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Sour Gas

Sour Gas Index

The following Index is a compilation of the ERCB's regulatory requirements with respect to sour gas. The purpose of this Index is to assist the reader with locating regulatory requirements respecting sour gas. It is not intended to be relied upon as a comprehensive tool covering all regulatory requirements or other informational publications of the ERCB. The reader must be aware that sour gas regulatory requirements are part of a broader regulatory regime which need to be understood to fully appreciate the ERCB's regulatory requirements respecting sour gas. In this index the following abbreviations have been used:

PA - Pipeline Act OSCR - Oil Sands Conservation Regulation PR - Pipeline Regulation	OGCA - Oil and Gas Conservation Act GUA - Gas Utilities Act OGCR - Oil and Gas Conservation Regulations

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FACILITIES
- Applications
- Construction
  - Approval required, OGCR s. 7.001
  - Fencing (batteries), OGCR s. 8.170
  - Flaring and Venting
    - Continuous stack emissions monitor (CSEM), Guide 64 (1.3 (b))
    - Flare stack design, Guide 60 (7.3.1, 7.3.2, 7.3.3, 7.3.4)
    - General flaring requirements, Guide 64 (6), Interim Directive 99-06
    - Oil sands facilities, OSCR s. 6, s. 7(1)(b) to (3)
    - Sulphur Recovery Guidelines, Interim Directive 2001-03,
    - Vapour recovery, Directive 56 (5.9.11 (51) to (53)), Guide 64 (13)
  - Pressure vessel control, OGCR s. 7.060(3.1), Guide 64 (9(f))
  - Storage requirements, Guide 55
- Operation
  - Flaring and Venting
    - About, Guide 60 (1.4)
    - Burning vented gas, OGRC 8.080
    - Emergency flaring, Guide 60 (5.4)
    - General flaring requirements, OGCR s. 7.070(1) to (6), OGCR s. 9.050(5), Guide 64 (6, 6(b) and (d)), Guide 64 (13), Interim Directive 99-06
    - Noise control, OGCR s. 9.050(6)(e), ID99-08, Guide 38
    - Odour control, OGCR s. 9.050(6), Guide 64 (14)
    - Oil sands facilities, OSCR s. 6, s. 51, OSCR s. 7(1)(b) to (3), OSCR s. 49
    - Signage and warning symbols
      - Generally, OGCR s. 6.020 (2) to (13)
      - Oil sands facilities, OSCR s. 7(1)(a) and s. 7(3)
    - Smoke emissions, OGCR s. 9.050(6)
    - Sulphur recovery, OGCR s. 9.050(1) to (6), Guide 60, (9.1 and 9.2), Interim Directive 2001-03, Staff Report on the Review of the Sulphur Recovery Guidelines
    - Vapour recovery, OGCR s. 9.050(6)
    - Vent gas testing (oil sands facilities), Interim Directive 91-03 (3.1 and 3.2)
  - Equipment
    - Continuous stack emissions monitor (CSEM) requirement, Guide 64 (1.3(b))
    - Fencing (batteries), OGCR s. 8.170
    - Orifice meters, Guide 46 (Appendix D-3.2.1 Performance Evaluation), Interim Directive 90-02 (which became Directive 017)
    - SCADA system requirements, Guide 46 (Appendix D-2.1.1)
  - Inspection
  - Permit required, OGCA s. 43(2)
  - Reporting requirements
  - Water disposal, OGCR s. 9.050(7) to (8)
- Conversion
  - Approval required, OGCR s. 7.001
- Abandonment
  - Directive 006 Licensee Liability Rating (LLR Program) and License Transfer Process
- Emergency Planning [back to License Application]
  - Changes in operation, Directive 71 (4.2.2, 4.2.2.1)
  - Compensation to public for damage from sour well blowout, Directive 71 (4.9)
  - Emergency flaring, Guide 60 (5.4)
  - Emergency Planning Zones
    - Calculation, Directive 56 (5.9.1), Directive 71 (2.1.2), Interim Directive 2001-05
    - Reduced EPZ's, Directive 71 (2.1.3), Interim Directive 2001-05
  - Emergency Response Plans
  - Public information materials, Directive 71 (2.2.3)

PIPELINES
- Applications
- Construction
  - Flaring and Venting, Guide 60 (6.1), Interim Directive 99-06
  - Technical specifications
    - Emergency shutdown device, PR Part 2, s.13
    - Lease piping, Guide 66 (Pipeline Specifications 26)
    - Minimum requirements for design and construction, PR s. Part 2, s.9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16
    - Sour service materials, Directive 56 (6.9.18, 6.9.19), PR s.9
    - Stress level calculations, Directive 56 (6.9.21)
    - Stress level limitations, PR Part 2, s.16
  - Testing
- Operation
- Emergency Planning [back to Licence Application]
  - Emergency Planning Zones
    - Calculation, Directive 71 (2.1.2.1), Directive 71 (2.1.4) (for HVP pipelines), Interim Directive 2001-05
    - Reduced EPZ's, Directive 71 (2.1.3), Interim Directive 2001-05
  - Emergency Response Plans
  - Public information materials, Directive 71 (2.2.3)

WELLS
- Applications
  - Critical sour wells (see also Licence application)
    - Classification and reclassification, Interim Directive 90-01 (section 5), Interim Directive 97-06 (1.2.1 and 1.2.5)
    - Completion and servicing, Informational Letter IL 90-13, Interim Directive 90-01 (6 and 7.2)
    - Licensing requirements, Directive 56 (7.11.5, 7.12.4 and Schedule 4), Interim Directive 97-06 (1.2.2, 1.2.3 and 1.2.4)
    - Well testing (flaring permit), OGCR s. 7.055(1) to (2), Guide 60 (3.1.2)
  - Disposal wells and acid gas disposal, Directive 65 (Unit 4, 4.1 and 4.2)
  - Flaring and Venting
    - Emergency flaring, Guide 60 (7.3.4)
    - Exemptions from vapour recovery requirements, OGCR s. 7.070(6)
    - Flaring approval requirements, Interim Directive 90-01 (section 4)
    - Flaring requirements, Interim Directive 99-06
    - H2S Release Rate Assessments (see also Licence application, Emergency Planning Zones)
      - Confidentiality of data, OGCR s. 12.150(8.1) to (9.1)
      - General requirements, Directive 56 (7.9.15, 7.11.1, 7.11.2.1 (114) to (115), 7.12.4, Schedule 4, Appendix 8 (case study)), Interim Directive 90-01 (2), Interim Directive 97-06 (1.1.1 to 1.1.2)
    - Test flaring
      - General, Guide 40 (3.3.1 and 4.4)
      - Where H2S concentration is 1% or higher (exemptions from technical requirements), OGCR s. 7.060(10)
      - Where H2S concentration is 5% or higher or well is critical sour well (flaring permit), OGCR s. 7.055(1) to (2), Guide 60 (3.1.2)
      - Where H2S concentration is less than 5%, Guide 60 (3.1.3)
    - Uncontrolled emission of oil or gas, OGCR s. 7.060(9)
  - Exemptions, equipment and fencing, OGCR s. 7.050(9)
  - Gas storage wells injecting H2S, Directive 65 (Unit 4, 4.3)
  - Licence application (see also Critical sour wells; Emergency Planning; H2S Release Rate Assessments)
  - Suspension application (inactive well application), Interim Directive 91-05
- Drilling
- Operation
  - Blowout prevention, OGCR s. 8.144(3) to (4),, Interim Directive 94-03 (1.1 esp. 1.1.5) (for underbalanced drilling), Interim Directive 91-03 (1 and 2) (for heavy oil/ oil sands wells) [back to Critical sour wells]
  - Critical sour wells
    - Completion and servicing, Interim Bulletin 90-01 (7.3), Informational Letter IL 90-13 (see also Blowout prevention)
    - Drilling, Interim Directive 97-06 (4)
    - Inspection, Interim Bulletin 97-06 (4.6), Informational Letter IL 97-06 (1.2.4)
    - Suspension, Directive 013
    - Test flaring, OGCR s. 7.055(1) to (2), Guide 60 (3.1.2)
  - Equipment
    - Critical sour wells, Interim Directive 97-06 (4)
    - Minimum wellhead requirements, Interim Directive 98-02
  - Flaring and Venting
    - Annual gas analysis, OGCR s. 7060(1.5)
    - Equipment
    - Flare stack operation, Guide 60 (7.3.1, 7.3.2, 7.3.3, 7.3.4)
    - General flaring requirements, Interim Directive 99-06
    - Notice requirements, OGCR s. 7.060(9.5)
    - Reasons for flaring, Guide 60 (1.4)
    - Test flaring [back to Testing]
      - General, Guide 40 (3.3.1 and 4.4)
      - Vent gas testing for heavy oil/oil sands facilities, Interim Directive 91-03 (3.1 and 3.2)
      - Where H2S is 5% or above or well is critical sour well, OGCR s. 7.055(1) to (2), Guide 60 (3.1.2)
      - Where H2S is less than 5%, Guide 60 (3.1.3)
    - Vapour recovery, OGCR s. 7.070(1) to (6)
  - Inspection, Interim Directive 97-06 (1.1.3, 1.1.4, 5)
  - Permit required, OGCA s. 43(2)
  - Release of confidential information regarding maximum H2S release rate to the public, OGCR s. 12.150(8.1) to (9.1)
  - Reporting requirements
  - Signage, OGCR s. 6.020 (2) to (13)
  - Suspension requirements, Interim Directive 90-04 (Attachment 1, Section 2), Interim Directive 91-05 - which have both become Directive 013
  - Testing (see also Test Flaring)
    - Water production testing, Directive 004
    - Well testing, intent of requirements, Bulletin 2004-15
  - Underbalanced drilling
  - Vehicles permitted, OGCR s. 7.050(7.2)
  - Warning symbols, OGCR s. 6.020 (8) to (13)
- Emergency Planning [back to License Application]
  - Compensation to public for damage from sour well blowout, Directive 71 (4.9), Informational Letter 89-20
  - Emergency Planning Zones (see also H2S Release Rate Assessments)
    - Calculation, Directive 56 (7.9.2), Directive 71 (2.1.1), Interim Directive 2001-05
    - Overlapping EPZ's, Directive 71 (4.2.1.1)
    - Reduced EPZ's, Directive 71 (2.1.3), Interim Directive 2001-05
    - Underbalanced drilling operations in EPZ, Directive 71 (4.2.1.2)
  - Emergency Response Plans
  - Gas storage wells injecting H2S, Directive 65 (Unit 4, 4.3)
  - Public information materials, Directive 71 (2.2.3)
  - Underbalanced drilling, Interim Directive 94-03 (3.6)

Page Last Updated: September 22, 2008

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