Call for nominations in central Mackenzie Valley

Petroleum News Alaska Staff

The Northern Oil and Gas Directorate issued a call for nominations Jan. 14 for lands in the central Mackenzie Valley of the Northwest Territories. Interested parties have until Feb. 29 to submit requests.

A call for bids for exploration licenses to explore for oil and gas on the nominated lands is anticipated for sometime in March 2000 with the bid selection criterion being the total amount of money that the bidder proposes to spend doing exploratory work on the parcel during Period 1 of the term of the exploration license. The term will consist of two consecutive periods of five and four years. The drilling of a well during Period 1 of the term qualifies the license holder to retain the license for Period 2.

The call area includes most of the acreage where the Gwich’in and Sahtu are surface owners and where the Crown is the owner of the subsurface. Interested parties are advised to obtain a copy of the appropriate land claim settlement agreement from the Frontier Information Office of the National Energy Board in Calgary or by written request to the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs.

For more information, call (819) 997-0870, fax (819) 953-5828 or e-mail the director, Mimi Fortier, at Fortierm@inac.gc.ca. The web site is www.inac.gc.ca/oil/activities/calls/sahtu2000/nom/