September 25, 2024 Update: The Sahtú Secretariat Inc. (SSI) referred the Norman Wells Goose to Bear Island Flowline Replacement Project to Environmental Assessment (EA), as outlined in the September 24, 2024 letter to the Mackenzie Valley Review Board. The SLWB regulatory process is suspended as of September 25, 2024. The process will resume following the completion of the EA.

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Imperial Oil Resources N.W.T. Limited (Imperial) has applied for a new Water Licence and Land Use Permit ​to install flowlines using Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) between Goose and Bear Islands, located in the Mackenzie River at Norman Wells, NT.  The HDD equipment is expected to be mobilized to site in February 2025. The Project is expected to begin in June and be completed by August 2025. This work is being conducted to replace the shut-in Line 490 which failed in July 2022, and to resume full production at the Norman Wells Operation.

The HDD will drill a single hole (diameter 24-30"; approximately 1.0-1.5 km length) between Goose and Bear Islands, at least 15 meters below the riverbed. This depth gives the flowlines vertical separation from the Mackenzie River to minimize the risk of future line exposure. 

Imperial will use water from its existing water Licence (S13L1-007 - expires May 3, 2028) for the Project. The waste generated for this Project will consist of garbage (packaging, oily rags, etc.), drilling waste from the HDD, and hydrostatic test water. 

The associated water licence is S24L1-002.