AltaGasLtd. reached a 10-year agreement with Halfway River First Nation inconnection with the construction of its Townsend gathering and processing facility in British Columbia.

The agreement would allow for consultation, financialbenefits, community investment, employment opportunities and support for awildlife study with regards to the Townsend project, which is being built onthe First Nation's territory, according to a July 14 news release.

The construction phase has provided job opportunitiesto Halfway River members and AltaGas intends to continue the community benefitsonce the project is completed, the utility said in the release.

The project, located north of Fort St. John innortheast British Columbia, includes a 198 MMcf/d shallow-cut natural gasprocessing facility, a gathering pipeline, a sales pipeline, two liquids egresspipelines and a truck terminal on the Alaska Highway. AltaGas said the Townsendfacility is a key component of its energy strategy for northeast BritishColumbia.