The Mackenzie Valley is important to the future of northern Canada and is a significant growth area for ConocoPhillips. Through membership of the Mackenzie Delta Producers Group, ConocoPhillips is working with communities of the Mackenzie Delta to build a pipeline to bring 5.8 trillion cubic feet of natural gas from the Northwest Territories to the North American market.
When a pipeline down the Mackenzie Valley was first discussed in the 1970s, it met with opposition from many of the aboriginal groups involved. Twenty-five years later, many of those opponents, such as Stephen Kakfwi, now Premier of the Northwest Territories, see the benefits that such a project can bring.
A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed with the Aboriginal Pipeline Group, which represents many of the local communities. The memorandum ensures that the local people will benefit from the development and provides a framework for the parties to move forward on the economic and timely development of the pipeline.