Norman Wells bids farewell to oil production

Share After 106 years, Norman Wells is no longer an oil town. Imperial Oil ended production in Norman Wells on August 14 after announcing earlier this year that it intended to wind down operations due to declining production, accelerated by the shutdown of part of the site. To mark the milestone, the company held a commemorative event in the Sahtu community on Saturday. “As the longest-standing producing asset in Imperial Oil, Norman Wells has proudly supplied critical energy resources to the region and beyond for generations,” said Josh Hutchings, operations manager of Imperial Oil in Norman Wells. “The achievement has not come easy. It’s the result of resilience, dedication and teamwork demonstrated through decades of challenges, change and success.” Advertisement. Advertisement. Community members gathered at the arena to listen to speeches and enjoy food alongside performances by Sahtu Dene drummers and members of the Kole Crook Fiddle Association. The event featured commemorative keychains shaped like a drop of oil alongside jigging, fish scale art and tufting demonstrations. People prepare fish at the event. Emily Blake/Cabin Radio Community members gathered at the Norman Wells arena. Emily Blake/Cabin Radio Imperial Oil’s legacy is prominent in Norman Wells. The town is self-described as the first NWT community “established solely as a result of non-renewable resource development.” Advertisement. Advertisement. Esso-branded vehicles from yesteryear and mining equipment are on display outside the town museum. The company hosted the inaugural Sahtu Mackenzie River Classic hockey tournament on the frozen river in March. Imperial Oil said it provided around $6 million in property taxes annually to the town, accounting for approximately 70 percent of the municipality’s budget. Long before the company arrived and began drilling, Dene people were aware of oil seepages in the area – a place known as Tłegǫ́hłı̨, meaning “where the oil is,” in Dene Kǝdǝ́. Imperial Oil first drilled wells in the area in 1919 and struck oil at its Discovery well in August the following year, beginning commercial production. The company’s Norman Wells site has since grown into a large oil and natural gas production and processing facility, including several natural and manmade islands in the river. One of the islands involved in Imperial Oil’s Norman Wells operations. Emily Blake/Cabin Radio A photo of Imperial Oil’s refinery in Norman Wells taken by Lee…