Partnership adds to British Columbia natural gas finds

Gary Park, PNA Canadian correspondent

A partnership of little-knowns has given a fresh jolt of optimism to northeastern British Columbia with a mid-September announcement of what could be a significant natural gas discovery.

The well was drilled to a total depth of about 10,100 feet in the Liard Basin, which spills across the border t o a producing field in the lower Northwest Territories.

Although no flow rates or test results were released to indicate the size of the new pool wildcat, the well is the first of a multi-well rolling farm-in on 205,000 acres.

A majority interest in the well of 55 percent is held by privately owned Lightning Energy Ltd. The other players are Cassiar Resources Inc. and American Leduc Petroleums Ltd., which paid 15 percent of the costs of the discovery well to earn a 15 percent before payout working interest.

The producers have access to the Westcoast Energy Inc. pipeline system and expect production to start late this year or early in 2003.