Thank you, Mr. Chair. I thank the Member for that input and I am well aware of the region's concerns over the past while. Obviously, we had a difficult choice to make in setting up the Mackenzie Valley pipeline office which is specific to the project, lots of interest in Norman Wells and Fort Simpson, we did make a decision for a number of reasons based on to have that located in Hay River. I know we have been through that. I know the Member disagrees with that, but I would say that there is oil and gas activity all across the NWT likely to be as we move forward up and down the valley. We recognize that the Inuvik area is going to be heavily impacted and really is the epicentre of this pipeline project with the anchor fields.
The hundred TCF ultimate potential in Canada's North I think is spread across the North. But the Member is right; we have recognized that there is going to be a need. We need positions in the Inuvik area. These are not regional positions. I want to really emphasize that. These are territorial positions despite the fact that they are located in Inuvik. They will have the responsibility to deal with the central Mackenzie area. They will be in the Sahtu. They will be in the Deh Cho. They are going to have to work in those regions. This is not a specific regional Inuvik only sub-office. It is a sub-office of the mineral oil and gas division that we have.
Across the North, we have about 17 positions that are spread throughout the NWT that deal with oil and gas. I know this is a question that the Member has had. We have the positions in Hay River related to the MVPO. We also have regional petroleum advisors in Inuvik, Norman Wells, Fort Simpson and Hay River. We have the new additional positions we are creating in Inuvik. We have several positions in Yellowknife, as well. We have an oil and gas economist. We have a petroleum geologist. We have a pipeline regulator specialist who is working on our NEB filing and helping us with those submissions. So there are some specialized positions mostly related to the project. As we move forward with more general oil and gas positions for the territory, you are going to see them located in other areas outside of Yellowknife. Thank you, Mr. Chair.