Tekoil tells residents it wants to give back to community

Tekoil and Gas has drilled up quite an interest in the Lark Harbour area.

In fact, the announcement of bringing an oil rig to the most southerly community on the south shore of the Bay of Islands brought upwards of 100 local people out to a public consultation at the town hall on Thursday evening.

The meeting began with news that Tekoil has committed to having the boat used in the major motion film Outlander (which was shot in the town last year) transported to the area and put on display. It was a part of the community concept that the Houston-based company was looking to show the local people it would bring.

The company and its partners who addressed the crowd continued on the right foot in that regard, appearing to answer every question and concern to satisfaction.

"I think it is very important to give back to the communities in which you work," Parsons said. "We will, and we do intend to, give back to the communities. It is your community. We intend to respect it. We intend to listen to your concerns, and that is why we are here tonight. We want to hear those concerns and address them before anything even starts."

The company will be introducing four scholarships for graduating Level 3 students - two in Corner Brook and the Bay of Islands area, and two in the Stephenville and Bay St. George area (where the company is establishing a rig refurbishment operation).

They are also putting together benefits packages to include all the local amenities that will be brought to the area.

"We are quite ready to get this project started, and quite excited to do so," Parsons said. "We have already been speaking to people about accommodations, security, and those sorts of things. We will be putting money into the local economy - the gas stations and restaurants. Even though it will only be a short program, possibly 30 to 45 days, the impact should be felt right away."

Tekoil has made considerable progress on reaching approvals for the onshore and offshore projects since officials last met in the town in March.

Donna Parsons, vice-president of corporate relations, said the drilling of both onshore and offshore wells makes it doubly stringent in dealing with the Department of Natural Resources and the Canada/Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board.

The company is continuing to progress through all the approval processes, and don't see any stoppages to reaching its target date of mid-November to spud the well in Little Port. The environmental assessment for the offshore parcel is still being reviewed, but they are not expecting anything to hold them up there.

With the company committed to hiring a portion of local labourers, Parsons said they will return in the coming weeks for interviews. Concerns about things such as noise and lighting, safety on the narrow roads of the town, and any negative ramifications left behind when the project is completed were all addressed to what seemed to be the satisfaction of those in attendance.

churley@thewesternstar.com