Malcolm Gorrill
Northern News Services

Inuvik (Aug 17/01) - About 20 people attended a community meeting last week at Ingamo Hall to hear about proposed seismic surveys this winter in the Mackenzie Delta. Meetings were also held in Tuktoyaktuk and Aklavik.

John Duckett, senior engineer with AEC West Ltd., spoke on his company's plans to do three seismic programs. A 3D and a 2D program are proposed for Burnt Lake, with a 2D program scheduled for Iomatkotak, southeast of Kugmallit Bay.

Duckett said AEC is going before the screening committee in September, and hopes to start recording data early in January. He said the cost of the program will range from $6 million to $18 million.

AEC will move and use the camp currently located along Navy Road at the site of Aurora College's floorhand training program. The project will employ about 100 people.

The Burnt Lake 3D seismic program will cover a maximum area of about 386 square kilometres on Richard's Island. The area is on Crown land within the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, about 40 kilometres west of Tuktoyaktuk and 100 kilometres north of Inuvik.

The Burnt Lake 2D program, also on Richards Island, will include a maximum of 13 seismic lines, and is on Crown land within the Inuvialuit Settlement Region.

The Iomatkotak 2D program will include four seismic lines for a total length of about 92 kilometres. The program is on Inuvialuit land within the Inuvialuit Settlement Region.

Anadarko Canada Corp. plans to conduct a 2D Immerk seismic program, extending across the northern portion of the Kendall Island Bird Sanctuary. Frontier operations manager Rob Jefferies said Anadarko is aiming to start in late February or early March 2002.

The program will include up to 12 seismic lines for a total length of about 429 kilometres. The program will use mobile sleigh camps and handle crews of up to 60 people.