After receiving notice an application to resume steaming operations in the “restricted zone” of the Primrose project would be denied, Canadian Natural Resources Limited (CNRL) withdrew its application earlier this month.
The CNRL application was to “convert Primrose East to a low pressure steam flood,” said to CNRL spokesperson Zoe Addington.
On March 7, the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) informed CNRL that its “application to resume steaming in the restricted zone of the Primrose project area would be denied,” at which point the company opted to withdraw the application.
“The AER determined that it was premature to approve this application in light of the ongoing investigation into the leaks at Primrose,” wrote AER spokesman Bob Curran in an email to the Nouvelle.
CNRL said discussions with the AER are what led to decision to withdraw the application.
“Upon further review of our steam flood application at Primrose East, with the AER, it was decided more technical studies would be conducted before we would continue with the application,” said Addington.
In May and June of 2013, four separate bitumen leaks at CNRL's Primrose sites were reported to the AER. The largest of those leaks was at Primrose South and resulted in almost two million liters of bitumen emulsion seeping to the surface through fissures, contaminating the environment, wildlife, an unnamed body of water and possibly a groundwater aquifer.
After the incident occurred, CNRL shut down steaming operations in Primrose East and within a one-kilometer zone in Primrose South.
A second application, which was also submitted earlier this month, to resume steaming at Primrose South, is currently being reviewed by the AER.
“CNRL also has an application filed with the AER to commence steaming operations outside of the restricted zone (at Primrose South),” said Curran. “That application is under review.”
Greenpeace Canada was quick to respond to the CNRL applications and are calling for the AER to deny the second application just like it was going to do with the first.
“We're glad that the AER listened to the growing public calls and turned down CNRL's application to re-steam it's already prone to spill area and that CNRL has pulled their application,” said Greenpeace Energy and Climate campaigner Mike Hudema. “The steaming restrictions must remain in place at least until the AER's investigation into the incident is completed and publicly reviewed.”
“A much broader safety review of in-situ technology is also needed,” Hudema added. “What these on-going, uncontrollable, 9-month plus long spills tell us is that there are major safety gaps in information about our understanding of underground tar sands extraction technology that need to be addressed before the government approves any more tar sands in-situ projects.”
As of March 17, a total of 1,827 people had signed an online petition asking the AER to reject CNRL's application.
CNRL also provided an update on the state of its Primrose sites, saying clean-up work has been completed at three sites, with work at the fourth site expected to be finished this spring. Returned water to the unnamed body of water is also planned for the spring.
Seepage from the fissures at the sites has slowed to an “almost imperceptible rate” of less that a cubic meter from all sites per month, according to Addington.
“Canadian Natural is undertaking an extensive causation review to understand the flow to surface events within the Primrose project area,” said Addington, who added that the company thinks the flow to surface incidents were caused by “a failed or partially-failed wellbore.”
The AER is in the middle of its investigation into the leaks at Primrose and was unable to provide a timeframe as to when it is expected to be complete.
“The investigation continues, and the operating restrictions put in place last summer by the AER remain in effect,” said Curran.
