Fracking in Saskatchewan

Fracking in Saskatchewan

Postby Oscar » Fri Aug 30, 2013 5:56 pm

Fracking Poisons Your Drinking Water

----- Original Message -----
From: Elaine Hughes
To: SK Premier Wall ; Sask EcoNetwork ; Sask Environmental Society
Cc: SK Green - Leader - Larissa Shasko ; SK Liberal - Leader - Ryan Bater ; SK Party Caucus ; SK NDP Caucus

Sent: Tuesday, July 27, 2010 9:15 AM
Subject: Fracking Poisons Your Drinking Water Stand Up to the Oil Giants and Help Stop the Catastrophe

....like, Mr. Wall - this is what will happen with the operation of the Pasquia Hills Oil Shale Project - surrounding, among others, the Town of Hudson Bay, Saskatchewan?

MAP: http://www.oilsandsquest.com/our_projec ... hills.html


Elaine Hughes
Archerwill, SK

= = = = = = = =


"Fracking" Poisons Your Drinking Water: Stand Up to the Oil Giants and Help Stop the Catastrophe

http://www.alternet.org/story/147641/

By John Sellers, Agit-Pop
Posted on July 26, 2010, Printed on July 27, 2010

Seems like everyone is singing the praises of Natural Gas, our newest greenest most homegrown and secure source of American Energy. NOT! "Clean Natural" Gas is neither. Gas extraction, made possible by hydraulic fracturing (or fracking for short) has to sit right beside Deep Sea Drilling, Mountain Top Removal, and Dirty Tar Sands Oil in the pantheon of insane ways to get our carbon fix.

Did you know that Halliburton (yes that Halliburton) pantented fracking: a process that mixes millions of gallons of precious fresh water with a proprietary cocktail of toxics, injects it through our drinking water table, and into the ground at a pressure that will fracture rock? Did you know that when Dick Cheney (yes that Dick) was the VP he fracked the EPA to make sure that this insanity would be exempted from the Safe Drinking Water Act?

Stand Up, New York!

Fracking has brought the gas rush to New York. Some of the biggest and dirtiest names in Big Oil are coming to frack you. And they will not be gentle with New York's world class water features.

You can expect the same dirty drilling that has poisoned the water in Texas, Colorado, Wyoming, and Ohio. Who will be at risk? Everyone downstream. Including the drinking water of tens of million in New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.

If you love NY and NY State as I do (or just love someone who does) then please watch our video, go to http://CleanWaterNotDirtyDrilling.org, and DO SOMETHING!!

John Sellers runs Agit-Pop.

© 2010 Agit-Pop All rights reserved.
View this story online at: http://www.alternet.org/story/147641/


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Are you being fracked?

Published in the Tisdale Recorder on November 24, 2010

It seems that the days of sticking a pipe into the ground and pumping up the oil to feed our addiction to the stuff are over – the easy oil is gone. Now, after years of courting big oil and gas companies with lax regulations and promises of low or non-existent royalties, Saskatchewan is currently under frenzied assault to suck up every last drop of natural gas, oil and coalbed methane using a process called hydraulic fracturing (fracking). Calgary author, Andrew Nikiforuk, describes hydraulic fracturing as “a brute force technology used in 90 per cent of all unconventional oil and gas well drilling which has allowed companies to exploit vast shale deposits across the continent over the last decade.”
The highly pressurized fracking fluids cause mini-earthquakes which breaks open the pores of gas-bearing rock in unpredictable ways along horizontal reaches stretching an average of 1.6 kilometres underground.

Within the last 5 years, some 1000 gas and oil wells have been drilled (12 – 15 boreholes per ‘pad’), mainly over the Bakken Formation in the southern part of the province, although there may be as many or more in northwestern Saskatchewan. And, in the northeast, we have discovered the Pasquia Hills Oil Shale Project owned by Calgary-based Oilsands Quest Inc. with exploration permits on 490,000 acres surrounding the small town of Hudson Bay in beautiful northeastern Saskatchewan.

Simply put, fracking involves injecting, under extreme pressure, enormous volumes of water, sand and chemicals thousands of feet into rock formations to force dense gas and oil shales to fracture, or crack, enabling the gas or oil to escape and flow back to the surface where it is piped into storage tanks and to market. The industry can achieve faster payback and further increase the scope of fracking by many kilometers by drilling horizontal wells, where the drill bit is steered along a horizontal trajectory thousands of additional feet – out of sight under farms, towns, and cities.

Sydney, Australia is the latest victim, with drilling to begin within months only blocks from city center. In the meantime, citing health and environmental concerns, Pittsburgh’s city council unanimously passed a ban on natural gas drilling within city limits.

Not surprisingly, there are many major environmental and health concerns with this disaster-in-the-making activity.

Millions of gallons of fresh water (from 5,000 – 3 million gallons, 100-200 dusty and noisy truckloads per well), possibly coming from the same source used for your household drinking wells, ranching and farming. Apparently, "a single permit held by Encana gave it access to water at 71 different locations (in BC) for a combined daily maximum of 16,117 cubic metres or nearly six-and-a-half Olympic swimming pools worth of water per day."

Between 20 and 70 percent of this water remains underground, lost forever from the finite supply on the Planet. And, since no one knows where the aquifers are, their size or their shape, the risk of contaminating your precious underground water is enormous – despite industry assurances that this is a safe procedure; that pipes don’t leak, that cement doesn’t crack!

The produced water, loaded with hundreds of unknown chemicals, which does manage to come to the surface cannot be reused in another well and is placed into closed storage tanks or pumped into large, open holding pits and left to evaporate. This evaporation allows toxic, volatile chemicals to be released into the air and it concentrates the non-volatiles in the pits. Also, evaporation pits have been known to leak or overflow, potentially contaminating the soil and local water sources. Out of the chemicals known to be used in hydraulic fracturing for which basic information is available, 96 percent provide a warning about eye and/or skin harm, 94 percent warn about respiratory system harm, and 49 percent warn about brain or neurological harm that can occur either when the chemicals are inhaled or when they come into contact with skin. (Feb. 2009 study, “Products and Chemicals Used in Fracturing”, The Endocrine Disruption Exchange)

In natural gas fracturing, up to 435 chemical products are known to be used, many of them carcinogenic or toxic to humans and wildlife, even in very small doses. Apparently, Alberta Environment found the human carcinogen, hexavalent chromium (Chromium-6 – think Erin Brockovich) in Rosebud, AB area well water – where tap water has enough natural gas in it to actually ignite! Great secrecy (to keep the company’s ‘competitive edge’) surrounds the list of chemicals used which prevents landowners and, in some cases, government agencies from conducting proper water quality tests.

So, if there’s a knock on your door one day and a representative from an oil and gas company is there, saying they own the ‘sub-surface rights’ to your property and they’re about to drill for natural gas – without your knowledge or permission - you’ll know you’ve been fracked!

Elaine Hughes
Archerwill, SK

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NEW RECORD SET FOR DRILLING OF HORIZONTAL OIL WELLS

[ http://www.gov.sk.ca/news?newsId=047921 ... ee3ab78ff4 ]

News Release - January 13, 2011

Saskatchewan has set a new record for the drilling of horizontal oil wells in the province.

Year-end statistics from the Ministry of Energy and Resources show that 1,531 horizontal oil wells were drilled in 2010. That's an 88 per cent increase over the figure for 2009 and a 13 per cent increase over the previous record set in 2008.

"Horizontal well drilling has now become the standard in the Canadian oil industry," Energy and Resources Minister Bill Boyd said. "Twenty years ago it was experimental technology that our province pioneered, but now it represents more than 50 per cent of our total oil production."

Horizontal wells accounted for 56 per cent of the 2,730 oil wells drilled in Saskatchewan last year. The 2,730 figure is a 70 per cent increase over the number of oil wells drilled in 2009 and was above the 2,360 yearly average for oil wells drilled over the last five years.

Boyd noted that horizontal oil wells involve more complicated drilling processes and require more work by his ministry to review and approve well licenses. The ministry is accordingly hiring eight additional staff in its well licensing areas and field offices to deal with industry demands.

"Our oil industry bounced back from a more challenging year in 2009 with great drilling numbers and increased activity in land sales," Boyd said. "We're looking forward to a strong 2011 from the industry and are working hard as a government to be responsive to that activity, and in particular to this new trend in horizontal drilling."

Last year, the province's oil and gas industry recorded approximately $10.5 billion in sales and invested $3.3 billion in exploration and development activity. It provides direct and indirect employment for more than 29,000 people. -30-

For more information, contact:

Bob Ellis, Energy and Resources, Regina
Phone: 306-787-1691
Email: robert.ellis@gov.sk.ca

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

APRIL LAND SALE TOPS $100 MILLION

[ http://www.gov.sk.ca/news?newsId=a7aca7 ... 34bde9903e ]

News Release - April 14, 2011

Heightened interest in the southwest's Shaunavon oil play has significantly boosted revenue from the latest sale of Crown petroleum and natural gas rights.

The Shaunavon play accounted for more than half the total in April's sale, which brought in $109 million in revenue for the province. Land sale revenues for the 2011 calendar year stand at $152 million after two sales.

The latest sale was the third best on record for an April sale. It also marked the seventh time in the last three years that a single land sale has topped $100 million.

"This was a great sale, based on both the quantity and the quality of the bids we received," Energy and Resources Minister Bill Boyd said. "We had the usual strong interest in the Bakken play, but our rich oil resources in the southwest are obviously causing a stir in the industry.

"Land sales are a key barometer of future activity in the industry, and based on what we've seen over the last 15 months from our sales, the forecast is very bright indeed for increased investment by the industry - investment that results in jobs and prosperity for the people of Saskatchewan."

April's sale included 16 petroleum and natural gas exploration licences that sold for $26.2 million and 311 lease parcels that attracted $82.5 million in bonus bids.

The Swift Current area, on the strength of the Shaunavon play, received the most bids with sales of $56.6 million. The Weyburn-Estevan area was next at $40.4 million, followed by the Kindersley-Kerrobert area at $7.8 million and the Lloydminster area at $4 million.

The highest price for a single parcel was $7.3 million, paid by Husky Oil Operations Ltd. for a 2,331-hectare exploration licence southwest of Estevan along the Canada-United States border.

The highest price on a per-hectare basis was $10,214. Villanova Oil Corp. bid $320,000 for a 31-hectare lease parcel near Carnduff.

A special exploratory permit block on offer west of Hudson Bay received a work commitment bid of $200,000 from Lane Land Services Ltd.

The next sale of Crown petroleum and natural gas dispositions will be held on June 6, 2011. -30-

For more information, contact:

Bob Ellis, Energy and Resources, Regina
Phone: 306-787-1691
Email: robert.ellis@gov.sk.ca

= = = = = =

STRONG FEBRUARY LAND SALE GENERATES $43.4 MILLION

[ http://www.gov.sk.ca/news?newsId=1e6461 ... 44f6e584eb ]

News Release - February 10, 2011

The first sale of Crown petroleum and natural gas rights in 2011 is building on where a resurgent 2010 left off.

February's sale generated $43.4 million in revenue for the province, the second-highest total for a February sale.

With this figure total revenue from land sales for the 2010-11 fiscal year amounts to $467 million, the second-best fiscal year on record and more than three times the revenue collected in 2009-10.

"Our oil and gas industry has really roared back over the past year, and that's great news for our economy and for Saskatchewan people," Energy and Resources Minister Bill Boyd said. "This was a smaller sale in terms of parcels posted, so to see this strong result for the first sale of 2011 is a good signal of the activity we can expect this year.

"What's also exciting about this sale is quite simply the range of interest by the industry. ‘Star' oil plays like the Bakken and Lower Shaunavon continue to attract investment but companies are also putting their acquisition dollars into emerging plays like the Viking and the Birdbear, and now in this sale the deep Red River oil play near Montmartre."

February's sale included 28 petroleum and natural gas exploration licences that sold for $26.1 million and 201 lease parcels that attracted $17.3 million in bonus bids.

The Weyburn-Estevan area received the most bids with sales of $18.1 million, of which $7 million was paid for exploration licences around the Red River play. The Kindersley-Kerrobert area was next at $16.9 million, followed by the Lloydminster area at $5.6 million and the Swift Current area at $2.8 million.

The highest price for a single parcel was $3.5 million, paid by Prairie Land & Investment Services Ltd. for an 8,612-hectare exploration licence near the Forgan Viking Sand Pool, midway between Rosetown and Swift Current.

The highest price on per-hectare basis was $16,789. Canadian Coastal Resources Ltd. bid $1 million for a 61-hectare lease parcel near Stoughton.

A special exploratory permit block on offer south of Hudson Bay received a work commitment bid of $500,000 from Lane Land Services Ltd.

The next sale of Crown petroleum and natural gas dispositions will be held on April 11, 2011. -30-

For more information, contact:

Bob Ellis, Energy and Resources, Regina
Phone: 306-787-1691
Email: robert.ellis@gov.sk.ca

= = = = =

JUNE LAND SALE YIELDS $41 MILLION

[ http://www.gov.sk.ca/news?newsId=819a6b ... e5f220a2c3 ]

News Release - June 9, 2011

The June sale of petroleum and natural gas rights brought in $40.9 million in revenue, making it the third best on record for a June sale. Land sale revenue for the 2011 calendar year now stands at $193 million.

"This sale marks a record 11 consecutive land sales that have surpassed the $30 million mark," Energy and Resources Minister Bill Boyd said. "This sustained interest from industry is very positive. It tells us industry sees a stable, long-term future in Saskatchewan's oil patch. It's also a vote of confidence in the province's overall business climate.

"It's always exciting to watch the action when prime Bakken and Shaunavon parcels are posted, and this sale was no exception. I was also pleased to see that all corners of the oil patch continue to contribute to the sale, from St. Walburg in the north to Consul in the southwest to Storthoaks in the southeast and points in between."

June's sale included eight petroleum and natural gas exploration licences that sold for $3.5 million and 260 lease parcels that attracted $37.4 million in bonus bids.

The Weyburn-Estevan area received the most bids with sales of $21.5 million. The Lloydminster area was next at $7.9 million, followed by the Kindersley-Kerrobert area at $6.1 million and the Swift Current area at $5.4 million.

The highest price for a single parcel was $3.7 million. Prairie Land & Investment Services Ltd. Acquired this 62.28-hectare lease parcel near Stoughton. This parcel also had the highest price on a per-hectare basis of $60,302.

The next sale of Crown petroleum and natural gas dispositions will be held on August 8, 2011. -30-

For more information, contact:

Bob Ellis
Energy and Resources
Regina
Phone: 306-787-1691
Email: robert.ellis@gov.sk.ca


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SASKATCHEWAN HOSTS WILLISTON BASIN PETROLEUM CONFERENCE

[ http://www.gov.sk.ca/news?newsId=106122 ... eefbbff9e6 ]

News Release - April 29, 2011

Saskatchewan is once again playing host to one of the most important annual gatherings of North America's petroleum industry and is "going big" in the process.

The 19th Williston Basin Petroleum Conference takes place next week, May 1 to 3, in Regina. More than 1,700 delegates from Saskatchewan, Alberta, Manitoba and throughout the United States are expected at the "Go Big" conference. They will participate in a range of industry research and technology sessions.

Energy and Resources Minister Bill Boyd is a keynote speaker at the conference along with Harrison Schmitt, one of the last astronauts to walk on the moon.

"This conference has grown from modest beginnings to become a showcase for the thriving oil industry in this region," Boyd said. "Our informal ‘Go Big' theme speaks not only to the bustling industry activity of Saskatchewan and its neighbours, but also to the phenomenal interest in this year's conference that has resulted in a much larger venue and twice as many exhibitors."

Boyd's presentation on Tuesday will be an overview of Saskatchewan's oil industry, highlighting the favourable geology, positive business climate, and the innovative technologies that make this province one of the most competitive oil jurisdictions around.

Oil production in the province totalled just over 154 million barrels in 2010. The province's oil and gas industry recorded approximately $10.5 billion in sales last year and invested $3.3 billion in new exploration and development. It provides direct and indirect employment for more than 29,000 people.

Conference highlights include the address by Schmitt, the only geologist to walk on the moon as part of the Apollo 17 mission, as well as a free "Oil and Gas Basics" public awareness session on the importance of the province's oil industry.

The Williston Basin Conference is co-sponsored by the Ministry of Energy and Resources, the Petroleum Technology Research Centre, the North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources, and North Dakota Petroleum Council. Each year the venue alternates between Saskatchewan and North Dakota.

The Williston Basin is a petroleum producing region that spans south eastern Saskatchewan and parts of North and South Dakota, Montana and Manitoba.

More information on the conference is available online at
www.wbpc.ca. -30-

For more information, contact:

Bob Ellis
Energy and Resources
Regina
Phone: 306-787-1691
Email: robert.ellis@gov.sk.ca

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

----- Original Message -----
From: Elaine Hughes
To: Sask EcoNetwork ; Sask Environmental Society ; Nature Saskatchewan ; Council of Canadians
Cc: SDWF ; Sierra Club Prairie ; SK Green - Leader - Larissa Shasko ; SK NDP Caucus
Sent: Saturday, August 20, 2011 1:56 PM
Subject: New West Partnership and project charter – "Collaboration and Information Sharing, Industry Water Use and Hydraulic Fracture Technology

I hope everyone in (northeast) Saskatchewan is ready for this!!!
Looks like our turn for this insanity is just around the corner!

Elaine Hughes
Archerwill, SK

= = = = = = =

BRIEFING NOTE: SUBJECT: New West Partnership and project charter – "Collaboration and Information Sharing, Industry Water Use and Hydraulic Fracture Technology"

[ http://www.scribd.com/doc/62597277/Frac ... efing-Note ]

DATE: August 3, 2011

ISSUE: The Minister’s of Energy for British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan signed a Memorandum of Understanding December 16, 2010 to provide for collaboration and joint action on issues related to unconventional shale gas development. One of several priority initiatives of the partnership is to work together to address fracture technology and water issues.

This briefing includes information on the water and technology collaboration working group that has been assembled from the three provinces, including staff from the Water Policy Branch of Alberta Environment.

Support for the project charter is requested from the Assistant Deputy Minister for Environmental Policy.

BACKGROUND:

In addition to other ongoing projects in Alberta that address shale gas regulatory issues the Ministries of Energy of the three western provinces have formed the New West Partnership
[ http://www.newwestpartnership.ca/ ] to foster collaboration between the three provinces on emerging energy issues. A copy of the New West Partnership Memorandum of Understanding is attached.

One priority initiative of the partnership is to foster information sharing and collaboration between regulatory agencies in the three provinces. The project mandate is provided in an update to the New West Partnership signed by the Deputy Ministers for Energy in April 2011:

"Collaboration and Information Sharing, Industry Water Use and Hydraulic Fracturing Technology. This is a priority for all three provinces. A working group will develop and share information on best practices related to water use, leading to the development of standards. A work plan will be developed by July 2011, with 18 months to develop recommendations for industry standards or guidelines."

The British Columbia Ministry of Energy and Mines is the lead agency for the project. Staff from the Alberta Ministry of Energy, Alberta Environment and the Energy Resources Conservation Board provide input to the working group for Alberta.

A project charter has been drafted by the interprovincial "collaboration and information" working group to provide scope and objectives for the project. The charter includes a work plan for delivery of results over an 18 month period, beginning in July 2011. Members of the working group are listed in section 5.0 of the project charter (attached). Collaboration and Information Sharing, Industry Water Use and Hydraulic Fracture Technology, Project Charter

The working group accepted all of Alberta’s input during development of the project charter. Peter Watson, the Deputy Minster for the Ministry of Energy is Alberta’s representative on the project steering committee. The project charter will be signed by the Deputy Minister for the Ministry of Energy and by corresponding authorities in British Columbia and Saskatchewan after the proposed charter is reviewed and accepted by the project steering committee.

Alberta Environment groundwater policy staff currently provide policy support for shale gas water management issues within the ongoing Energy Resource Conservation Board Unconventional Gas Review and will also provide input to the New West Partnership project.

The Alberta Ministry of Energy, Unconventional Gas, has identified the following policy initiatives related to shale gas development in Alberta and Western Canada:

New West Partnership – Collaboration and Information Sharing, Industry Water Use and Fracking technology project.

The purpose of this committee is to develop and share information on best practices related to water use, leading to the development of standards. The Resource Development branch is coordinating DoE, ERCB and AENV engagement on this committee which also includes CAPP participation.

Shale Gas Review Phase 1 (DoE).  

The objective of this phase of the review is focused on information gathering and preliminary analysis to determine the potential nature and extent of changes to the policy framework, if any, to address shale gas development in Alberta. The Resource Development Branch is leading this project.

Shale Gas Communications (GoA/CAPP& CSUG). CAPP has approached the GOA requesting collaboration to enhance public communication on Alberta shale gas development. The DOE along with SRD, AENV and ERCB, are currently reviewing the CAPP request to determine the level of government involvement. 

Shale Gas Committee (DoE) – Established in 2008 and chaired by Resource Development, this cross ministry committee shares information and will be used to facilitate and support Phase 1 of the Shale Gas Policy Framework Review and to enable enhanced coordination and communication on the progress of related GoA and industry association initiatives.

Alberta Natural Gas Strategy (DoE) – Led by Economics and Markets. A natural gas strategy document is under development. It will focus on maintaining short-term industry investment and longer term competitiveness of the Alberta and Western Canadian natural gas industry through efforts on research and technological development and the promotion of new markets.

Well Spacing Framework (ERCB) - the ERCB has proposed to remove subsurface well-density controls for CBM and shale gas reservoirs province-wide. Stakeholder feedback on the proposal was closed as of January 21, 2011. The ERCB is analyzing and evaluating select elements of the feedback received.

Unconventional Resources Regulatory Framework Project (ERCB) – The ERCB is looking at improvements to enhance an effective and efficient regulatory framework for unconventional gas and oil development to further mitigate risks to resource conservation, public safety, the environment, and to ensure orderly development, while using the least intrusive regulatory tool to mitigate risks. 

Shale Gas Water Use Strategy (ERCB,AENV) - This policy initiative is lead by ERCB, as a component within the ERCB's overall Unconventional Gas Review.  AENV staff and ERCB staff are collaborating to gather information from industry, and develop short-term medium-term and long-term actions to address water use, transport, storage and disposal issues for water in unconventional (shale) gas development areas.

Shale Gas Mapping and Geological Study (AGS) - DoE commissioned a study to generate maps and resource characterization reports. Reports will include resource assessment for gas, condensate and oil.

Review of the Water Conservation and Allocation Policy (AENV) – This review will be investigating potential regulatory options to effectively manage water uses for oil and gas development (conventional and unconventional reserves). 

CCME – A backgrounder briefing has been requested to outline what was agreed to and the timelines for completion.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

Groundwater policy staff recommend that the New West partnership "Collaboration and Information sharing project" is of value in overall regulatory and policy development for shale gas development. The project charter supports development of improved communication with the public and stakeholders, sharing of information and collaboration on shale gas issues that are common to the three provinces.

Shale gas environmental concerns in the media and in the public in other jurisdictions are potentially problematic for energy development and environmental management in Alberta. Proactive collaboration by regulatory agencies in the three western provinces is one of several initiatives that may provide for better environmental outcomes and enhanced assurance for the public and local residents in areas of rapid development.

Several initiatives are underway by different groups within government and industry in Alberta and across Canada to address emerging issues and public interest concerns related to ongoing shale gas development in the United States, and emerging issues in Canada. It will be essential to maintain coordination between the different initiatives to prevent overlap and wasted effort. The New West Partnership project will expand collaboration and establish effective working relationships between provincial agencies that have separate mandates. Each province will continue to exercise independent regulatory processes and polices for energy development and environmental management.

An initiative has begun (July 2011) to address disclosure of fracture fluid chemistry publicly, lead by British Columbia Ministry of Energy and Mines and the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers. This objective is included in the collaboration and information sharing project and will be the first deliverable of the project charter.

The Ministry of Energy is seeking the support of Alberta Environment for this project, through the Environmental Policy Division. Financial contributions are not needed. Staff time will be needed to support the work team (.25FTE over 1.5 years), within the context of ongoing water policy development for the oil and gas industry.

MINISTER’S COMMENTS/DECISION:

CONTACT: Robert George, TELEPHONE: 780-644-1122

SUBMITTED BY: Environmental Policy Requires legislative/regulatory change

New West Partnership - Collaboration and Information Sharing, Industry Water Use and Hydraulic Fracture Technology Project Charter

Signature Date

British Columbia Ministry of Energy & Mines Deputy Minister

Steve Carr

Alberta Ministry of Energy Deputy Minister

Peter Watson

Saskatchewan Ministry of Energy & Resources Deputy Minister

Kent Campbell

Project Purpose

To develop a common understanding and approach to collaboration and information sharing, industry water use and hydraulic fracturing technology in British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan as identified in the New West Partnership Priority:

Collaboration and Information Sharing, Industry Water Use and Hydraulic Fracture Technology. A working group will develop and share information on best practices related to water use, leading to the development of standards. A workplan will be developed by July 2011, with 18 months to develop recommendations for industry standards or guidelines.

Lead: British Columbia

Project Background

The development of unconventional shale gas resources in Western Canada began in about 2005. Innovative application of known technologies like horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing has allowed for development of previously uneconomic, deeply buried, gas-rich shales. This shift in exploration and development strategies has seen a wide range of techniques being tested and matched to different shale rock properties. In a number of situations, companies use very high water volumes to support a "slick water" type hydraulic fracture. Water used for initial shale gas exploration may be non-saline from surface or groundwater sources but full scale commercial operations need to consider the use of saline water. Hydraulic fracturing fluids can include water, hydrocarbons, gels or inert-gas based foams. Where high volumes of water are used, evaluation of alternative water sources and appropriate treatment and re-use of water can support a program of good water use management. U.S. reports on hydraulic fracturing and water usage have received considerable public attention.

British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan have extensive regulatory environments governing traditional use of water for the development of oil and gas resources. With the advent of some types of shale gas fracturing techniques potentially creating a new large water use category a review of best practices and guidelines along with a consideration of what factors may benefit from a common western approach is needed to address regulatory outcomes, community concerns and industry’s need for water.

Objectives

The key objectives of this project are:

To provide more confidence that hydraulic fracturing use of water for shale gas development is well managed;

To support the achievement of regulatory outcomes; and

To address concerns from the local community and help to address industry’s need for water.

The project will assess industry practices and government regulations on water use to support shale gas development in the western provinces. The project will help to demonstrate that shale gas extraction is viable, safe and environmentally sustainable.

These objectives will be accomplished by pursuing outcomes in the following areas:

Review of shared information, development of industry practices (for consideration by government and industry) on water use requirements for hydraulic fracturing, identification of options for alternative water sourcing, water treatment and re-use, and fracture fluid disclosure. Provincial agencies will share information on hydraulic fracturing water use regulatory requirements in each of the three provinces, including water conservation and alternate sources of water, recycling and disposal of flow back water from hydraulic fracturing. Each province may develop provincial strategies for effective water management in areas of shale gas development;

Review opportunities for the western provinces to enhance communication and education of stakeholders and the public with consistent water use messages and terminology; and

Examine needs for surface and groundwater baseline information, including measurement and reporting while considering opportunities for common protocols or reporting systems. Technical requirements for baseline investigations (shallow fresh water aquifers and surface water) will be considered and appropriate recommendations for baseline investigation procedures and monitoring requirements will be prepared. Fundamental principles of environmental assurance will be developed and principles of baseline investigations, monitoring and investigation of potential environmental impact incidents will be developed, if possible, that are adaptable to the wide diversity of circumstances across the three Western provinces.

Scope In Scope:

The scope of the project includes water use for hydraulic fracturing in British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan’s shale gas development areas. The scope includes science and possible future policy development based on best practices in support of conservation and responsible use of surface water and groundwater.

While fundamental water use principles may be common, the shale gas and water conditions may vary between the provinces and within different parts of a province. Accordingly, the project will not change provincial regulations or require any province to adopt a single best practice or guideline. The project should consider work currently being done on some of these issues and leverage off of this work rather than duplicating it. The project will focus on development of guidelines/best practices and fundamental water management principles that are adaptable to the variability found within a wide variety of resource constraints and competing development pressures.

Industry stakeholders will be consulted to compile a summary of current industry water use practices and a summary of current industry research and development initiatives. Recommendations for best practices will be reviewed and summarized.

The water chart on the following page will guide the discussions and areas of focus. (***Go to URL above)

Out of Scope:

The project does not include:

coal bed methane development; oil shale development; new scientific research or water supply inventory or monitoring across the three provinces or the harmonization of legislation or specific regulatory procedures across the three provinces. Individual provinces will continue to be responsible for policy development and appropriate regulation of industry within their jurisdiction; consideration of bilateral agreements to address or harmonize water use issues in areas of cross-border shale gas plays; and major deliverables.

The deliverable documents for this project may include:

Recommendations on the disclosure of fluids and the development of a hydraulic fracturing chemical registry;

Explore and make recommendations on the use of "green" chemicals in hydraulic fracturing;

Updated or new Industry Best Practices/Guidelines for water use in shale gas hydraulic fracturing where there is a common need in British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan;

Recommendations for future development of baseline environmental evaluations (water) and monitoring systems to provide public assurance or environmental sustainability in development areas;

Recommendations for future development of new data gathering and reporting systems including updated or new water use and fracture fluid information reports (compilation and public reporting);

Enhanced or consistent communication documents and key messages about shale gas development;

Plans to address gaps in knowledge, research and industry practices or regulatory procedures. The project will document strategies within each province to address emerging shale gas water use issues; and

Outline of hydraulic fracturing technology is needed for water in shale gas development as well as descriptions of approved experimental projects in Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia. 

Stakeholders

The following stakeholders’ (internal and external) interests must be considered throughout the project:

Stakeholder
Participants

Internal  
BC Ministry of Energy and Mines
Linda Beltrano, Executive Director (Project Manager)

Oil & Gas Division
Geoscience & Strategic Initiatives Branch
Adrian Hickin, A/Director
Elizabeth Johnson, Senior Hydro Geologist
Pat Kajda, Project Administrator

BC Oil and Gas Commission
Mayka Kennedy, Assistant Deputy Commissioner, Engineering
Howard Madill, Director, Stewardship

Alberta Ministry of Energy
Unconventional Gas Unit
Doug Bowes, Director
Peter Weclaw, Manager
Alberta Ministry of Environment
Groundwater Policy Branch
Ross Nairne, Head
Robert George, Water Policy Advisor

Alberta Sustainable Resource Development
Jeff Reynolds, Executive Director, Land Management Branch

Energy Resources Conservation Board (ERCB)
Bob Willard
Cal Hill

Saskatchewan Ministry of Energy and Resources
Ed Dancsok, Assistant Deputy Minister, Petroleum and Natural Gas Division
Todd Han, Director, Petroleum Development

External  
Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP)
Richard Dunn Lara Conrad Christa Seaman

Issues and Constraints

Issues and constraints that could impact project success include:

Misinformation in the public media and communities facing shale gas development pressure;

Lack of cross-provincial coordination of water use and energy policies and regulations;

Emerging number of other potentially competing cross-provincial activities affecting shale gas development (e.g. Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) - Yellowknife, New West Partnership (NWP), Energy & Mines Ministers-Kananaskis) and the need for a coordinating plan;

Lack of established government and coordinated communication strategies for water use for shale gas development issues within provincial governments and in the New West Partnership; and

Lack of complete information in the context of a rapidly evolving industry.Project Work Plan Overview

It is anticipated this project will take 18 months. See attached Work Plan for details:

Critical Success Factors - Critical success factors essential for achieving successful life cycle program implementation include:

Communication;

Stakeholder participation;

Coordination and collaboration amongst stakeholders;

Reduction in duplication;

Management support; and

Identification and assignment of dedicated resources.

Risk Assessment

The following is a high level overview of risks that may be incurred by industry/government. Greater depth risk analysis will be needed and developed as work on Best Practices/Guidelines proceeds.

The public is exposed to a mixed package of information and may not be able to come to an informed decision;

Environmental Non-Government organizations (ENGOs) are supporting a ill-informed campaign on hydraulic fracturing and water related issues in British Columbia and in other jurisdictions and this is expected to grow as shale gas development expands into Alberta and Saskatchewan;

The New West Partnership lacks a cohesive inter-governmental and inter-agency strategy to address growing public concern in the rapid expansion of shale gas development;

Positioning and policy development in other jurisdictions may affect individual province’s competitive position and the ability of the three provinces to develop independent, effective and protective regulatory practices; and

The development of tight oil plays at the same time and in similar areas to shale gas development may produce confusion as to potentially overlapping regulatory requirements, best practices and separate water use issues.

New West Partnership Industry Guidelines/Best Practices for Water Use/Fracturing Workplan

(***Go to original URL above for correct formatting)

Issue
Anticipated Deliverable
Timelines

Establishment of New West Partnership team
Participants to include regulatory bodies and CAPP

Share point site has been established and access for all identified members
June

Issue Identification
Identification of issues that arise from fracturing and specifically water usage in BC/Alta/Sask
July

Development of Project Charter and Work Plan
Work plan to be sent to Deputies for sign off
July (to be completed by July 30)

Draft operational principles
Identification of common issues and principles BC/Alta/Sask and CAPP operate under
August/September

Workshop
Purpose of the workshop is to:

Principles, Regulations, Demand/Supply Models, Strategies/Best Practices presently being used
August 16

Communication Plan
Development of communication plan/strategy that deals with multi-stakeholders – communities, First Nations, ENGOs, etc. over time
Underway to be completed by August 16 workshop

Acts /Regulations/Practices
Identification of BC/Alta/Sask regulation/legislation/practices that affect water use for fracturing of shale gas wells
August/September

Hydraulic Fracture
Announcement regarding Hydraulic Fracturing Disclosure and Registry
September 6 – 7 2011 BC Oil and Gas Conference

Fort Nelson, BC

Comparison and gaps
Identification of differences and gaps in industry practices and regulatory water management requirements in the three provinces
September/October

Jurisdictional review of
US policies
To determine best practices and status compared to US jurisdictions
October 

Review best practices that could work for a western province perspective
- The focus is to begin with fundamental principles and strategies to address common issues of water usage by hydraulic fracturing

-Review of industry best practices will include variations in practices in different jurisdictions and development areas

-Existing variations in industry water management and variations in water supply needs and water recycling opportunities will be considered

-Water policy areas that may be considered for further development of Guidelines/Best Practices:

Depth of fracturing, Chemical usage and reporting, Use of alternative saline water, Recycling technology, Flow back, Use of fresh surface water and non-saline groundwater, Ground water

Water demand, Storage, Disposal

Fall/winter 2011/2012

Update
Mid progress report
April 2012

Final Report and recommendations to the Ministers
  February 2013

Note: This project may be completed prior to the 18 month period identified by New West Partnership.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

AUGUST LAND SALE BRINGS IN $21.7 MILLION


[ http://gov.sk.ca/news?newsId=1b675631-4 ... 86e5daa091 ]

News Release - August 11, 2011

The August sale of Crown petroleum and natural gas rights has generated $21.7 million in revenue for the province. This brings land sale revenues for the 2011 calendar year to $214.9 million.

While the August revenue numbers were down from those for recent sales, Energy and Resources Minister Bill Boyd was pleased with the overall result.

"We were expecting a smaller sale after two years of intense land acquisition by our oil industry," Boyd said. "The sale numbers demonstrate continuing and sustained interest in our oil patch, but I believe what we're also seeing now is an evaluation by companies of the properties they currently have, plus a budgetary focus on coordinating drilling programs in areas that had been affected by the wet conditions this year."

"Drilling continues to be ahead of last year, with a record number of rigs working in the province. And clearly the industry has confidence in Saskatchewan, as evidenced by our province's number one investment ranking for Canada in the Fraser Institute's 2011 Global Petroleum Survey."

August's sale included 186 lease parcels that attracted the $21.7 million in bonus bids.

The Weyburn-Estevan area received the most bids with sales of $11 million. The Lloydminster area was next at $5.7 million, followed by the Swift Current area at $2.8 million and the Kindersley-Kerrobert area at $2.2 million.

The highest price for a single parcel was $1.1 million. Prairie Land & Investment Services Ltd. acquired this 518-hectare lease parcel southwest of Estevan.

The highest price on a per-hectare basis was $8,889. Highrock Energy Ltd. and Villanova Oil Corp. cost-shared a bid of $779,911 for an 88-hectare lease parcel between Manor and Redvers.

The next sale of Crown petroleum and natural gas and oil shale dispositions will be held on October 3, 2011. -30-

For more information, contact:

Bob Ellis
Energy and Resources
Regina
Phone: 306-787-1691
Email: robert.ellis@gov.sk.ca


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fracking continues to assault Saskatchewan farm land!

----- Original Message -----
From: Elaine Hughes
To: Council of Canadians ; Sask EcoNetwork ; Sask Environmental Society ; SK Watershed Auth. ; The Ecologist Magazine
Cc: David Suzuki Foundation ; Dr. David B. Brooks ; Dr. David Schindler ; Ecojustice ; Environmental Defence ; Beyond Factory Farming ; Food For All Coalition ; Friends of the Earth ; GRAIN - Devlin Kuyek ; Greenpeace ; Lake Ontario Waterkeeper ; May, Elizabeth GPC ; Nature Canada ; Nature Saskatchewan ; NFU ; Plamondon, Louis BLOC ; Rae, Bob, Liberal ; Safe And Green Energy ; Safe Communities ; Safe Drinking Water Foundation ; Sask. Wildlife Fed. ; Cdn. Parks & Wilderness ; Cdn. Wildlife Federation ; Sierra Club - Can. ; Sierra Club Prairie ; SK NDP Caucus ; SK Tourism ; The Current ; TURMEL, Nycole - NDP
Sent: Thursday, December 08, 2011 10:18 AM
Subject: ACTION ALERT!!! Fracking continues to assault Saskatchewan farm land!

Friends,

Pass this email to all of your contacts - across Saskatchewan and the country - fracking knows no boundaries! It knows no limits!

Hydraulic fracturing (fracking) is aggressively assaulting millions of acres of Saskatchewan park, prairie and agricultural land - land that's needed for the production of food - the Saskatchewan Government is out-of-control; it also knows NO LIMITS!

It puts our land, water, air, wildlife, livestock, property value, livelihoods and people's health and well being at enormous risk.

This is NOT the way way to develop a SUSTAINABLE economy for this province! This is NOT the way to ensure food sovereignty for you and your grandchildren!

How long before you discover your town or home in the same unlivable condition as did Rosebud, Alberta?  

See:
[ http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2011/04/28/FrackingSuit/ ] 

For more info on the destruction caused by fracking, please also go to:
[ http://forum.stopthehogs.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=31 ] 

Please, if you suspect this activity going on near you, get your wells and dugouts tested ASAP - this is CRITICAL!

Elaine Hughes
Archerwill, SK

= = = = = = =

QUOTE: ""Our drilling numbers, especially those for horizontal wells, continue to track well ahead of last year's pace and the demand for drilling and service rigs remains higher here than in Alberta and British Columbia. This activity and these recent land acquisitions bode well for an industry that helps drive our economy and which invests more than $4 billion into exploration and development work each year.""

- - - -

DECEMBER LAND SALE EXCEEDS $20 MILLION MARK

[ http://www.gov.sk.ca/news?newsId=4d16ea ... 72a315bf65 ]

News Release - December 8, 2011

The December sale of Crown petroleum and natural gas rights has brought in $20.8 million in revenue for the province, capping another solid year of land sales.

Total land sale revenue for the 2011 calendar year amounted to $248.8 million, making 2011 the fourth-best on record for land sale revenues.

"We're pleased by the strong interest companies expressed in the parcels on offer in the December sale," Energy and Resources Minister Bill Boyd said. "We've seen a trend in the latter part of the year of companies concentrating on working the assets they have already acquired.

"Our drilling numbers, especially those for horizontal wells, continue to track well ahead of last year's pace and the demand for drilling and service rigs remains higher here than in Alberta and British Columbia. This activity and these recent land acquisitions bode well for an industry that helps drive our economy and which invests more than $4 billion into exploration and development work each year."

December's sale included 212 lease parcels that attracted $20.3 million in bonus bids and three petroleum and natural gas exploration licences that sold for $486,000.

The Weyburn-Estevan area received the most bids with sales of $13.2 million. The Lloydminster area was next at $4.1 million, followed by the Kindersley-Kerrobert area at $2 million and the Swift Current area at $1.5 million.

The highest price for a single parcel was $905,000. Villanova Oil Corp. acquired this 259-hectare lease parcel east of Estevan.

The highest price on a per-hectare basis was $7,878. Midale Petroleums Ltd. bid $255,000 for a 32-hectare lease parcel southeast of Oxbow.

An oil shale special exploratory permit block on offer east of Nipawin received a work commitment bid of $2 million from Prairie Land & Investment Services Ltd.

The next sale of Crown petroleum and natural gas dispositions will be held on February 6, 2012. -30-

For more information, contact:
Bob Ellis
Energy and Resources
Regina
Phone: 306-787-1691
Email: robert.ellis@gov.sk.ca


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FRACKING MADNESS CONTINUES . . . .

----- Original Message -----
From: Elaine Hughes
To: Council of Canadians
Cc: Safe Drinking Water Foundation ; Safe And Green Energy ; Safe Communities ; Sask EcoNetwork ; Sask Environmental Society ; Sierra Club - Can. ; SK Watershed Auth. ; The Ecologist Magazine ; May, Elizabeth GPC ; LAU, Vi-Leader-SK Green
Sent: Friday, January 13, 2012 7:31 PM
Subject: FRACKING MADNESS CONTINUES . . . . SASKATCHEWAN RELEASES REGULATORY PROGRESS REPORT DURING RED TAPE AWARENESS WEEK

Coupled with the New West Partnership (below) and the alarming rate of expansion of fracking insanity in this province, this does not bode well for the future of Saskatchewan residents' drinking water, lifestyle or health!

Mr. Wall appears to be following the strategy of the Prime Minister and is getting regulations in places and conditions 'just right' in order to push his agenda forward - unimpeded by those pesky 'radical environmentalists'!

= = = = = =

EVENT: Jessica Ernst Presentation at St. Peter's Abbey in Muenster, SK on Jan. 28, 1:00 pm. Tell your friends! Bring a carload!
Elaine
- - - - - - -

QUOTE: "The public is exposed to a mixed package of information and may not be able to come to an informed decision;
Environmental Non-Government organizations (ENGOs) are supporting a ill-informed campaign on hydraulic fracturing and water related issues in British Columbia and in other jurisdictions and this is expected to grow as shale gas development expands into Alberta and Saskatchewan;
The New West Partnership lacks a cohesive inter-governmental and inter-agency strategy to address growing public concern in the rapid expansion of shale gas development;"



SASKATCHEWAN RELEASES REGULATORY PROGRESS REPORT DURING RED TAPE AWARENESS WEEK

[ http://www.gov.sk.ca/news?newsId=571649 ... e04cde1639 ]

News Release - January 13, 2012

The Government of Saskatchewan today proclaimed Red Tape Awareness Week January 16 to 20 and released its latest progress report detailing steps government ministries and agencies have taken to reduce red tape. The government is working toward its election promise of legislating red tape accountability measures and reporting on red tape reduction accomplishments.

"When Saskatchewan business people go to work they should be able to focus on serving customers and creating jobs, not having to wade through unnecessary red tape," Enterprise Minister Jeremy Harrison said. "We are proud to work with the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) to proclaim Red Tape Awareness Week and release the Regulatory Modernization Progress Report to build on the story that Saskatchewan is a great place to do business.

"When it comes to cutting red tape, we know there is more work to do and the Government of Saskatchewan is committed to bringing forward red tape reduction legislation to make sure our regulatory system is efficient and effective."

In addition to new legislation here at home, the province continues to eliminate regulatory barriers through the New West Partnership to ensure business has unfettered access to opportunities across the partner provinces of Alberta and B.C.

Today's report is the third annual report detailing activities of government ministries and agencies as they modernize their regulations to respond to business concerns and implement a government pledge to review regulations. Ministries and agencies have been adopting lean practices and have made regulatory, legislative and policy changes in order to make Saskatchewan's regulatory regime more competitive, modern and business-friendly.

"CFIB is pleased Saskatchewan is once again the first province to proclaim Red Tape Awareness Week in the country," CFIB's Vice-President, Prairie Marilyn Braun-Pollon said. "Saskatchewan has made some significant progress in the last few years on the regulatory reform file and we look forward to becoming the second province in Canada to introduce landmark legislation to commit to red tape accountability measures, public reporting, and targets for red tape reduction in 2012."

Over the years Enterprise Saskatchewan has collaborated with CFIB to proclaim Red Tape Awareness Week. CFIB has also been providing recommendations to government, identifying regulations that the business community would like to see modernized.

CFIB will be carrying out various activities over the duration of the Red Tape Awareness Week including a Canadian Revenue Agency report card, provincial report card, golden scissors award, as well how Canadian farmers fare against the red tape.

To view the Regulatory Modernization Progress Report go to

[ http://www.enterprisesaskatchewan.ca/regmodernization ]

-30-

For more information, contact:

Tim Tororey
Enterprise Saskatchewan
Regina
Phone: 306-798-9906
Email: tim.tororey@enterprisesask.ca

Marilyn Braun-Pollon
CFIB
Regina
Phone: 306-757-0000
Email: marilyn.braun-pollon@cfib.ca


= = = = = = = = =

BRIEFING NOTE: SUBJECT: New West Partnership and project charter – “Collaboration and Information Sharing, Industry Water Use and Hydraulic Fracture Technology”

[ http://www.scribd.com/doc/62597277/Frac ... efing-Note ]

DATE: August 3, 2011

ISSUE:

The Minister’s of Energy for British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan signed a Memorandum of Understanding December 16, 2010 to provide for collaboration and joint action on issues related to unconventional shale gas development. One of several priority initiatives of the partnership is to work together to address fracture technology and water issues.

This briefing includes information on the water and technology collaboration working group that has been assembled from the three provinces, including staff from the Water Policy Branch of Alberta Environment.

Support for the project charter is requested from the Assistant Deputy Minister for Environmental Policy.

BACKGROUND:

In addition to other ongoing projects in Alberta that address shale gas regulatory issues the Ministries of Energy of the three western provinces have formed the New West Partnership

< http://www.newwestpartnership.ca/ > to foster collaboration between the three provinces on emerging energy issues. A copy of the New West Partnership Memorandum of Understanding is attached.

One priority initiative of the partnership is to foster information sharing and collaboration between regulatory agencies in the three provinces. The project mandate is provided in an update to the New West Partnership signed by the Deputy Ministers for Energy in April 2011:

“Collaboration and Information Sharing, Industry Water Use and Hydraulic Fracturing Technology. This is a priority for all three provinces. A working group will develop and share information on best practices related to water use, leading to the development of standards. A work plan will be developed by July 2011, with 18 months to develop recommendations for industry standards or guidelines.”

The British Columbia Ministry of Energy and Mines is the lead agency for the project. Staff from the Alberta Ministry of Energy, Alberta Environment and the Energy Resources Conservation Board provide input to the working group for Alberta.

A project charter has been drafted by the interprovincial “collaboration and information” working group to provide scope and objectives for the project. The charter includes a work plan for delivery of results over an 18 month period, beginning in July 2011. Members of the working group are listed in section 5.0 of the project charter (attached).

Collaboration and Information Sharing, Industry Water Use and Hydraulic Fracture Technology, Project Charter

The working group accepted all of Alberta’s input during development of the project charter. Peter Watson, the Deputy Minster for the Ministry of Energy is Alberta’s representative on the project steering committee. The project charter will be signed by the Deputy Minister for the Ministry of Energy and by corresponding authorities in British Columbia and Saskatchewan after the proposed charter is reviewed and accepted by the project steering committee.

Alberta Environment groundwater policy staff currently provide policy support for shale gas water management issues within the ongoing Energy Resource Conservation Board Unconventional Gas Review and will also provide input to the New West Partnership project.

The Alberta Ministry of Energy, Unconventional Gas, has identified the following policy initiatives related to shale gas development in Alberta and Western Canada:

New West Partnership – Collaboration and Information Sharing, Industry Water Use and Fracking technology project. The purpose of this committee is to develop and share information on best practices related to water use, leading to the development of standards. The Resource Development branch is coordinating DoE, ERCB and AENV engagement on this committee which also includes CAPP participation.

MORE:

http://www.newwestpartnership.ca/

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ERNST: Talk About Fracking!

[ http://forum.stopthehogs.com/phpBB2/vie ... php?t=1129 ]

Sent for publishing on Feb. 01, 2012

What's Fracking? In many places, the earth beneath our feet!

Almost overnight, many people in Alberta, throughout the United States, many places in BC and eastern Canada, have heard seismic testing, then had drill rigs operating in sight of their homes.

Speaking at St. Peter's College in Muenster, SK on Saturday (January 28), Jessica Ernst showed photos of the fracking just outside her Rosebud Alberta window. That fracking continues.

Ernst has documented the aquifer pathway to her gas-contaminated water. Her water was good; then it caused skin burns, small explosions, nausea, fear. Now she has an hour drive (and truck and tank) to haul her water.

She explained all the ways "There's a Hole in Their Story", such as industry and government attempts to avoid her evidence (along with many citizens' claims of water contamination, animal losses, disruption, noise pollution, health risks and uncertainties).

Huge amounts of water and poisonous chemicals are used to explode underground shale deposits to release oil or natural gas. After hydraulic fracturing - fracking - people discover tapwater and aquifer contamination. Small earthquakes and serious air pollution occur in fracking areas.

Having worked as an Encana consultant, Jessica Ernst couldn't continue seeing cover-ups and denials from the inside, while neighbours asked: What is Encana (and Cenovus Energy) doing in our area? She resigned, September 2004. It turns out the company was experimenting in her area with drilling technology they hoped would penetrate and pass through an aquifer safely. It didn't. Now her drinking water can be ignited! Ms Ernst's flaming water isn't the only scary part.

The company had not bothered to tell people what they were trying to do, let alone ask for approval.

If you are the company team that put the plan into action (or then-CEO of Encana, Gwyn Morgan), it would be difficult to let go of your theory, to acknowledge proof of the harm you have done.

Denial is understandable but not acceptable.

-o-

Very few property owners have mineral rights, apparently. According to antiquated Mining Acts in most of North America, exploration/mining has all the rights; we have very few.

Realizing how great the hazards are (complicated by many unknowns), several countries, states, provinces, municipalities, are banning fracking outright. Some have imposed a moratorium until real risks are understood.

Observing the Precautionary Principle is the only safe and sensible approach. In places already harmed, the picture is grim. People wanting to sell land or homes are unable, because of noise, water, air contamination. Where damage hasn't happened yet, let's learn from others how to achieve a moratorium. Prevention is the only remedy.

Some claim we need shale gas to meet world energy needs (and 'solve' our climate crisis). But it is well known that profits/benefits go mainly to industry stakeholders, while local residents and the environment bear enormous costs - loss of drinking water, loss of enjoying one'
Oscar
Site Admin
 
Posts: 9079
Joined: Wed May 03, 2006 3:23 pm

ANOTHER RECORD YEAR FOR SASKATCHEWAN’S OIL PRODUCTION

Postby Oscar » Mon Jan 27, 2014 5:02 pm

ANOTHER RECORD YEAR FOR SASKATCHEWAN’S OIL PRODUCTION

[ http://www.gov.sk.ca/news?newsId=6c3079 ... 3aadac8f5d ]

News Release - January 27, 2014

Saskatchewan’s oil patch set new records in 2013, in some categories surpassing benchmarks established just the year before.

The province’s oil production for the calendar year just ended is 177.9 million barrels (487,400 barrels per day), up from the previous record of 172.9 million barrels (472,500 barrels per day) set in 2012. Drilling activity was robust, with a total of 2,433 horizontal oil wells drilled in 2013, a new record that surpasses the 2,036 horizontal oil wells drilled in 2012.

“These records reflect the hard work of the men and women employed in Saskatchewan’s oil industry” Energy and Resources Minister Tim McMillan said. “The importance of the oil industry cannot be understated, as a top employer and exporter it contributes positively to communities throughout our province.”

A total of 3,371 oil wells were drilled in 2013, the third best year ever for oil well drilling. This figure ranks behind only 2011 (3,528 oil wells) and 1997 (3,608 oil wells). The Lloydminster and Kindersley/Kerrobert areas accounted for almost two-thirds of all drilling in 2013.

Saskatchewan is ranked as the number one jurisdiction in Canada for oil and gas investment policies, according to The Fraser Institute’s annual Global Petroleum Survey. -30-

For more information, contact:

Deb Young
Economy
Regina
Phone: 306-787-6315
Email: deb.young@gov.sk.ca
Oscar
Site Admin
 
Posts: 9079
Joined: Wed May 03, 2006 3:23 pm

Re: Fracking in Saskatchewan

Postby Oscar » Fri Jun 05, 2015 12:15 pm

Quill Plains chapter holds public forum on oil and gas extraction in Saskatchewan

[ http://canadians.org/blog/quill-plains- ... skatchewan ]

December 9, 2014 - 4:01pm

Eaton and Zink at the public forum organized by the Quill Plains chapter. (PHOTO)

The Council of Canadians Quill Plains chapter recently (October 18, 2014) organized a public forum in the community of Muenster (located about 125 kilometres east of Saskatoon) on the impacts of oil and gas extraction in Saskatchewan. The event featured University of Regina professor Emily Eaton and photographer Valerie Zink who reported on their fact-finding tour of some of Saskatchewan’s oil and gas ‘hot spots’ last summer.

Chapter activists Elaine Hughes and Margaret Lewis write, “Saskatchewan is now the country’s second largest oil producing province, with its recent boom attributable in significant part to unconventional oil extraction. ...Using a series of graphs and maps slides, Dr. Eaton described the province's current oil 'revolution' – the boom - as the site of a large oil experiment in which inherently risky extraction technologies, along with enormous amounts of water and energy, are being used to extract heavier, harder to reach and/or immature sources of this 'unconventional' oil from the earth."

They add, “Unfortunately but not surprisingly, this frenetic activity has given Saskatchewan the highest Greenhouse Gas Emissions rate per capita in Canada, with 21% being 'fugitive' emissions coming from the oil and gas industry, mostly knowingly through flaring and venting, or by escape."

And they note, “Looking specifically at fracking, while the number of new Horizontal Fracked wells in Saskatchewan has increased from just 12 in 1990-2000 to 3,197 in 2013, there have been very few additions made to regulations since 1985 which specifically address fracking, leaving it to the industry to self-regulate. In fact, the only guideline addressing this activity, entitled Saskatchewan Hydraulic Fracturing Fluids and Propping Agents Containment and Disposal Guidelines came into existence in 2001. The negative impacts of fracking are numerous and profound: it appears that directives are weak; regulators are extremely under-staffed and, on occasion, have been found to be industry-friendly.”

To read the full report by Hughes and Lewis on the public forum, please click here.
[ http://canadians.org/sites/default/file ... heBoom.pdf ]

Further reading

Saskatoon chapter calls for an end to methane venting and flaring (campaign blog)

[ http://canadians.org/blog/saskatoon-cha ... nd-flaring ]

Fracking in Saskatchewan (from A Fractivist's Toolkit)
[ http://canadians.org/sites/default/file ... chewan.pdf ]


Brent Patterson's blog
Political Director of the Council of Canadians
[ http://canadians.org/blogs/brent-patterson ]
Oscar
Site Admin
 
Posts: 9079
Joined: Wed May 03, 2006 3:23 pm


Return to FRACKING

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests

cron