NOTICE OF PREHEARING MEETING
APPLICATIONS NO. 1451106 AND 1459453
WEST ENERGY LTD.
PEMBINA FIELD
West Energy Ltd. (West) has applied to the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board (EUB/Board) for licences to drill two level-2 critical sour Nisku crude oil wells to be drilled from a common surface location of Legal Subdivision (LSD) 4, Section 1, Township 50, Range 7, West of the 5th Meridian (W5M). A descriptive summary of the registered applications is included below.
A public hearing will be held to consider the applicatons. Prior to the scheduling of the hearing, the Board will hold a prehearing meeting at the Super 8 Drayton Valley, 3727 – 50 Street, Drayton Valley, Alberta, on Friday, October 13, 2006, commencing at 10:00 a.m. The matters to be considered include, but are not limited to
· establishing the scope and purpose of the hearing, including relevant issues to be examined,
· establishing the timing and location of the public hearing,
· identifying the procedures to be used in the hearing,
· identifying the participants and their roles in the hearing,
· discussing the funding of the participants, and
· any other matters as necessary.
Take Notice that this prehearing meeting is not being held to hear evidence or argument pertaining to the merits of these applications or objections. It is to obtain parties’ views on the topics listed above. Parties will be given an opportunity to present evidence, cross-examine witnesses, and make arguments regarding the merits of the applications at the public hearing of these applications.
The EUB will confirm the actual hearing dates after hearing, from those persons participating in the prehearing meeting. Attached as Addendum 1 are the Boards suggestions for a potential hearing schedule. Parties are invited to make their views known regarding these potential dates at the prehearing meeting.
Nature of Application
West has applied, pursuant to Section 2.020 of the Oil and Gas Conservation Regulations, for licence to drill two level-2 critical sour oil wells from a common surface location of LSD 4-1-50-7W5M. Both proposed wells are to be about 3.2 kilometres (km) east of the Hamlet of Rocky Rapids. The purpose of the wells would be to obtain crude oil production from the Nisku Formation.
Application 1459453 is for a licence to drill one vertical well at the common surface location of LSD 4-1-50-7W5M. The well is expected to have a maximum hydrogen sulphide (H2S) concentration of 160 moles per kilomole (mol/kmol) (16 per cent). The cumulative drilling and completion/servicing release rate would be 2.5 cubic metres per second (m3/s), with a corresponding emergency planning zone (EPZ) of 4.29 km. The suspended/producing release rate would be 0.44 m3/s, with a related EPZ of 1.32 km.
Application 1451106 is for a licence to drill one directional well from the common surface location of LSD 4-1-50-7W5M to a bottomhole location of LSD16-35-49-7W5M. The H2S concentration is expected to be 160 mol/kmol (16 per cent), with a maximum cumulative release rate of 2.5 m3/s for the drilling and completion/servicing operations. The corresponding EPZ would be 4.29 km. The maximum cumulative H2S release rate for suspended/producing operations is expected to be 0.44 m3/s, with a related EPZ of 1.32 km.
Additional Information
To obtain additional information or a copy of the application, contact
West Energy Ltd.
Bow Valley Square II
2870, 205 – 5 Avenue SW
Calgary, Alberta T2P 2V7
Attention: Chris Bennett
Telephone: (403) 716-2264
Fax: (403) 263-7007
E-mail: cbennett@westenergy.ca
EUB Information Services EUB Drayton Valley Field Centre
Main Floor, 640 - 5 Avenue SW 5005 – 61 Street
Calgary, Alberta T2P 3G4 Drayton Valley, Alberta T7A 1S3
Telephone: (403) 297-8190 Telephone: (780) 542 - 5182
For information about EUB procedures, contact
Cyndi Ravensdale
Applications Branch, Facilities Applications Group
Alberta Energy and Utilities Board
640 - 5 Avenue SW
Calgary, Alberta T2P 3G4
Telephone: (403) 297-2077
Fax: (403) 297-4117
E-mail: Cynthia.Ravensdale@gov.ab.ca
Filing of Submissions Respecting the Prehearing Meeting
It is not necessary to file any written views prior to the prehearing meeting. Presentations may be made verbally at the prehearing meeting. However, if any person wishes to file a written submission at the prehearing meeting, please provide a copy of the complete submission to the Application Coordinator, Cyndi Ravensdale, and one copy to West at the addresses noted above prior to October 11, 2006. Additionally the Board would appreciate receiving comments from parties on their preferred schedule and the reasons why, in advance of the prehearing meeting if possible by 4:00 p.m., October 11, 2006. However, the Board recognizes that all parties may not be able to provide comments in advance. All parties should be prepared to give their views at the prehearing meeting.
In accordance with Section 12 of the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board Rules of Practice, all documents filed in respect of this proceeding must be placed on the public record unless otherwise ordered by the Board.
In accordance with Section 23.1 of the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board Rules of Practice, a person who intends to raise a question of constitutional law before the Board must give notice in accordance with Section 12 of the Administrative Procedures and Jurisdiction Act and its regulation.
Issued at Calgary, Alberta, on September 25, 2006.
ALBERTA ENERGY AND UTILITIES BOARD
Douglas A. Larder, Q.C., General Counsel
ADDENDUM 1
For discussion at the prehearing meeting, EUB staff have drafted the following options for a possible filing schedule leading up to the hearing into West’s applications. The options are divided on the basis of whether an information request and advanced funding request process will be held prior to the commencement of the hearing. The Board would like your comment during the prehearing meeting on whether you feel an information request process should be held or not. The Board is also looking for comments on the possible filing schedule that has been proposed.
1. Option A (without Information Request)
October 13, 2006 Prehearing meeting
October 31, 2006 Decision on prehearing meeting released
November 27, 2006 Submissions by West
December 11, 2006 Interveners’ submissions
January 12, 2007 Reply submissions by West
January 29, 2007 Hearing commences
2. Option B (with Information Request and Advanced Funding Requests)
October 13, 2006 Prehearing meeting
October 31, 2006 Decision on prehearing meeting released
November 14, 2006 Advanced funding applications received by EUB
November 24, 2006 Decision regarding advanced funding made
November 30, 2006 Submissions by West
December 15, 2006 Interveners’ issue information request to West
January 10, 2007 West responds to information request
January 26, 2007 Interveners’ submissions
February 11, 2007 West responds to interveners’ submission
February 18, 2007 Hearing commences
