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3TuesdayApril152014ENVIRONMENTALWRITINGMeaganWohlberg1stAND2ndplaceallowed3entriesBESTPHOTOESSAYMeaganWohlberg3rdplaceWewereonceagainoneofthemostrecognizednewspapersatthenationalcommunitynewspaperawardsthisyear.HereiswhatwecameoutwithSPORTSCOVERAGE1stplaceOUTSTANDINGREPORTERINITIATIVEMeaganWohlberg2ndplaceBESTWEBSITE2ndplaceBESTFEATUREPHOTOPaulBannister3rdplaceBLUERIBBONAWARDforoverallexcellenceHuskyappliestofrackfourwellsinSahtuByMEAGANWOHLBERGHuskyEnergysubmitteditsapplicationtofrackuptofourhorizontalwellsintheCanolshaleplayoftheSahturegiononMondaywhichifapprovedwouldmakeitthesecondcompanytousemul-tistagehydraulicfracturingintheNorthwestTerritories.TheapplicationtotheSahtuLandandWaterBoardSLWBrequestsregulatoryapprovaltoconductyear-roundexploratoryhorizontaldrillingcompletionandowtestingforveyearsusingtwonewall-seasonwellpadsandwatertakenfromboththeMackenzieRiverandagroundwaterwell.SLWBexecutivedirectorPaulDixonsaidtheboardwilldecidewhetherornottoapprovetheapplicationasisorreferittoenvironmentalassessmentbyMay19.Theapplicationisopenforpub-liccommentuntilMondayApr.28.ThefrackingwouldtakeplaceonHuskysSlaterRiverleaselocatedapproximately40kmsoutheastofNormanWellsonthewestsideoftheMackenzieRiverwherethecompanyalreadyhastwoverti-calwellsitesabasecampair-stripwinteraccessroadall-weatherroadandbargeaccess.Ifapprovedthecompanyplanstobeginconstructiononthetwonewwellpadsthissummer.Theprogramisslatedforcompletionbysummer2018.Huskyanticipatesthedrill-ingprogramwillrequireatotalof29240cubicmetresofwaterperyearfortwowells.ContaminatedwastewaterwillbedehydratedonsiteusingCleanSteamtechnol-ogyafterwhichtheconcen-tratedwasteswillbetruckedorbargedtolicenseddisposalfacilitiesoutsideoftheNWT.Thecleanedwaterwouldthenbereturnedtotheenvironment.Usingthisprocessasub-stantialamountofwaterisreturnedtothenaturalwatercyclethatwouldotherwisebedisposedaswastethecompanywroteinitswaterlicenceapplication.Huskyenteredintothere-quiredaccessagreementwiththeTulitaDistrictLandCorp.andbenetsagreementswiththeTulitaNormanWellsandMtisLandCorporationsforitsexploratoryworkin2011.Itcurrentlyconductsfrack-ingoperationsineightotherprojectlocationsacrossWest-ernCanada.TheSlaterRiverleaseisadjacenttoConocoPhillipsdrillingsitewherethersthorizontalfrackingforshaleoilwasdonethiswinter.Con-ocoplanstoapplytodrillupto10morewellsontheleaseoverthenextveyears.ConocoPhillipsapplica-tionforexploratoryfrack-ingbypassedenvironmentalassessmentlastyeardraw-ingpubliccriticism.Apeti-tioncallingfortheterrito-rialgovernmenttoreferallfuturefrackingapplicationstoafullpublicreviewwastabledinthelegislaturelastmonth.Itheldapproximately800signatures.TheNWTChapteroftheCouncilofCanadiansAl-ternativesNorthandEcol-ogyNorthannouncedlastFridaytheywillbepushingtheSLWBtodirectHuskysapplicationtoanenviron-mentalassessmenturgingotherstodothesame.ConocoPhillipswontfundSahtuwinterdrillprogramCompanystillputtingforwardapplicationtofrack10wellsByMEAGANWOHLBERGGlobalenergycompanyConocoPhillipshasdecidednottoallocatecapitalfund-ingforanyexploratorydrill-ingintheSahturegionoftheNorthwestTerritoriesforthe2014-15winterseasonde-layinganyfuturefrackingbythecompanyuntil2016attheearliest.ConocoPhillipsspokesper-sonLaurenStewarttoldTheJournalthatthecompanystillplanstosubmititsapplicationtodomoreexploratoryhydrau-licfracturingorfrackingintheCanolshaleoilplayoftheCentralMackenziethisweekbutthatacallmadeinternallybymanagementlastweekmeanstherewillbenocapi-talfundingtodrillthisyear.WedonotanticipateanydrillingortestingworkonEL470fortheupcomingwin-terseasonshesaid.Cono-coPhillipsisaglobalexplora-tionandproductioncompanysowehaveactivitiesin27countries.ProjectsjustliketheCanolcompeteinternallyforfundingandsoadecisionwasmadetoallocatefundsforotherprojectsforthe2014-2015winterdrillingseason.Stewartcouldnotgiveanymoreinformationontherea-sontheSahtuprogramisnotbeingprioritizedthisyearorhowmanyemployeesintheSahtuwouldbeaffectedbythedecision.UnfortunatelyIcantspec-ulateonhowourdrillingandtestingworkwouldorwouldnotaffectemploymentnum-bersintheregionforthe2015winterseasonshesaid.Sincewewillnothavefundsinplacetooperatenextyearwewillbedemobiliz-ingtheremainingequipmentoverthesummer.Weantici-pateissuingRFPsrequestsforproposalsforthisworkinthenextweek.TheregulatoryapplicationbeingmadetotheSahtuLandandWaterBoardrequestsap-provaltodrillandfrackupto10horizontalwellsoverthenextveyears.Stewartsaidthedecisiontoletheapplicationdespitethelackoffundingisinordertopositionthecompanytobeabletomoveforwardin2016.Inadditiontothatwehaveregulatoryrequirementsunderourexistingpermitssoweregoingtocontinueobviouslywithreportingonourenviron-mentaldatathroughtheSahtuLandandWaterBoardandonthegroundwaterresultssurfacemonitoringshesaid.Additionallywerestillgoingtobeconsultinginthecommunitiessothatthecom-munitiescanhaveinputonthepotentialfuturewellprogramStewartadded.Shesaidcommunitycon-sultationsontheapplicationwouldmostlikelybegintotakeplacethisJuneintheTu-litaDistrictwhichincludesNormanWellsfollowingthespringhunt.Thecompanyhastwoyearstoreportthetechnicalresultsofitsrstexploratoryhorizon-taldrillingprogramwhichwrappedupinMarch.ThoughStewartcouldnotrevealthetotalcostofthe2013-14winterdrillingshesaidthecompanyhadexceededitsve-yearworkcommitmentof66.7millionwhichincludedseismicanddrillingwork.PhotoRogerOdgaardFacebookConocoPhillipsdoesexploratoryfrackingforshaleoilnearNormanWells.ThecompanyhasconrmeditwillnotbefundingexploratorydrillingintheSahturegionforthe2014-2015winterseason.IndustryOilGasIndustryOilGas