Norman Wells closure

Operations transition

Imperial’s Norman Wells Operations, an oil and natural gas production and processing facility located in the Sahtú region of the Northwest Territories, safely shut in production in August 2026. Operating for over a century, the site was Imperial’s longest-running operation in Canada. While the end of production marks the close of one chapter, it’s also the beginning of another. Imperial remains committed to keeping communities informed, involved, and engaged as closure planning progresses. Time required for closure planning, remediation and reclamation is anticipated to take 20 years.

In January 2026, Imperial announced its intent to cease production, the first of many milestones in its closure journey. The announcement represents an opportunity for continued information sharing, relationship building and collaboration with communities to maximize Indigenous and Northern benefits throughout the tenure of this process. Time required for closure planning, remediation and reclamation is anticipated to take 20 years.

Why is production ending?

Norman Wells production has continued to decline as the field matured, and the decline was accelerated in recent years with the shutdown of Line 490. Imperial’s assessment of future production, and other factors, concluded that on-going operations were not economically viable.

Power transition

In August 2026, the responsibility for primary power production in Norman Wells transferred from Imperial to Northwest Territories Power Corporation. The community is now being powered by the two permanent generators at the local plant, bolstered by a rental generator, with plenty of capacity to meet local power demand.

Learn more about near-term project activities and the overall project pathway.

Norman Wells: the next chapter.

Commemorating 106 years together and looking ahead to responsible closure and reclamation.

Explore planned activities at the Norman Wells site over the next three to five years and have your say on how they are managed.

Learn more

Engaging with Northern communities

“We will take the time to do this right.” Cheryl Gomez-Smith, Imperial Senior Vice President, Upstream

We understand that collaboration with communities and local governments is imperative throughout this process and engagement means two-way information sharing. Community involvement is also critical to informing a final closure and reclamation plan. This includes supporting Indigenous Knowledge sharing through community-led studies.

Communities and Indigenous governments in the Sahtú, Gwich’in, Inuvialuit, Dehcho, Yellowknife Dene and Métis regions will all play an important role in providing feedback and collaborating on mitigation measures on mitigation measures to inform broader closure planning acknowledges and addresses community concerns. Learn more about our engagement activities.

Imperial remains committed to community involvement during this process. If you would like to be more involved, we are looking for Community Liaison Officers to help facilitate the transition.

To learn more about active engagement in the Sahtu communities, navigate using the interactive map.

Norman Wells

Norman Wells has been central to Imperial’s story for more than 100 years, representing one of Canada’s earliest and most enduring oil developments. Imperial and the community of Norman Wells are working closely together to support a responsible transition to closure is done responsibly.

Imperial is committed to ongoing community connection. Here are the materials from our recent sessions:

Colville Lake

Colville Lake’s proximity within the Sahtu region connects it to Imperial's long-standing presence around Norman Wells. While more remote, that closeness still carries shared responsibility — shaping an evolving relationship grounded in respect for community, land, and future pathways.

Imperial is committed to ongoing community connection. Here are materials from our recent sessions:

Deline

Deline’s proximity to the Town of Norman Wells places it near the heart of shared cultural and ways of living connections. Today, that connection is evolving to stewardship, economic opportunities, and a shared responsibility for what comes next in the Sahtu region.

As the birthplace of ice hockey, Imperial and its Esso brand also share a common passion with Deline for this game that brings communities together across the North!

Imperial is committed to ongoing community connection. Here are materials from our recent sessions:

Tulita

Located at the confluence of the Great Bear River and the Mackenzie River and surrounded by the Mackenzie Mountains, Tulita is known for his natural beauty and rich history.

Tulita is closely connected with Imperial through its proximity to Norman Wells, where decades of activity continue to shape future opportunities and responsibility.

Imperial is committed to ongoing community connection. Here are materials from our recent sessions:

Fort Good Hope

Fort Good Hope’s location along the Mackenzie River ties it closely to Imperial’s long-standing presence in the Sahtu region, where water and aquatic ecosystems are central to community life. That connection brings a shared responsibility to protect the river — grounding the relationship in stewardship, conservation, and respect for what the water sustains.

Imperial is committed to ongoing community connection. Here are materials from our recent sessions:

Environmental document library

Access up to 10 years of reports and archived documents for easy reference.

Visit the environmental document library

Indigenous and Northern benefits

Imperial is committed to maximizing Indigenous and Northern economic benefits throughout the life of this project.

Regulatory pathway

As the project closure steps advance, Imperial will continue to comply with applicable conditions and requirements of its existing operating permits and closure regulatory requirements during upcoming operations, end of production, and getting the site to safe.

Project pathway

Imperial will be safely winding down the long-running Norman Wells operation, which has reached the end of its productive life after nearly a century. Time required for closure planning, remediation and reclamation is anticipated to take 20 years.