Canadian natgas firms warn clock ticking on Montney shale deal with First Nations – Reuters
Nov 1 (Reuters) – British Columbia is nearing a deal with First Nations to restart stalled development in Canada’s prolific Montney shale play, gas industry companies said in recent days, adding they have urged the provincial government to move quickly or risk missing the winter drilling season.
New well licenses in the B.C. Montney have been frozen since last year, when a landmark B.C. Supreme Court decision ruled in favour of a claim from the Blueberry River First Nation that the cumulative impacts of natural resource exploration and development had damaged their traditional territory.
The court agreed that B.C. had violated the nation’s rights to use the area for hunting, fishing and cultural activities by allowing so much natural resources development.
