N.W.T. town may get reprieve from gas shutdown
CBC News
Posted: May 12, 2011 6:54 PM CT
Last Updated: May 12, 2011 6:54 PM CT
Related
Residents in Norman Wells, N.W.T., may not lose their local natural gas supply this weekend, thanks to at least one backup fuel tank that could keep the gas flowing for at least five more days.
Norman Wells, N.W.T., which has a population of roughly 800, is located about 700 kilometres northwest of Yellowknife. (CBC) The remote town of about 800, which relies on natural gas produced from Imperial Oil's nearby oil fields, has been on edge since the company announced it may have to halt production if Plains Midstream Canada's Rainbow pipeline, which leaked 4.5 million litres of crude oil near Peace River, Alta., does not resume operations soon.
While the Rainbow pipeline awaits regulatory approval in Alberta to reopen, Imperial Oil has said it is running out of storage space for the oil it has produced in Norman Wells.
The company was expected to announce on Friday if it would have to stop production at the Norman Wells oil fields.
But Mayor Dudley Johnson told CBC News on Thursday that there is at least one extra oil tank that has been certified to store oil in the community.
That means Imperial Oil can continue production at the local oil fields and residents can still have access to natural gas, at least for now.
"Imperial did get approval for one of their tanks. They are presently pumping crude into that tank [and] they won't know really until seven hours later if that's going to work fine," Johnson said.
"If that goes well, that gives us five more days. If the other tank is approved, that will give us another five. So we're hopeful."
Looking at alternatives
The Town of Norman Wells is also looking into alternative energy sources in the meantime, Johnson said.
The town is waiting to get a gas aerator that would allow for propane to be pumped into homes through natural gas lines.
Should oil and gas production need to be halted, the aerator would help supply Norman Wells with propane energy for about a few weeks, before the town would need to fly in more propane.
About 175 homes and numerous businesses in Norman Wells use natural gas — a byproduct of oil production — for heat, hot water and cooking purposes.
"We probably wouldn't be able to keep the restaurant open if it got too bad, if the gas got completely shut down," said Larry Wallace, owner of the Rayuka Inn.
"Our stoves are natural gas, the heating is natural gas, the hot water's [heated by] natural gas, dryers are natural gas. So yeah, we've relied on natural gas ever since we've been open."
Share Tools
Latest North News Headlines
- Prosecution wraps up in Whitehorse murder trial
- Prosecutors in the Christina Marie Asp murder trial have concluded their case. Court last heard from an undercover police officer who posed as a female crime boss. more »
- British-born bulldog winds up at N.W.T. shelter
- The Great Slave Animal Hospital in Yellowknife picked up a stray purebred last week with a microchip that indicates she was born in the U.K. more »
- Nunavut search for missing mayor to resume
- The Kimmirut, Nunavut, search and rescue committee is set to begin looking once again for the community's mayor, who failed to return from a hunting trip in late November. more »
- Nunavut takes over community internet access funding
- The Government of Nunavut has announced it will take over the funding to community internet access that was cut by the federal government in March. more »
Top News Headlines
- Lisa Raitt closer to ending CP Rail strike
- Labour Minister Lisa Raitt is prepared to end the Canadian Pacific Rail strike if necessary, after both CP Rail and the union rejected a proposal for voluntary arbitration by the government-appointed negotiator on Sunday. Raitt tells CBC News she is "extremely disappointed." more »
- Syrian regime denies role in Houla massacre
- The UN Security Council condemned the Syrian regime at an emergency meeting Sunday, holding president Bashar al-Assad's military responsible for the massacre of more than 100 people, dozens of whom were children younger than 10 years old. more »
- Ryder Hesjedal wins prestigious Giro d'Italia
- Victoria, B.C., native Ryder Hesjedal has become the first Canadian to win one of the cycling world's three Grand Tour events, wrapping up the 2012 Giro d'Italia with an excellent performance in the final stage in Milan. more »
- Neighbour may have helped find missing kids in Mexico
- Two Winnipeg children who had been missing for nearly four years were found in Mexico after a man raised concerns about his neighbour, according to a private investigator. more »
- Nunavut search for missing mayor to resume
- British-born bulldog winds up at N.W.T. shelter
- Nunavut takes over community internet access funding
- Yellowknife toddlers catching hand, foot and mouth virus
- Yellowknives Dene member wants chiefs and council ousted
- Prosecution wraps up in Whitehorse murder trial
- Fort Smith, N.W.T., man charged with arson
- Head of Nunavut Impact Review Board not re-appointed
- Yukon Dakla'weidi celebrate rebuilding of traditional house
