Derek Neary
Northern News Services

Fort Liard (Mar 24/00) - A pipeline from the Paramount Resources F-36 sweet gas well southeast of Fort Liard is nearing the testing stage.

After meeting with the facilities manager last week, Hugh Klassen, Paramount's corporate compliance officer, said the project was actually running ahead of schedule at that point. "Things were going well," he said, adding that he had yet to get an update this week. Construction had commenced during the second week of March.

Twenty-four kilometres of 12-inch pipe stretches from F-36 to the B.C. border. It then continues south to tie into the Maxhamish gas plant.

"At this point in time I think we're actually looking at testing shortly," Klassen said from his Calgary office on Tuesday. "We're looking for cold weather yet up there ... even with testing there is some heavy compression equipment required to fill the lines. We need to be able to get that stuff out of there before we're done."

In order to begin producing gas, Klassen said there are a "few minor, little things" in the regulatory process, although he wasn't sure what specific permits might still be required.

"We feel that we're going to be in good shape," he said, adding that early to mid- April is the target date to flow the gas.

"Pray for some cold weather for us," Klassen said.