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News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ERCB RELEASES INVESTIGATION REPORT INTO HARVEST ENERGY SPILL
Calgary, Alberta (June 18, 2009) The Energy Resources Conservation Board (ERCB) has released its investigation report into a leak at a suspended sweet oil well at Canadian Forces Base Suffield in southwestern Alberta on September 8, 2008.
The leak occurred at a suspended sweet crude oil well licensed to Harvest Operations Corporation. Between 7 and 9 cubic metres (44 and 57 barrels) of a combination of heavy oil and salt water leaked, affecting an area of about 1200 square metres. The surface crude oil spill subsequently attracted birds. It was estimated that there were about 200 dead birds in the pooled oil, consisting mainly of sparrows with a few larger birds, such as ducks.
The ERCB investigation concluded that the leak occurred due to Harvest’s failure to install a wellhead on the well, failure of a cement plug and a bridge plug in the well, and an increase in reservoir pressure in the Glauconite Formation caused by injection into the reservoir by other operators in the area.
The ERCB issued a High Risk Enforcement Action against Harvest for not suspending a well in accordance with Directive 013: Suspension Requirements for Wells. A wellhead has been installed on the well, and Harvest has successfully addressed the requirements from the enforcement action.
Harvest has committed to conduct an extensive search of its properties to ensure that there are no other suspended wells that may have open horizontal sections without wellheads. A review by all Suffield Base operators of all suspended horizontal wells in the area will also be conducted to ensure that the wells meet ERCB requirements.
The ERCB ensures that the discovery, development, and delivery of Alberta's energy resources take place in a manner that is fair, responsible, and in the public interest.
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For more information, please contact:
Bob Curran, ERCB Communications
Phone: 403-297-3392
Email: bob.curran@ercb.ca
NR 2009-17
