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6TuesdayAugust62013IndustryOilsandsByRENEFRANCOEURThecompanybehindaheavyoildevelopmentproj-ectintheAthabascaregionofnorthernAlbertacontinuestoplugawayatgettingregu-latoryapprovaladdressingstakeholdersstatementsofconcernonebyone.IvanhoeEnergymostre-centlynegotiatedaletterofnon-objectionwiththeMikisewCreeFirstNationbasedinFortChipewyanforitsTamarackproject.Thismarksthefthsuccessfulnegotiationoutoftheseveninitialstatementsledbystakeholdergroupswhenthecompanyrstsubmitteditsap-plicationinNovember2010.Tamarackisaninsitumin-ingundertakingmadeupofatwo-phased40000barrelsadaysteam-assistedgravitydrainageSAGDthermalrecoveryandheavy-to-lightHTLfacility.Throughtheupperwellsteamwillbeinjectedintothereservoir.Asitrisesandexpandsitheatsuptheheavyoilreducingitsviscosity.Gravitythenforcestheoilandcondensedsteamtodrainintothelowerwell.Wereveryhappythatwehaveestablishedwhatwillbelong-termrelation-shipsnowwithsomeoftheAboriginalgroupsandwillbeworkinginconsultationwiththemIvanhoesman-agerofcorporatecommuni-cationsHilaryMcMeekintoldTheJournal.Theserelationshipsin-cludeFortMcMurraysNo.468FirstNationoftheAtha-bascaTribalCounciltheFortMcKayFirstNationandtheFortMcKayMtisLocal.IthinkitsfairtosaytheyrenotsayingYaythisisgreat.PleasecomeupanddoanotherSAGDthermalmethodofoilextractionproj-ectbutthattheyarecondentwiththeinformationtheyvebeengivenandintherelation-shipandthattheywillnotob-jectandstandinthewayoftheproject.TheyrewillingtoworkwiththecompanygoingforwardMcMeekinsaid.IvanhoeisalsolookingforwardtonurturinganopendialoguewithAboriginalcommunitieswhenitcomesIvanhoeEnergyMikisewCreenegotiateletterofnon-objectionforoilsandsprojecttothingslikebringinginsup-pliersorworkingwithlocaltalentandskills-basedcom-paniesMcMeekinsaid.Wehaveacommitmenttodowhatwecantosupporttheircommunitiesshesaid.Weknowtheyhavetalentedpeopleandwewanttosupportthatandwealsorespectthattheyhaveprogramsinplacetopreservetheirtraditionalwayoflifeandwewanttodowhatwecantosupportthoseprogramsaswell.ForthemostpartgroupshaveraisedredagsaboutthebacklashTamarackwillhaveonwaterandairquality.Otherconcernsinvolveemissionstransportationandcumula-tiveimpactsoncommunities.Werenottakinganywaterfromtheriver.ThewaterforourprojectwillcomefromasalineaquiferundergroundandwerealsobuildinginanabilitytocyclethewatersowerenotdrawingonaconsistentbasisMcMeekinsaid.Inthewakeofsomanyspillsacrosstheprovincethisyearmonitoringwasanotheritemonthestakeholderslistofquestions.Wereactuallyintroducingbest-in-classmonitoringthathasbeenusedinCaliforniaandthatmonitoringisaboutnotonlyairqualitybutalsooperatingpressureandwhatishappeningundergroundMcMeekinsaid.WhileMcMeekincouldnotprovidespecicdetailsaboutthemonitoringequipmentsworkingsshenoteditwillbefastenedinsidethepipeandconnectedtothecompanysoperationcentre.ItrelaysbackPhotosIvanhoeEnergyAnaerialshotshowstheforestedlandscapedesignatedfortheTamarackproject.CrewsbeginpreliminarywinterdrillingatIvanhoesTamaracksiteapproximately16kmnortheastofFortMcMurray.ThecompanyiscurrentlyseekingnalapprovalfromtheAlbertaEnergyRegulator.Youcanttakeitbacktowhatitwasbeforebutyoucantakeitbacktosomethingverysimilartowhereitsproductiveland.HilaryMcMeekinIvanhoeEnergyeverythingthatishappeninginthepipeinrealtimesheex-plainedsothatoperatorscanknowwhatisgoingonimme-diatelyandatalltimes.AsfarasMcMeekinknowsnootheroildevel-opmentprojectintheprov-inceisusingthatspecictypeofmonitoringtechnology.IvanhoehasbeenpayingcloseattentiontowhathasbeengoingonwhenitcomestoblowoutsandburstpipelinesinAlbertaMcMeekinsaid.Whenweseeallthesethingshappeningapartofourgoal-aswerenotinconstruc-tionyet-istotrulyhavethingsinplacethatwillmakeusare-sponsibleoperationshesaid.ThecompanyalsohasacommitmenttoAboriginalcommunitiestoreclaimtheprojectareainthefuture.Youcanttakeitbacktowhatitwasbeforebutyoucantakeitbacktosomethingverysimilartowhereitspro-ductivelandshesaid.IvanoehopestosecurefullapprovalfromtheAlbertaEnergyRegulatorAERbytheendofthisyear.TwooutstandingstatementsofconcernSuncorwhohasaprojectadjacenttoTamarackabout16kmnortheastofFortMcMur-rayisoneoftheoutstandingstakeholderswithacomplaint.Theyaredoingtheirduediligencetoensureourplannedprojectandoperationdoesnotimpacttheirs...Werehopefulwecancometoaresolutionwiththemdirectly.WereworkingonthatrightnowMcMeekinsaid.TheothergroupconcernedabouttheprojectseffectsonlandairandpeopleistheAtha-bascaChipewyanFirstNationACFNwhowasunavailableforcommentasofpresstime.TheACFNismorethan200kmawayfromourprojectsobecauseoftheirdistanceweveaskedtheAERtoreviewwhetherornottheyhavestand-ing...Wehavehadafewdiscus-sionswiththem...WedonotfeeltheprojecthasadirectadverseimpactontheircommunitybecauseofthedistanceMc-Meekinsaid.TheACFNisapartofTreaty8alongwithothermembersoftheAthabascaTribalCouncilandtheirtra-ditionalterritorydoesextendsouthwardstowardMcMur-rayliketheMikisewCree.ButthelandidentiedinACFNsWearetheStewardsoftheLandreportwhichpro-posesco-managementwiththegovernmentforbisonandcaribouintheregionidentiesthreezonesofACFNuseandtraditionalpractice.Whenyoulookatthosezonesinthereportourprojectisoutsideofallofthosezones.ThatiswhatwerebasingthisoffofMcMeekinsaid.ThisiswhyweveaskedtheAERtostepin.IftheydecideACFNhasstandingwewillrespectthatandbyallmeansbeginamoreengagingpro-cesstoenterintoalong-termrelationship.