Trican 12-08-61-05w4 Well
September 19, 2024
The Orphan Well Association (“OWA”) has been directed by the Alberta Energy Regulator (“AER”) to ensure public safety is maintained surrounding a 1950’s vintage sweet gas well located within the 4500 block between 45th and 46th Avenue in the Town of Bonnyville.
In June of this year, the well, which was previously decommissioned to the standard of the day, was found to be leaking minor volumes of sweet natural gas (methane). The OWA is monitoring the area, has located and exposed the wellbore, and installed a vapour recovery unit to capture gas from the soil. The OWA continues to work closely with the AER, the Bonnyville Regional Fire Authority, and the Town of Bonnyville to ensure the safety of nearby residents.
While the leak is small, plans to permanently fix and decommission this well are nearing completion. A meeting was held on September 11th, 2024 with nearby residents and a future information session will be held for interested stakeholders.
At the time this area of Bonnyville was developed, there were no requirements to identify historic wells as part of development plans. In 2012, rules were established by Alberta Municipal Affairs that changed this requirement to help prevent these types of situations from occurring. For more information on this requirement, please visit https://www.aer.ca/regulating-development/rules-and-directives/directives/directive-079.
Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact the OWA at . Questions regarding regulatory oversight and historic wells can be directed to the AER at .