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$187-MILLION
UPGRADE DRIVES OIL AND GAS INVESTMENT |
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FORT NELSON – The Province is providing $187 million in funding over four years to upgrade the Sierra Yoyo Desan Road to access the Horn River Basin, which will create over 1,150 direct jobs, Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources Minister Blair Lekstrom announced today.
“The Sierra Yoyo Desan road is a very successful, award-winning P3 partnership agreement,” said Lekstrom. “This road provides industry and resource access to the Horn River Basin, which has attracted investment to the tune of $1.1 billion in the past year, a significant portion of the record $2.66 billion earned from oil and gas rights sales in 2008.”
The Province is providing funding over four years as follows: $16 million for 2008/09, $21 million in 2009/10, $86 million in 2010/11 and $64 million in 2011/12.
The upgrades to the Sierra Yoyo
Desan Road are required to deal with a significant increase in traffic volume
resulting from the development of the Horn River and Cordova Embayment areas.
The result will be an upgraded and safer road that will support industry
investment and enable a shift in the
nature of oil and gas activity in the region, from conventional to shale gas
development
“The upgrade and further development of this resource road is proof of our commitment to the BC Energy Plan by providing the infrastructure needed to develop the unconventional gas resources in our province,” said Lekstrom.
Following this $187-million provincial investment, road maintenance for the Sierra Yoyo Desan road will continue under the current successful P3 partnership agreement.
It is expected that the upgrades and economic benefit to the region will enable significant employment and business opportunity benefits for Fort Nelson and local First Nations. The large project scope will also afford opportunities to local contractors from Fort St. John, Taylor, Dawson Creek, Chetwynd and Tumbler Ridge.
This project is part
of an overall $14-billion capital infrastructure program supported by the
Province that will create up to 88,000 jobs and help build vital public
infrastructure in every region of B.C.
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contact: |
Public Affairs Officer Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources 250 952-0628 250 213-6934 (cell) |
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For more information on government services or to subscribe to the Province’s news feeds using RSS, visit the Province’s website at www.gov.bc.ca. |
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