Four major Canadian oil and gas companies and a group representing the Aboriginal peoples of Canada’s Northwest Territories are partners in the proposed Mackenzie Gas Project.
The Aboriginal Pipeline Group (APG) was formed in 2000 to represent the interests of the Aboriginal peoples of the Northwest Territories in the proposed Mackenzie Valley Pipeline. Two other related organizations have also been formed.
MVAPLP holds the APG’s financial interest in the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline. MVAPLP is to be owned primarily by organizations under the direction of the Deh Cho, Sahtu, Gwich’in and Inuvialuit. The other Northwest Territory settlement areas (the Akaitcho, Dogrib, Salt River, North Slave Metis Alliance and South Slave Metis Alliance) will be given an opportunity to participate in the MVAPLP at the discretion of the Deh Cho, Sahtu, Gwich’in and Inuvialuit.
MVAPC is the general partner of MVAPLP. In October 2001, the Mackenzie Valley Aboriginal Pipeline Corporation entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the four producing companies. In June 2003, the APG became a full participant in the Project following funding and participation agreements between the four producers, the APG and TransCanada PipeLines Limited.
The Producer Group consists of four oil and gas companies that hold interests in the Niglintgak, Taglu and Parsons Lake natural gas fields in the Mackenzie Delta. In addition to being co-owners of the Mackenzie Valley gas pipeline with the APG, the producers will also be joint owners of a smaller system of pipelines that will gather the natural gas from those natural gas fields, a gas processing facility near Inuvik that will separate natural gas liquids from the natural gas, and a liquids pipeline from the facility near Inuvik to Norman Wells.
Imperial Oil Resources Ventures Limited holds a 100% interest in, and operates, the Taglu natural gas field. Imperial is also the operator for the gathering system and the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline. Imperial Oil Resources Ventures Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of Imperial Oil Limited, one of Canada’s largest corporations. Imperial is also one of the largest producers of crude oil in the country and a major producer of natural gas, as well as the largest refiner and marketer of petroleum products.