the void or replace a southern supplier.