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News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ACCLAIM ENERGY WELL SECURED: EUB INVESTIGATION IMMEDIATELY BEGINS

St. Albert, Alberta (January 13, 2005) At 10:00 am on January 13, well control experts secured the Acclaim Energy Trust well, located west of Edmonton.  On January 10, well control experts stopped the flow from the well consisting of gas, salt water, and minor amounts of oil. As the blowout is over and the well has been secured, the Regional Emergency Response Centre has stood down, and the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board (EUB) has begun its investigation into the incident.

In announcing the investigation, EUB Chairman Neil McCrank stated, "The EUB's mandate is to ensure that energy development in Alberta takes place safely and responsibly.  We are conducting a thorough and comprehensive investigation of the blowout and we will release a final report to the public within 6 months."

This highly technical and scientific investigation is focusing on a number of matters directly relating to the blowout, including;

• What caused the blowout to occur,
• How Acclaim Energy Trust, the EUB, and all authorities implemented the Upstream Petroleum Incident Support Plan in response to the blowout, and
• The effectiveness of Acclaim Energy Trust's Emergency Response Plan and its implementation, among other matters.

In addition to examining technical matters directly relating to the blowout and the operational history of Acclaim Energy Trust, the investigation is also dealing with the effectiveness of current regulations regarding suspended oil and gas wells. The final report on the investigation will include recommendations on this matter as well as recommendations to avoid similar incidents in the future.

The investigation is led by EUB Board member Jim Dilay and Field Operations Manager Ed May.  The investigation team also includes experienced EUB Field Surveillance professionals, engineers, and other technical experts.  The investigation team will be assisted by two public scientific and technical advisors, University of Alberta Engineering professor Dr. David Wilson and former energy executive Ray Woods. 

The EUB ensures that the discovery, development, and delivery of Alberta's resources and utilities services take place in a manner that is fair, responsible, and in the public interest.

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For more information, please contact:

Brenda Poole Bellows
EUB Communications
Phone: (403) 297-7012
Cellular: (403) 620-7944

NR 2005-02