Mackenzie Gas Project

MGP: JRP Topic 17 - Recommendations

posted Nov 8, 2007

After intensive research and analysis, Alternatives North has determined that the Mackenzie Gas Project is not in the public interest and should not go ahead. If it is to be permitted, Alternatives North makes a series of recommendations (summarized in a Power Point presentation in pdf format to the JRP) that should be implemented as conditions. At the Topic 17 JRP hearings in Inuvik, Alternatives North also presented a series of questions to the proponent and to governments. A news release pertaining to these matters was distributed November 6, 2007. The JRP required intervenors to submit their recommendations in a spreadsheet format too.

Here is a plain language summary of our position and recommendations.

Response to Undertaking JU-227

posted Nov 8, 2007

On October 31, 2007, Alternatives North responded to Undertaking JU-227 "For the Alternatives North Coalition to review and comment on the recently filed implementation plans regarding the Mackenzie Gas Project Impact Fund by October 31, 2007." The undertaking was made at the September 27, 2007 public hearing in Yellowknife. The response was prepared by Dr. David Leadbeater, Department of Economics, Laurentian University in the context of his written submission and his responses to questions at that hearing.

Plain Language Summaries of Independent Research

AlternativesNorth has conducted research into the Mackenzie Gas Project. Please read the summaries:

- Long-term Impacts
- Protect the Environment
- Training and Jobs
- Company Profits and Government Revenue (based on original costing for MGP)

MGP Financial Update

posted Oct 2, 2007

This brief provides a financial update with estimates of new tolls, cash flows, internal rates of return and government revenues based on the new estimated costs of construction.

Leadbeater Socioeconomic Review

posted Oct 2, 2007

This brief raises several concerns about the socioeconomic impacts of the proposed Mackenzie Gas Project on development in the NWT, especially the sustainability and distribution of benefits.

Scrap the Mackenzie Gas Project Socio-Economic Agreement

posted August 18, 2007

Alternatives North commissioned two experts to evaluate the Socio-Economic Agreement entered into between the Government of the Northwest Territories and the proponents of the Mackenzie Gas Project.

Dr. Nigel Bankes, Professor of Law, University of Calgary, prepared "A Policy Review of the Mackenzie Gas Project Socio-Economic Agreement."

Professor Ciaran O'Faircheallaigh, Griffith Business School, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia, prepared "Independent Review of the Mackenzie Gas Project Socio-Economic Agreement."

Please see our news release and backgrounder relating to the analyses.

Inadequately funded Organizations are deprived of a voice in Pipeline Review

posted June 19, 2007

Alternatives North is expressing concern about the shrinking capacity of intervenors to participate meaningfully in the Joint Review Panel process for the Mackenzie Gas Project, and about the unnecessarily restrictive policies about participation that the Panel has implemented. Read the release.

Revenue from Non-Renewable Resources: A Review of Experience

posted June 3, 2007

This report was prepared for Alternatives North by Ellen Francis and Amy Taylor of the Pembina Institute. It concerns the means by which various governments collect revenue from oil and gas developments, and what they do with that revenue once collected. Also attached are the speaking notes used by Ms. Francis when presenting at the Joint Review Panel hearing.

A Model for Monitoring the Effects of the Mackenzie Gas Project

posted May 23, 2007

Commissioned by Alternatives North with funding provided by CEAA, "A Model for Monitoring the Effects of the Mackenzie Gas Project on the Health and Well-being of Communities in the Mackenzie Valley," was prepared by Dr. Brenda Parlee, University of Alberta. The submission identifies some theoretical and methodological approaches, as well as some perspectives on the benefits, opportunities and challenges of community involvement in social monitoring of the effects of the proposed Mackenzie Gas Project.

Education, Training, Employment and Procurement

posted May 21, 2007

This submission to the Joint Review Panel was commissioned by Alternatives North with funding from CEAA. It proposes a framework for assessing employment, training, education and procurement policies and programs related to the Mackenzie Gas Project that differs from the implicit framework underlying the Proponent's Environmental Impact Statement.

Review of selected Environmental Management Issues

posted May 21, 2007

Alternatives North submission on environmental management to the Joint Review Panel assessing the Mackenzie Gas Project. The submission focuses on selected environmental issues including the status of the NWT environmental management regime; liability, closure and reclamation, and financial security; and the potential role of environmental agreements in better managing the MGP.

Energy Security, the Pipeline, & Climate Change

posted May 9, 2007

Presentation (large file, 6MB!) by Gordon Laxer from the Parkland Institute that took place in Yellowknife on April 21, 2007.

Mackenzie Gas Project Angling for Public Subsidies

posted March 20, 2007

Alternatives North hopes that the revised cost estimates filed on March 12, 2007 for the Mackenzie Gas Project (MGP) don't prompt consideration of government subsidies for the project.

See our Media Release.

Alternatives North criticizes Socio-Economic Agreement

posted January 25, 2007

Alternatives North is raising serious questions and concerns about the Socio-Economic Agreement for the Mackenzie Gas Project (MGP) signed by the Government of the Northwest Territories and the proponents (Imperial Oil, ConocoPhillips and Shell).

Read the full Media Release!

The Mackenzie Gas Project - September/October 2006

posted October 18, 2006

A Financial and Economic Assessment prepared by Pacific Analytics Inc. for Alternatives North.

Slides for Pacific Analytics' Presentation on October 19th

Media Release - 18 October 2006 The Mackenzie Gas Project (MGP) will deliver dry natural gas from the Mackenzie Valley region (the Inuvik Gas Facility) down to Zama, located just south of the NWT/Alberta border from where the gas will hook into the NOVA Gas Pipeline for delivery into the Alberta system. Alternatives North is interested in understanding the financial implications of constructing the MGP, specifically the financial characteristics of the proposed natural gas fields: what are the returns (total and by field) that can be expected under conventional assumptions; what is the time profile of these returns; and of these returns, how much will accrue to the proponents and how much to various orders of government.

Researchers (and others) interested in using a copy of the spreadsheet created by Pacific Analytics in its analysis of the economics of the Mackenzie Gas Project are asked to contact Alternatives North at info@alternativesnorth.ca.

Company Profits and Government Revenue.
Will NWT people get a fair share of the money from the Mackenzie Gas Project (MGP)?
Some results from an independent financial study.
Here are the results of the analysis in a brief plain language summary.

Gas and Oil

Letter to the Honourable Anne McLellan about Oil Subsidies

Poster for the Northern Oil and Gas & the Environment workshop

Mackenzie Gas Project Intervention

- January 25, 2006 News Release

- electronic materials distributed at the opening of the National Energy Board hearing in Inuvik

- comments related to the draft Terms of Reference for the Joint Review Panel

- Information Requests submitted through the National Energy Board process

- Written Evidence of Interveners submission to the National Energy Board

- Information Requests submitted during the first round, submitted through the Joint Review Panel process

- Information Requests submitted for the second round

- summary of our Final Recommendations from the technical review of the EIS

- our Technical Review of the EIS and comments related to whether or not the public registry had enough information for the JRP to proceed to public hearings

- Comments about Sufficiency of Information related to the Mackenzie Gas Project

- Summary of Recommendations

Letters to The Joint Review Panel and Federal Ministers

- Letter to Ethel and federal ministers re amounts and timing of participant funding. Sep 15, 05
- Letter to the JRP re conformity and sufficiency. June 2, 05
- Letter to JRP re Inuvik planning meeting. May 12, 05
- Letter to JRP re locations of hearings. April 14, 05
- Letter to JRP re extend deadline for sufficiency comments. June 22, 05
- Letter to JRP re reschedule EIS conference. June 10, 05
- Press release re EIS conference. June 7, 05