Malcolm Gorrill
Northern News Services

Inuvik (Aug 18/00) - The search for gas may continue this winter in the Delta. Pending approval, two-dimensional seismic programs by two southern-based companies could be conducted on four tracts of land near Inuvik.

A small crowd turned out at Ingamo Hall last Thursday evening to hear presentations from Burlington Resources Canada Energy Ltd. and AEC Oil and Gas.

Fact File Duration: Both two-dimensional seismic programs expected to run roughly from January to April 2001. Burlington program: 28 lines are planned for a total of 555 kilometre in length. The project is planned in two phases, with Phase I consisting of 430 kilometres. AEC program: About 20 lines of seismic are planned, with a total length of about 400 kilometres. Approval for both programs: Expected some time this fall.

Information sessions were also held in Aklavik and Tuktoyaktuk last week.

Burlington says it's looking at Crown lands in the Richards Island, Kendall Bird Sanctuary area of the Mackenzie Delta -- about 60 kilometres west of Tuktoyaktuk, an area encompassing about 150,000 hectares -- for the project.

AEC wants to conduct a program on two pieces of land, located north of Inuvik.

Both companies have commissioned Veritas DGC Land to shoot the seismic program. If the projects go ahead, Veritas would employ two separate teams of 50 people each.

Dave Baer, senior geophysicist with AEC, told the audience his company focuses on oil and gas exploration, with gas being their main interest in the North.

"Our main interest in coming to the Mackenzie Delta and coming up here is gas for the future of the whole North American market, and we see demand in that market growing," Baer said.

"The supply needs to come from somewhere where there's big potential, and we see the Mackenzie Delta as having that kind of potential already with numerous large discoveries," he said.

"That seismic program is only part of what we foresee as a multi-year exploration effort in these Mackenzie Delta licences. Our current planning is a four-year plan, during which we expect to see ourselves shooting seismic the first three winters, including 2-D seismic this winter and 3-D seismic the following two seasons," Baer said.

"Starting in the second year of that four-year plan, we expect to drill one well and then probably two wells in each of the succeeding years."

Also making a presentation was Norman Napier Jr., a senior geologist with Burlington. He said his company is "over 80 per cent natural gas" focused.

"After we shoot the seismic we determine where there's going to be a location for drilling, and after we drill the location, we're going to make a decision on whether we move forward with more seismic and more drilling," Napier said.

Scott Colebrook, vice- president of surface land, environment and safety for Burlington, referred to his company and AEC working together on their proposals.

"We're here to listen carefully," Colebrook said. "We want to make sure we work together, and we can take the information we receive from tonight and from all our consultations, and just incorporate that into our plan."

Most questions focused on details such as what would take place on a typical day at one of the seismic camps, and how the programs will be conducted.