News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
EUB ISSUES DECISION ON PETROFUND APPLICATION IN WEST EDMONTON AREA
Calgary, Alberta (July 28, 2005) The Alberta Energy and Utilities Board (EUB) has issued Decision 2005-085, which addresses an application by Petrofund Corp. to drill a sour oil well on an existing wellsite within the corporate limits of the City of Edmonton.
The EUB found that the proposed well can be drilled, completed and operated safely. However, the well license will only be issued if Petrofund can gain the EUB's approval for final revisions and updates to the company's Emergency Response Plan (ERP).
The well would be drilled in a field which has had facilities operating since the 1950s. It would produce sour oil, which is crude oil containing sulphur, hydrogen sulphide (H2S) or other sulphur compounds. The well's gas would have a maximum H2S concentration of 1.1 per cent and a maximum potential H2S release rate of 0.09 cubic metres per second, classifying it as a level 1 sour oil well (lowest risk on a scale of 1 to 3) due to the relatively low amounts of H2S. Because of its location relatively close to people living in an urban centre, the well is considered proximity critical and must follow more stringent planning requirements.
Petrofund's ERP meets and in many places exceeds EUB requirements. The company expanded its required 500-metre Emergency Planning Zone, which had no residents, to include residents of Riverside Heights Drive and the surrounding area. The company's ERP was developed in conjunction with the City of Edmonton and Capital Health, which will enhance Petrofund's capability to respond to an emergency due to integrated planning, improved sharing of information, and access to 24-hour response resources from the City's emergency services providers.
The EUB held a two-day public hearing in Edmonton on May 3 and May 4, 2005 to consider Petrofund's application.
The EUB ensures that the discovery, development, and delivery of Alberta's resources take place in a manner that is fair, responsible, and in the public interest.
- 30 -
For more information, please contact:
Davis Sheremata
EUB Communications
Phone: 403-297-2252
Fax: 403-297-3757
Email: davis.sheremata@gov.ab.ca
NR 2005-18
