Take Notice that the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board (EUB) will hold a public hearing of these applications at the Elk Point Community Centre, 4906 51 Street, Elk Point, Alberta, commencing on Tuesday, November 5, 2002 at 9:00 a.m. All interveners to this proceeding must be present at the commencement of the hearing to register their appearance.

Applications No. 1086695, 1087189, 1087193 for

New or Amended Primary Crude Bitumen Recovery Schemes

Canadian Natural Resources Limited (CNRL) applied pursuant to section 10 of the Oil Sands Conservation Act for approval to construct and operate a new scheme, and to amend two existing schemes, for the recovery of crude bitumen from the Mannville Group in the Cold Lake Oil Sands Area.

Application No. 1086695: CNRL applied for approval to construct and operate a new scheme for the recovery of crude bitumen. The applicant proposes that

         the drilling spacing units be reduced from 64 hectares to 8 hectares in a scheme area comprised of Sections 7, 8, 9, and 18 of Township 57, Range 4, West of the 4th Meridian (57-4 W4M), and

         wells drilled or to be drilled within the scheme area have a minimum interwell distance of 100 metres and a project boundary buffer of 50 metres.

Application No. 1087189: CNRL applied to amend Approval No. 8050 respecting a primary recovery scheme for crude bitumen. The applicant proposes that

         Sections 20, 28, 31, 33, and 34-56-5 W4M, Sections 25 and 36-56-6 W4M, and Sections 4, 9, and 18-57-5 W4M be added to the area subject to the approval, and

         the drilling spacing units for the area to be added to the approval be reduced from 64 hectares to 8 hectares, and

         wells drilled or to be drilled within the area to be added to the scheme have a minimum interwell distance of 100 metres and a project boundary buffer of 50 metres.

Application No. 1087193: CNRL applied to amend Approval No. 7306 respecting a primary recovery scheme for crude bitumen. The applicant proposes that

         Section 36-57-5 W4M, and Sections 4, 5, the South half of Section 8, Section 9, 19, and 20-58-4 W4M be added to the area subject to the approval,

         the drilling spacing units in the scheme area comprised of the North half of Section 31-57-4 W4M, Section 36-57-5 W4M, and Sections 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, and 21-58-4 W4M be reduced from 16 or 64 hectares to 8 hectares, and

         wells drilled or to be drilled in the area where the drilling spacing units have been reduced have a minimum interwell distance of 100 metres and a project boundary buffer of 50 metres.

Applications No. 1247164, 1247165, 1247166, 1247167, 1247168, 1247171, 1247172, 1247178, 1248249, 1248252, 1248255, 1249233, 1252711, 1252712, 1259621, and 1259622 for Well Licences

CNRL applied pursuant to section 2.020 of the Oil and Gas Conservation Regulations, for licences to drill three vertical wells for sweet gas production. CNRL proposes to drill the wells from the following surface locations (Legal Subdivision Township-Section-Range W4M):

Application No.      Well Location

1086165                  11-18-57-4 W4M

1249233                  3-7-57-4 W4M

1259622                  4-4-58-4 W4M

In addition, as part of its development in the area, CNRL applied for additional well licences to drill 52 wells from 13 well pad sites for the purposes of obtaining crude bitumen production from the Mannville Group, as follows:

Application No.      Pad Location              Wells Locations to be Drilled from Pad

1247164                  14-33-56-5 W4M     13-33-56-5 W4M

                                                         15-33-56-5 W4M 

1247166                  11-28-56-5 W4M      13-28-56-5 W4M

                                                          15-28-56-5 W4M 

1247167                  13-31-57-4 W4M      11-31-57-4 W4M

                                                          12-31-57-4 W4M

                                                          13-31-57-4 W4M

                                                 14-31-57-4 W4M

Application No.      Pad Location                Wells Locations to be Drilled from Pad

1247168                  4-6-57-5 W4M          2-6-57-5 W4M

                                                          3C-6-57-5 W4M

                                                          3D-6-57-5 W4M

                                                          4-6-57-5 W4M

                                                          5-6-57-5 W4M

                                                          6-6-57-5 W4M 

1247171                  12-5-57-5 W4M       3-5-57-5 W4M

                                                          4-5-57-5 W4M

                                                          5-5-57-5 W4M

                                                          6-5-57-5 W4M

                                                          11-5-57-5 W4M

                                                          12-5-57-5 W4M

                                                          13-5-57-5 W4M 

1247172                  10-18-57-5 W4M      6-18-57-5 W4M

                                                          7-18-57-5 W4M

                                                          10-18-57-5 W4M 

1247178                  16-6-57-5 W4M       8-6-57-5 W4M

                                                          9-6-57-5 W4M

                                                          10-6-57-5 W4M

                                                          15-6-57-5 W4M

                                                          16-6-57-5 W4M 

1248249                  13-6-57-5 W4M       11-6-57-5 W4M

                                                          12-6-57-5 W4M

                                                          13-6-57-5 W4M

                                                          14-6-57-5 W4M

                                                          3-7-57-5 W4M 

1248252                  11-32-56-5 W4M      6-32-56-5 W4M

                                                          11-32-56-5 W4M

                                                          12-32-56-5 W4M

                                                          13-32-56-5 W4M

                                                          14-32-56-5 W4M 

1248255                  16-31-57-4 W4M      9-31-57-4 W4M

                                                          10-31-57-4 W4M

                                                          15-31-57-4 W4M

                                                          16-31-57-4 W4M

Application No.      Pad Location               Wells Locations to be Drilled from Pad

 1252711                  7-17-57-5 W4M       1-17-57-5 W4M

                                                          2-17-57-5 W4M

                                                          7-17-57-5 W4M

                                                          8-17-57-5 W4M 

1252712                  3-17-57-5 W4M      3B-17-57-5 W4M

                                                          3C-17-57-5 W4M

                                                          4-17-57-5 W4M

                                                          6-17-57-5 W4M 

1259621                  11-18-57-5 W4M      12-18-57-5 W4M

Additional Information

To obtain additional information or a copy of the applications, contact:

Canadian Natural Resources Limited
2500, 855 2nd Street SW
Calgary, Alberta  T2P 4J8
Attention: D. Charabin
Telephone:  (403) 517-6764  

Copies of these applications are available for public viewing at the following locations: 

EUB Information Services, Calgary Office
Main Floor, 640 5th Avenue SW
Calgary, Alberta  T2P 3G4 

EUB Bonnyville Field Centre
Northlands Development Building
4901 - 50th Avenue
Bonnyville, Alberta  T9N 2G4 

Elk Point Library
5123 50th Avenue
Elk Point, Alberta  T0A 1A0 

For information about EUB procedures contact:

Applications Branch, Resources Applications Group
Attention: K. Fisher
Telephone:  (403) 297-8490
Facsimile: (403) 297-2474
E-mail:  karine.fisher@gov.ab.ca  

To File a Submission

The Board has established the following filing deadlines for this hearing:

September 16, 2002: Final date for any further submissions by CNRL

October 15, 2002:  Final date for submissions by any persons having concerns respecting the CNRL applications

October 25, 2002:    Final date for any response from CNRL to the submissions filed by concerned parties.

Any person intending to make a submission with respect to the hearing of these applications should send a copy of the submission to the applicant at the name and address above, and a copy to:

K. Fisher, Application Coordinator
EUB, Applications Branch, Resources Applications Group
640 - 5th Avenue SW,
Calgary Alberta  T2P 3G4 

EUB staff note that numerous submissions have already been filed in regard to a number of the above applications. These will be kept on file and the same submission does not need to be re-filed. EUB staff are also aware that discussions have been ongoing between CNRL and some individuals who have filed submissions. Where these discussions have resulted in concerns being fully resolved, the EUB requests that the party who initially filed the objection inform the EUB that he or she no longer has any objection to the proposed development. 

Notes

The sections involved in the CNRL primary recovery scheme applications and the proposed CNRL well pad site locations are shown on the attached map. As additional background, the map also shows the sections and well locations in the same general area which are the subject of a number of applications by Petrovera Resources Limited (Petrovera) for approval to also construct and operate a primary recovery scheme for the recovery of crude bitumen and to drill a number of wells for the recovery of crude bitumen. The details of the Petrovera Applications No. 1248262, 1086164, 1087064, 1087238, 1241670, 1241671, 1241672, 1241673, 1241674, 1241675, 1241676, 1241677, 1241678, 1256328, 1256330, 1256334, and 1256335 are provided on a separate Notice of Hearing.

Any submission filed shall contain information detailing: 

(i)                 the desired disposition of the applications,

(ii)               the facts sustaining the position of the submitter,

(iii)              the reason why the submitter believes the EUB should decide in the manner advocated, and

(iv)             how the proposed project, if approved, may directly and adversely affect the submitter.

In accordance with Section 38 of the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board Rules of Practice, witnesses must give evidence under oath or affirmation.

Submissions relating exclusively to compensation for land usage are not dealt with by the EUB, but may be referred to the Alberta Surface Rights Board.

Issued at Calgary, Alberta on August 15, 2002.

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