Industry workers are being asked to use caution on country roads in the Weyburn-area.
The Rural Municipality of Lomond is telling those in the oilfield to use Lomond's roads at their own discretion, but to "have your cheque book handy" if roads are destroyed.
Administrator Kevin Melle said that at a meeting held June 7, the RM decided to remove some of their road bans and will allow secondary weight loads to use roads with a permit.
Melle said that they do not wish to stop oil production in the RM, including a large part of the Cenovus field, but their roads are soft and they must protect Lomond's road system.
Speaking for Cenovus, Twila Walkeden said that there is very little activity in their field right now and that it will take seven to 10 days of dry weather to get back in business.
"We are taking it day-by-day," said Walkeden. "We don't want to jeopardize the condition of the roadways."
She said that Cenovus has been using their resources to try to help the area RMs by sending out crews to pick up garbage in the ditches and set up barricades.
As for the company's privately owned roads, a series of rig matting will be used to cover the roads in order to access well sites. This will be a tricky job, according to Walkeden, due to the weight of the trucks transporting the rig matting and the softness of the roads.
RM of Weyburn Reeve Carmen Sterling said that they currently have no bans on road use and are looking at the situation on a case-by-case basis.
"Our councillors and the manager of public works have been keeping in touch," said Sterling. "If we need to restore the bans we will."
