Thank you, Madam Speaker. Shale oil resources promised to secure our energy future and has the potential to change the North forever as the Northwest Territories grapples with the applications for horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracking required to tap in to these resources.
We have to weigh the pros and the cons of this technology. The basic drilling and fracturing process has a long history in the oil and gas industry. Experienced drillers and engineers can’t predict a well’s requirements and impacts. Technology is constantly improving. Industry has demonstrated an improvement in using less water and fewer harmful chemicals. Canadian producers are moving towards full disclosure of fracking fluid. Proper well casing and cementing prevents groundwater contamination. Once a well is drilled, crude oil can flow up to 20 years. The economic benefits we could achieve through hydraulic fracking and development of the northern shale resources under careful regulations and controlling pace and scale could outweigh many of the risks, as the risks are huge, Madam Speaker.
In central Mackenzie Valley, shale play is considered a frontier development because previous oil and gas production is so limited here. The Northwest Territories has an abundance of water resources. We are the stewards of these resources. Our elders have always told us if we take care of the land, it will take care of us. Currently, we don’t have the capacity to deal with the wastewater from drilling and the long-term impacts of disposable wells are unknown.
If gas was to flow, even in the early stages, the existing Enbridge pipeline would have to be twined. There’s still no all-weather road into the Sahtu region. We can guess the impacts of hydraulic fracturing based on what we see in other places, but we cannot predict the real long-term impacts on the land, the animals, the lakes and rivers of the Sahtu.
We don’t have to look any further than boom towns like Fort McMurray, Alberta, or Fort Nelson, BC, to see some of the social effects of fast-paced development. This winter we have seen how exploration alone stretches the capacity in our communities. Mental health and addiction issues are the barriers to local Sahtu people in benefitting from development. Successful and responsible development of the Mackenzie Valley shale oil play will require focusing on the Mackenzie Gas Project in terms of government resources.
Mr. Yakeleya. Your time for your Member’s statement has expired.
[Microphone turned off.]
Mr. Yakeleya, could you please make that request again on the record.
Madam Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
The Government of the Northwest Territories has been called upon to develop a policy on hydraulic fracking that recognizes the pros and cons of this technology. We must move forward on this important work to guide responsible decision-making in the future. The people of the Northwest Territories and the people of the Sahtu deserve nothing less. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
