NOTICE OF HEARING
APPLICATIONS NO. 1520574, 1521626 AND 1521704
HIGHPINE OIL AND GAS LTD.
PEMBINA FIELD

Take Notice that the Energy Resources Conservation Board (ERCB/Board) will hold a public hearing of Applications No. 1520574, 1521626 and 1521704 at the Tomahawk & District AgriCentre, 51122 Secondary Highway 759, Tomahawk, Alberta, commencing on Tuesday, September 16, 2008, at the hour of 9:00 a.m. All interveners to this proceeding must be present at the commencement of the hearing to register their appearance.

Nature of the Applications
Highpine Oil and Gas Ltd. has applied for three well licences, pursuant to Section 2.020 of the Oil and Gas Conservation Regulations (OGCR).

Applications No. 1520574 and 1521704
Applications No. 1520574 and 1521704 are for two critical wells to be drilled from surface locations in Legal Subdivision (LSD) 1, Section 16, Township 51, Range 6, West of the 5th Meridian, and LSD 7-17-51-6W5M, respectively. The purpose of the proposed wells would be to produce crude oil from the Nisku Formation. The maximum hydrogen sulphide (H2S) concentration expected to be encountered in the drilling of the proposed wells would be 160 moles per kilomole (mol/kmol) (16.0 per cent). The maximum cumulative H2S release rate for the drilling and completion/servicing cases would be 2.5 cubic metres per second (m3/s), with a corresponding emergency planning zone (EPZ) of 4.29 kilometres (km) for each well. The maximum cumulative H2S release rate for the suspended/producing case would be 0.51 m3/s, with a corresponding EPZ of 1.46 km for each well.

Application No. 1521626
Application No. 1521626 is for one critical well, to be drilled from a surface location in LSD 8-25-51-6W5M. The purpose of the proposed well would be to produce crude oil from the Nisku Formation. The maximum hydrogen sulphide (H2S) concentration expected to be encountered in the drilling of the proposed well would be 160 mol/kmol (16.0 per cent). The maximum cumulative H2S release rate for the drilling and completion/servicing cases would be 1.51 m3/s, with a corresponding EPZ of 3.04 km. The maximum cumulative H2S release rate for the suspended/producing case would be 0.29 m3/s, with a corresponding EPZ of 0.98 km.

The proposed wells would be located approximately 6 km southwest of the Hamlet of Tomahawk.
 
Additional Information
To obtain a copy of the applications, contact

Highpine Oil and Gas Ltd.
Suite 4000, 150 - 6 Avenue SW
Calgary, Alberta  T2P 3Y7
Attention: Christien Venardos
Email: cvenardos@highpineog.com
Telephone: 403-265-3333
Fax: 403-508-9599

A copy of the record of this proceeding is available for viewing at the ERCB’s Calgary and Drayton Valley offices

ERCB Information Services  
Main Floor, 640 - 5 Avenue SW 
Calgary, Alberta  T2P 3G4 
Telephone: 403-297-8311 (Option 2) 

ERCB Drayton Valley Field Centre
5005 - 61 Street
Drayton Valley, Alberta  T7A 1S3
Telephone: 780-542-5182

For information about ERCB procedures, contact

Applications Branch, Facilities Applications Group
Attention: Rachelle Reid
Telephone: 403-355-4305
Fax: 403-297-4117
E-mail: Rachelle.Reid@ercb.ca

To File a Submission

Intervener Submissions
Any person intending to make a submission with respect to the hearing of Applications No. 1520574, 1521626 and 1521704 must file on or before 4:00 p.m., Tuesday, August 26, 2008.

Applicant Reply Submission
Any response from Highpine to intervener submissions must be filed on or before 4:00 p.m., Tuesday, September 2, 2008.

When making a submission, send one copy of your submission to the applicant at the name and address above and ten copies to:

Rachelle Reid, Applications Coordinator
Applications Branch, Facilities Applications Group
Energy Resources Conservation Board
640 - 5 Avenue SW
Calgary, Alberta  T2P 3G4

Notes
Any submission filed must contain the following:

(a) a concise statement indicating

(i) the manner in which the intervener’s rights may be directly and adversely affected by a decision of the Board on the proceeding,
(ii) the nature and scope of the intervener’s intended participation,
(iii) the disposition of the proceeding that the intervener advocates, if any,
(iv) the facts the intervener proposes to show in evidence,
(v) the reasons why the intervener believes the Board should decide in the manner that the intervener advocates, and
(vi) the intervener’s efforts, if any, to resolve issues associated with the proceeding directly with the applicant;

(b) the name, address in Alberta, telephone number, fax number and, if available, e-mail address of the intervener;
(c) if the intervener is represented by a representative, the name, address in Alberta, telephone number, fax number and, if available, e-mail address of the representative; and
(d) if the intervener is an unincorporated organization, the nature of the intervener’s membership.

If you have an interest in this matter, you are required to make a submission with respect to these applications even if you have previously filed a submission with the Board or with Highpine Oil and Gas Ltd. on these applications.

If there are no submissions received, this hearing may be cancelled and the ERCB will continue to process the applications without further notice or without a hearing.
Submissions relating exclusively to compensation for land usage are not dealt with by the ERCB but may be referred to the Alberta Surface Rights Board.

In accordance with Section 13 of the Energy Resources Conservation Board Rules of Practice, all documents filed in respect of this proceeding must be placed on the public record. However, any party may make an application to the Board for confidentiality pursuant to Rule 13(2) and serve a copy of such request on the other parties involved in the hearing. The Board may grant a request for confidentiality on any terms it considers appropriate, subject to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

In accordance with Section 25 of the Energy Resources Conservation 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.

In accordance with Section 40 of the Energy Resources Conservation Board Rules of Practice, witnesses must give evidence under oath or affirmation.

Issued at Calgary, Alberta, on May 2, 2008.

ENERGY RESOURCES CONSERVATION BOARD
Patricia M. Johnston, Q.C., General Counsel