Hovercraft

Northern Transportation Company Limited is presently assisting Canadian Natural Resources Limited and Fort Hills Energy Limited Partnership in a pilot project to test the feasibility of using a hovercraft for employee transportation. The transportation route for this pilot project would follow the Athabasca River from Fort McMurray to each company's development site - CNRL's Horizon project and the Petro-Canada operated Fort Hills lease site, approximately 50-60 kilometres north of Fort McMurray. The companies are concerned about the heavy traffic congestion on the highway, and in the interests of safety and environmental impact reduction, want to see if a hovercraft operating on the Athabasca River will be a reliable and cost effective way to transport personnel.

The project is scheduled to run from October 2008 to June 2009. It will test operations during three periods: before freeze-up, during the winter and in the springtime around break-up. A safety program has been developed to ensure that users of the river such as boaters or snowmobilers will not be endangered by the hovercraft operation.

The hovercraft that will be used for the pilot project, an AP 1-88, will carry 42 passengers and three crew members. Hovercraft have been used for decades for passenger and car ferry service around the world, and have an admirable safety record. The operating crew is licensed and very experienced and has been trained in marine safety procedures. All relevant regulatory authorities have been advised of the project and the necessary permits have been applied for and in most instances, obtained. All licenses and permissions will be finalized before the start of the project.

If you are interested in this project and would like more information, or if you have comments you would like to make, please email hovercraft@ntcl.com or call 1-888-98-PILOT (1-888-987-4568).