Northern Oil and Gas Research Workshop: Beaufort Sea and Mackenzie Delta Future Directions - November 2005
Natural Resources Canada and Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, in consultation with representatives of the Beaufort Sea Strategic Regional Plan of Action Steering Committee planned a workshop to consider future directions for northern oil and gas research. The workshop included presentations on the current findings of research projects supported by federal research and development programs (Program on Energy Research and Development (PERD) and federal science projects associated with the Northern Oil and Gas Development in the Beaufort Sea and Mackenzie Delta region. It is impossible in one workshop to present all the research projects currently underway in the Delta and Beaufort Sea, so this workshop highlighted only a few of the key research projects.
The objectives of the workshop were as follows:
- Outline the scope of northern research and development currently supported under PERD and Northern oil and gas development federal science projects;
- Provide an opportunity for researchers to showcase success stories in relation to their ongoing projects and to share their results with the community representatives, highlighting the involvement of indigenous people in their research; and
- Facilitate a forum for discussion on future research needs in the Beaufort region related to oil and gas development, and how the PERD, Federal Science and BSSRPA programs can be involved in addressing these. Research gaps and priorities can be considered from the perspective of communities, regulators, government, industry, the scientific community, and others. This discussion would be strategic in nature: considering future oil and gas activities; the development of a new energy policy, and a new energy, science and technology strategy.