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Imperial Oil has produced a rough timeline for the closure of its century-oil Norman Wells oil field.
The closure is a major economic blow to the town of 750 people and also comes with environmental consequences and obligations.
In a document published to its website, Imperial says it plans to end operations over a four-week period between mid-August and mid-September 2026.
That will include the “removal of all power sources,” the document adds, meaning the NWT Power Corporation will be expected to take over.
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Imperial is currently the main power supplier to Norman Wells. The power corporation has said it is installing extra generation and has longer-term plans to upgrade its diesel plant.
Beginning in September and carrying on into the summer of 2027, Imperial says staff will work to “safely shut down and protect equipment so it cannot operate or pose a risk.”
After that, Imperial anticipates a three to five-year period of interim care and maintenance before moving into what the company calls a “larger phase of closure work.”
There is currently no approved final closure plan for the Imperial site, despite the company having operated there for decades and signalled its impending shutdown for years.
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The interim period will require “a small team” on site, Imperial says.
The overarching closure process requires an environmental assessment. A community meeting looking ahead to that assessment took place in Fort Good Hope on Wednesday, alongside one in Norman Wells earlier in April.
Regulators say they are aiming for a collaborative closure planning process involving Imperial alongside Indigenous governments.
That will include evaluating different closure options and approaches to long-term monitoring and stewardship.
The Mackenzie Valley Review Board will also assess potential environmental and socio-economic impacts of closure and reclamation.
