Take Notice that the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board (EUB/Board) had scheduled a public hearing of Application No. 1241564 at the Lakeland Inn, located at 5411 55th Street, Cold Lake, Alberta, commencing at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, June 29, 2004. The Board received a request from interested parties to reschedule the hearing and it agreed in part to grant the request.

Further Take Notice that the EUB will hold a public hearing of Application No.1241564 at the Lakeland Inn, located at 5411 55th Street, Cold Lake, Alberta, commencing at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, July 13, 2004. All interveners to this proceeding must be present at the commencement of the hearing to register their appearance.

Nature of the Application
BlackRock Ventures Inc. (BlackRock) has applied to construct and operate a thermal recovery project using steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) in the Hilda Lake area. The proposed BlackRock Orion EOR Project (Orion Project) and is located approximately 30 kilometres to the northwest of Cold Lake, Alberta, in the North half of Section 9, the North half of Section 10, Sections 15, 16 and 17, Township 64, Range 3, West of the 4th Meridian (see attached map). The project would be developed in two phases. Phase 1 would consist of up to 56 SAGD well pairs and associated infrastructure and steam generation, water recycle and bitumen processing facilities with a capacity of 1590 cubic metres per day (m³/d) of bitumen production. Phase 2 would consist of up to an additional 60 well pairs and associated infrastructure and steam generation, water recycle and bitumen processing facilities with an additional 1590 m³/d of bitumen production capacity. The total project would have a capacity of 3180 m³/d of bitumen production, and is expected to have a life expectancy of approximately 30 years.

The major components of the proposed Orion Project are:

• the drilling of multiple horizontal well pairs from pads, associated injection and production pipelines, and road access;

• a plant site with steam generation, water treatment, water recycle, bitumen and product handling, fuel gas and bitumen pipelines, storm water storage and reclamation material storage; and

• brackish water source wells, waste water disposal wells.

In support of their proposal, BlackRock has prepared and submitted Application No. 1241564 to the EUB, pursuant to Section 10 of the Oil Sands Conservation Act, for authorization of the proposed development of the Orion Project. In support of its proposal and as part of its application to the EUB, BlackRock has also prepared and submitted an Environmental Impact Assessment report to Alberta Environment.

Additional Information
To obtain additional information, or a copy of the application contact:

BlackRock Ventures Inc.
400, 435 4th Avenue SW
Calgary, Alberta T2P 3A8
Attention: Brad Gardiner
Telephone: (403) 781-1401
Fax: (403) 263-0437
E-mail: bgardiner@blackrock-ven.com

A copy of the application is available for viewing at the following locations:

Alberta Energy and Utilities Board Information Services 640 5th Avenue SW Calgary, Alberta T2P 3G4	Alberta Environment, Northern Region Attention: Patti Humphrey 111 Twin Atria Building 4999 - 98th Avenue Edmonton, Alberta T6B 2X3
Alberta Energy and Utilities Board 2nd Floor, Provincial Building 9915 Franklin Avenue Fort McMurray, Alberta T9H 2K4	Alberta Energy and Utilities Board 10th Floor, Hong Kong Bank of Canada Building 10055 - 106th Street Edmonton, Alberta T5J 2Y2
Alberta Energy and Utilities Board Northlands Development Building 209, 4901 - 50th Avenue Bonnyville, Alberta T9N 2G4

For information about EUB procedures contact:

EUB Applications Branch, Resource Applications
Attention: Ken Hale
Telephone: (403) 662-3986
Fax: (403) 297-2474
Email: ken.hale@gov.ab.ca

To File a Submission
Any person intending to make a submission with respect to the hearing of Application No. 1241564 shall file on or before 4:00 p.m. Tuesday, June 21, 2004. Send one copy of your submission to the applicant at the name and address above and ten copies to:

Ken Hale
Applications Branch, Resources Applications
Alberta Energy and Utilities Board
640 5th Avenue SW
Calgary, Alberta T2P 3G4

Notes
Any submission filed shall contain information detailing:

1. the desired disposition of the application;

2. the facts substantiating the position of the submitter;

3. the reasons why the submitter believes the EUB should decide in the manner advocated; and

4. how the proposed project, if approved, may directly and adversely affect the submitter.

If you have an interest in this matter, you are required to make a submission with respect to this application even if you have previously filed a submission with the EUB or with BlackRock on this application.

If there are no submissions received, this hearing may be cancelled and the EUB will continue to process the application without further notice or without a hearing.

In accordance with Section 38 of the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board Rules of Practice, witnesses must give evidence under oath or affirmation.

Submissions relating exclusively to compensation for land usage are not dealt with by the EUB but may be referred to the Alberta Surface Rights Board, or, in the case of trapping issues, to the Trappers Compensation Board

Withdrawal of Objections
The EUB has determined that Imperial Oil Resources, David Stone, Inez Stone, Jens Peter Harwerth and Beatrix Kohlhass and Edgar Duckett may be directly and adversly affected by the EUB's decision on Application No. 1241564. Should these parties withdraw their objections to Application No. 1241564, the Board may cancel the proceeding and continue to process the application in due course.

Issued at Calgary, Alberta on May 19, 2004.

ALBERTA ENERGY AND UTILITIES BOARD
Michael J. Bruni, Q.C., General Counsel