The one thing everyone needs around the NWT, especially this time of year, is fuel. It's a source of heat, a source of transportation and a source of energy.

Midnight Petroleum is one of several companies in the NWT that provides all of that and they've done so since opening their doors in 1989.

The company is a bulk distributor of all sorts of products, including lubricants, home heating oil and jet fuel, among other products. Cardlock is another popular part of the business, said Curtis Rowe, the company's general manager.

"Our cardlock location in (the) Engle (business district in Yellowknife) is a focus of ours," he said.

Deliveries of home heating fuel will be ramping up in the next little while, he added.

"People will be gearing up for that and we'll do what we can to make sure we have the resources ready when our customers need them," he said.

Hay River is home base for the company with operations also running in Yellowknife, Fort Smith and Fort Simpson as well.

Rowe said the company has seen good growth around the territory in recent years along with new infrastructure.

"We built our new facility in Yellowknife in 2017 and we've been trying to expand since then," he said. "We've been pretty consistent in what we offer and we're always looking to provide services wherever we can."

Like almost all companies that deal in fossil fuels, there's concern about the carbon footprint and that isn't lost on Rowe.

He said the company tries to keep its equipment updated to meet any emission standards.

"We always ensure that everything we do is done as climate-efficient as possible," he said. "All of our new buildings are as efficient as they possibly can be and that's a big focus for our company because we want to be part of the solution and not part of the problem."

Rowe also said safety is another area that gets plenty of attention with daily checks of delivery vehicles that includes visual tank inspections, daily safety meetings and making sure drivers are up to proper standard in terms of training.

Looking ahead to the near-future, Rowe said he's hoping to continue growing around the NWT, including its cardlock service.

"We'd like to expand our cardlock service around the territory," he said. "We've done well so far in the communities we do provide service in and we're hoping to be able to do more."