The Northwest Territories has signed a deal with the Mackenzie pipeline companies that it hopes will ensure the North benefits if the massive project goes ahead.

The 1,220-kilometre multibillion-dollar pipeline is a joint project involving Imperial Oil, Shell Canada, Conoco Phillips, ExxonMobil and the Aboriginal Pipeline Group.

The 67-page socio-economic agreement between the companies and the territorial government was announced Monday and deals with employment, training and business opportunities.

The agreement includes:

• $21 million for training over 30 years.
• 806 jobs per year for N.W.T. residents during the four-year construction period.
• Zero tolerance for drug and alcohol use on construction sites.
• Cross-cultural training.
• An effort to spend $930 million on local construction material.
• Potential local purchasing of up to $145 million a year for the life of the project.

The gas companies and the government submitted the agreement to the Joint Review Panel that is looking into the social and environmental impacts of the proposed project.

The agreement is only valid if the project goes ahead.