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News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

ERCB PLACES PETRO-CANADA HEARING ON HOLD - ENGAGING INDEPENDENT THIRD PARTY TO ENSURE INTEGRITY OF HEARING

Calgary, Alberta (February 19, 2009) The Energy Resources Conservation Board (ERCB) is engaging an independent third party to assist in the investigation of an ERCB employee involved in the ERCB hearing on Petro-Canada’s Sullivan Field applications. The ERCB hearing is now on hold, pending the outcome of the investigation. The purpose of these steps is to ensure that the integrity of the ERCB hearing is upheld.

On February 17, 2009, an ERCB employee disclosed that the employee had recently commenced a personal relationship with a Petro-Canada employee. The ERCB employee is not a decision maker in the hearing. However, both parties have been involved in the hearing on behalf of their organizations.

The ERCB employee has been removed from the file and has been placed on administrative leave from employment with the ERCB, pending the investigation into this matter.

As the integrity of the ERCB hearing needs to be upheld and the potential impact of this matter on the hearing needs to be understood, the ERCB is in the process of engaging an independent third party to assist in the investigation of the matter. The investigation will include an analysis of what impact, if any, this matter may have on the hearing and the ERCB Panel’s ability to fulfill its adjudicative function objectively and impartially.

The ERCB hearing began on November 12, 2008 in High River and pertains to a series of Petro-Canada applications to drill eleven sour gas wells, construct and operate one multi-well battery, and construct and operate two sour gas pipelines in Southern Alberta’s eastern slopes.

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For more information, contact:
Bob Curran, ERCB Communications
Phone: (403) 297-3392
Email: bob.curran@ercb.ca

ERCB NR 2009-07