NOTICE OF INTERIM HEARING
PROCEEDING NO. 1347004
REVIEW OF WELLS WITH WABISKAW-MCMURRAY INTERVALS
CHARD AND LEISMER FIELDS

Take Notice that the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board (EUB/Board) will hold an interim public hearing at the offices of the National Energy Board, 444 7 Avenue SW, Calgary, Alberta, commencing Monday, June 21, 2004, at 9:00 a.m.

Nature of the Proceeding

On March 8, 2004, the Board requested submissions from interested parties as to whether the Board should review approvals to produce gas for specified intervals in wells in the Chard and Leismer Fields considered in Decision 2003-23, Chard Area and Leismer Field, Athabasca Oil Sands Area, March 18, 2003. The Board considered the submissions received and on April 7, 2004, advised parties that it had decided to conduct a hearing to review the production status of the intervals involved. This proceeding constitutes that review hearing.

The Board will consider the recommendations put forward by submission dated January 26, 2004, by an EUB staff submission group (SSG), made in the Bitumen Conservation Requirements Phase 3 Proceeding No. 1333566, to continue or vary the production status of gas zones for the intervals noted on the attached table for wells in the Chard and Leismer Fields.

Additional Information

To obtain a copy of the material filed, please contact the party filing the material. All material filed respecting this proceeding will be posted on the EUB website as soon as possible after receipt by the EUB and can be viewed by clicking on the Bitumen Conservation Requirements Affecting Gas Production in Oil Sands Areas link on the EUB home page at www.ercb.ca, and following through the Proceeding No. 1347004 link.

For information about EUB procedures contact:
Law Branch
Attention: Giuseppa Bentivegna
Telephone: (403) 297-8332

To File a Submission

The Board has established the following filing deadlines for any person intending to make a submission with respect to the SSG recommendations for this hearing:

• Provide two electronic copies on CDs in pdf format, and fifteen paper copies of the submission to

  K. Fisher, Application Coordinator
  8th Floor, Resources Applications, EUB
  640 5th Avenue SW
  Calgary AB T2P 3G4

• Provide two electronic copies on CDs in pdf format, and three paper copies of the submission to the SSG, to

  D. Larder, SSG Counsel
  EUB
  640 5 Avenue SW
  Calgary AB T2P 3G4

Interim Hearing Process

• The scope of the hearing will be limited to assessing whether gas is associated with potentially recoverable bitumen.
• Decisions respecting production status will be made on a pool basis.
• Given the interim nature of the proceedings, parties are not permitted to make information requests of other parties.
• All submissions filed for this interim hearing must include a written summary of the partys position and of the evidence relied upon in support of that position.
• The Board will rely on the written evidence filed, on cross-examinations, and argument.
• The person or persons responsible for preparing a submission must be available to answer questions regarding the submission.
• Parties will not be allowed to present opening statements or reply evidence. Oral evidence in chief will be limited to the introduction of the witness panel, adoption of submissions, and the correction of any errors in the material filed. Cross-examination will then proceed.
• The EUB Staff Submission Group (SSG) will be subject to cross-examination first. Thereafter parties will present witnesses for cross-examination in order of the number of wells of interest to each party, beginning with the party with an interest in the least number of wells and concluding with the party with an interest in the greatest number of wells, or otherwise as directed by the Board.
• Each party will be restricted in the time provided for cross-examinations. The time provided for each party will be communicated by the EUB prior to the hearing.
• All parties will have an opportunity to present final argument, subject to further direction from the Board.

Other Matters

• The SSG, which consists of EUB staff members, is separated from the panel presiding over this hearing. The SSG will be treated as any other participant in the hearing and will be subject to cross-examination on its submissions.
• In accordance with section 38 of the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board Rules of Practice, witnesses must give evidence under oath or affirmation.

Issued at Calgary, Alberta on June 2, 2004.

ALBERTA ENERGY AND UTILITIES BOARD
Michael J. Bruni, Q.C., General Counsel

Proceeding No. 1347004: Wells and Intervals to be Considered for Shut in or Production(1)

(1)The intervals and wells noted on the table are the same as set out in the Boards letter of March 8, 2004, except for the following corrections:

• For Calpine Canada Resources Company: for the well 00/03-34-080-07W4/0, the interval 331.0 332.0 m has been deleted and the interval 340.5 341.0 m has been added, and for the well 00/04-34-080-07W4/0, the interval 315 316 m has been deleted; and
• For Canadian Natural Resources Limited: for the well 00/10-01-079-08W4/0, the interval 298.0 299.6 m has been added, and for the well 00/10-02-079-08W4/0, the interval 302.5 303.5 m has been added.