Norman Wells

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Norman Wells Operations Update – January 30, 2026

Imperial to wind down Norman Wells operations and start transition to closure and reclamation

Hydrocarbon production at Norman Wells in the Northwest Territories will end in the third quarter of 2026 as the facility comes to the end of its lifespan.

“Today marks the first of many milestones in our closure journey with communities that have been our home for more than a century,” said Cheryl Gomez-Smith, Imperial’s senior vice-president of upstream. “We’re proud of our contributions to the Northern economy over generations. We remain committed to supporting our employees through this transition and to collaborating with local communities and stakeholders through the closure process.”

“We have worked extremely hard to continue operations and maintain local economic benefits; however, with declining production we have made the difficult decision to end production. We are focused on a safe and orderly shutdown of operations.”

Imperial’s Norman Wells operations include producing wells on natural and artificial islands in the Mackenzie River, and a central processing facility that also generates electricity used within the town of Norman Wells. Imperial is working on a smooth transition of power generation for the community, and there are no near-term changes to the fuel supply arrangements currently in place. 

The decision to wind down operations is related specifically to Norman Wells’ production facilities. There are no near-term changes to wholesale fuel supply arrangements for the community that Imperial currently services.

Imperial will continue to collaborate with communities and regional stakeholders on future reclamation plans for the Norman Wells production facilities. Final reclamation work is not expected to start until after 2030, once a final closure plan and environmental assessment are completed and permits are approved by regulators.

Regulatory Process

Closure and Reclamation Planning (Continuing)

In March 2025, Imperial asked the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board to initiate an environmental assessment focused on the closure and reclamation of Imperial’s Norman Wells facilities.

The closure and reclamation environmental assessment is currently in the scoping phase, focused on defining the process for developing a final closure and reclamation plan. This work involves a collaborative approach with the Review Board and community parties to review goals, evaluate options and identify preferred closure approaches. 

Developing a final closure and reclamation plan is expected to take three years during the first phase of the environmental assessment. The overall assessment is anticipated to take approximately five to seven years.

Imperial looks forward to continued participation in the ongoing proceeding over the coming years. More information on the environmental assessment is available on Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board’s public registry.

Regulatory Applications (Withdrawn)

Imperial has withdrawn its regulatory applications that would have supported the continued operations at Norman Wells. The table below summarizes regulatory filings and notices. 

Imperial would like to thank CER, SLWB and MVEIRB staff for their efforts in advancing the applications and extends appreciation to all interested parties who participated in the regulatory proceedings.

Emergency Response

Should an incident occur at the Norman Wells site, well-defined plans and emergency response capabilities are in place, which include access to specialized equipment and trained personnel. To be ready to respond, emergency teams conduct regular drills and simulations.

Imperial maintains a community awareness program that involves all nearby residents. Imperial representatives will contact all residents close to our operations if required during an emergency or if any day-to-day operations could impact local residents.

To request a copy of the Norman Wells Emergency Response Plan, Safety Plan or Environmental Protection Plan, please contact us.